UN warns of the threat to the IQ of nations [View All]

[JoFerret]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1177298,00.html

About one in three people around the world are not getting enough vitamins and minerals, lowering the IQ of nations, contributing to the death of 1 million children a year and leading to mental impairment in 20 million babies, a UN report said yesterday.
Its authors called on companies to fortify foods with nutrients missing from diets in developing countries and to provide supplements through low-cost tablets, capsules and syrups for children, and women of child-bearing age.

The "ubiquitous" shortage of vitamins and minerals "debilitates in some significant degree the energies, intellects and economic prospects of nations", the report said.

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"Resources and technology to bring vitamin and mineral deficiencies under control do exist," said Venkatesh Mannar, president of the Micronutrient Initiative, who wrote the report with Unicef.

Effects on health and intelligence because of shortages were huge. "In many countries the children are very slow to react and it is due to these deficiencies," he said.
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