We live in a time when food has never been so abundant, so accessible, and yet, a growing part of the population suffers from nutritional deficiencies .
This paradox may seem incomprehensible: how can we lack essential nutrients when our store shelves are overflowing with products? That's precisely where the problem lies. Behind the illusion of convenient food, our lifestyles, our consumption choices, and the transformations in agriculture have profoundly altered the quality of our food.
In this article, we will explore why nutritional deficiencies have become so common, even among people who think they "eat well".
A modern diet disconnected from nature
The industrial food industry made a promise: to simplify our lives. Ready-to-eat meals, long-life foods, processed dishes, convenient snacks… But this promise comes at a price.
Behind the reassuring appearance of well-designed packaging, the actual nutritional density is often extremely low. It's not just about hidden calories or sugars, but a profound depletion of micronutrients : vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes, essential fatty acids…
Some foods are so processed that they contain almost nothing living. Fiber is removed, vitamins destroyed by heat, fats hydrogenated, and refined sugars omnipresent.
This progressive imbalance contributes to a silent cellular hunger : our body seeks what it needs, but cannot find it.
The soils no longer nourish like they used to.
Another determining factor is less visible, but just as crucial: soil depletion .
Since the 1950s, intensive agriculture has led to explosive increases in yields at the expense of quality. Monocultures, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and deep plowing have disrupted underground ecosystems. The soil, once vibrant and complex, has become a neutral substrate.
This means that plants grown in these lands receive fewer minerals , including magnesium, zinc, selenium, iodine or iron — elements essential to our biological balance.
Numerous studies have shown that the nutrient content of certain fruits and vegetables has dropped by 30 to 70% in just a few decades.
Even when eating "five fruits and vegetables a day," we no longer ingest the same nutritional richness as before . Quantity does not compensate for the loss of quality.
Chronic stress: an invisible but decisive factor
Our era generates an almost permanent level of stress: professional pressure, mental overload, constant information and notifications, economic uncertainties, fatigue…
This stress has a direct impact on our biology. In situations of prolonged stress, the body uses more of certain nutrients to maintain its balance:
Magnesium is mobilized in large quantities, as are the B vitamins , which are necessary for the nervous system.
Vitamin C is depleted more quickly in a context of inflammation or chronic fatigue.
Iron may be poorly absorbed in cases of hormonal or digestive imbalance.
Add to that disturbed sleep, low exposure to natural light, a microbiota weakened by antibiotics or a diet low in fiber: it's a vicious cycle that leads to multiple deficiencies.
Digestion weakened by lifestyle
Even if you eat nutrient-rich foods, you still need to be able to assimilate them .
However, the quality of our digestion is often compromised: stress, meals eaten too quickly, acid-base imbalance, sedentary lifestyle, lack of chewing… All these factors disrupt the absorption of nutrients.
Digestive disorders are also becoming more and more common: bloating, reflux, constipation, intolerances… They are often a reflection of an imbalance in the intestinal flora , which is essential for the proper assimilation of vitamins and minerals.
Thus, a person can eat healthily and still be deficient.
At-risk populations: far more numerous than we think
Nutritional deficiencies don't only affect the elderly or vulnerable populations. They also affect teenagers, pregnant women, athletes, vegetarians or vegans, stressed office workers, people undergoing prolonged medical treatment...
Let's take some concrete examples:
An active woman, often stressed by mental workload, risks being deficient in magnesium, iron, zinc, and B9.
A growing adolescent may suffer from an iodine or vitamin D deficiency.
A vegan who does not take supplements is often deficient in B12 and omega-3.
An athlete who sweats a lot regularly loses zinc, sodium, and magnesium.
Modern deficiencies are multifactorial . They are not a matter of “poor lifestyle”, but of living conditions that have become too far removed from human physiological needs.
Rediscovering vibrant and intelligent nutrition
Faced with this reality, should we give in to food anxiety? No. But it's time to regain control over our vitality by reintegrating simple and powerful habits into our daily lives:
Choose raw and minimally processed foods. Living things nourish living things.
Opt for local, organic, seasonal products , sourced from short supply chains or from small-scale farming.
Relearn how to cook. Even simply. Even quickly.
Reintroduce diversity. Every natural food is a small pharmacy.
Take your time eating. Digestion begins with being present.
Consider supplementation (iron, magnesium, iodine, vitamin D, B12, omega-3…) as a smart support, occasional or regular, depending on your actual needs.
And above all: be curious. Listen to your body. Dare to question your habits.
Rethinking our relationship with food
Beyond the numbers and the nutrients, eating is a symbolic act. It's a way to connect with nature, with our culture, and with our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Modern deficiencies also reflect a disconnect from intuitive, connected, and joyful eating. By reconnecting with this dimension, we don't just correct numbers in a blood test: we restore our deep vitality.
Nutritional deficiencies are not simply a biological problem.
They are an invitation to relearn how to fully nourish our body, our energy, and our life.
