Vitamin nutritional status in Italy

Abstract

In almost all countries, the critical point for defining the nutritional status of a population is represented by the poor source of representative data of the whole population or of the main subgroups of the population. Also, in Italy, the sources of data on the nutritional status of biochemically evaluated macro- and micronutrients are scant in relation to specific groups of the population, mainly children and the elderly. In this short review, only the nutritional status for vitamins is considered. The existing limited data, however, indicate that clinical signs of severe deficiency are not observed in Italy and the incidence of vitamin malnutrition is moderate. This is probably due to the large availability and variety of food and to Italian eating habits which reflect the typical Mediterranean diet: rich, for example, in cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, and olive oil. However, there are particular conditions, linked to lifestyle, in which the risk of a mild or moderate vitamin malnutrition increases. These include a monotonous diet, drug interactions, smoking habits and alcohol consumption.