HealthcareHow To Correct Common Nutrient Deficiencies

The World Health Organization estimates that 92% of the world population is deficient in at least one nutrient. 90% of Americans are deficient in potassium. Getting all your nutrients requires proper planning and a basic understanding of nutrition. Let us break down how to correct these deficiencies.

Most people have nutrient deficiencies and do not even realize it. When I was younger, I experienced cystic acne, gum swelling, and hair loss. I thought it was normal because everyone else experienced this.

After doing some research, I found out that I had vitamin A and vitamin D deficiencies.

Vitamin A is responsible for healing damaged tissue caused by inflammation. When you have acne, your body is telling you that it does not have sufficient vitamin A to heal your skin. Add in a diet high in inflammatory foods, and you have the perfect recipe for acne. In the following article you can find out what are the best vitamins for skin health and internal beauty.

On the other hand, vitamin D is more than just a vitamin, it is a hormone. Most people do not get adequate vitamin D needed for them to thrive. This results in your body taking care of what is most important, like keeping your alive and discarding the less important stuff, resulting in hair loss, tooth loss, and other unwanted side effects.

Now I am going to go over the most common deficiencies, how to know if you are deficient, and how to fix it.

• Vitamin D
• Iron
• Iodine
• Vitamin A
• Potassium
• Vitamin B12

* Vitamin D

In my opinion, vitamin D is the most important vitamin needed by our bodies. It is also the vitamin most people are deficient in. Vitamin D plays an important role in absorbing calcium which is needed for strong bones and healthy teeth.

Vitamin D is more of a hormone than a vitamin. It is produced by our bodies in response to sunlight. I think the RDA of 800 IU is a bit low because our bodies can produce up to 100 000 IU of vitamin D per day.

Common signs of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, bone and back pain, hair loss, and weak immune system.

The best remedies for a vitamin D deficiency is to spend long hours in the sun and supplementing vitamin D.

If you live in a country that does not get lots of sunlight, supplementation can be enough to correct your deficiency. I suggest starting with 10000 IU of vitamin D per day until you struggle to fall asleep. Insomnia is a sign that your body’s’ vitamin D storages are full. After that, supplement with only 5000 IU per day.

Now that we covered vitamin D, let us talk about another common deficiency.

* Iron

Iron deficiency is the second most common deficiency in the modern world. 25% of the world population is anemic.

Iron is an important part of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that transports oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. A person who is anemic cannot make enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

Those who are at high risk for developing anemia are women of childbearing age and young children. According to the World Health Organization, 47.4% of young children are anemic.

Commons symptoms of anemia include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and cold hands and feet.

If you are anemic, try increasing your intake of heme iron. Heme iron, found in meats, is more easily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron, found in vegetables.

Try eating more beef, tuna, organ meats, sardines, and poultry. There are also iron-fortified cereals meant for anemic children.

* Iodine

Iodine is an essential mineral our body needs to make thyroid hormones. It is important during pregnancy and breastfeeding as it can prevent the child from developing any serious conditions later in life.

People who are at the highest risk of developing iodine deficiency are pregnant women, people who do not use iodized salt, people who live in areas with little iodine in the soil like southeast Asia, vegans, and vegetarians.

Common symptoms of low iodine include swelling in the front of the neck, weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, and dry skin.

If you suspect you are deficient in iodine, try upping your consumption of fish and dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. You can even start seasoning your food with iodized salt and use cod liver oil as it contains high amounts of iodine. Supplements with iodine can also be helpful.

Now that we have covered iodine, let us talk about a vitamin I was deficient in.

* Vitamin A

Vitamin A always had a special place in my heart since it helped me clear my cystic acne.

Vitamin A plays an important role in repairing damaged tissue. Accutane is one of the most common acne treatments, and it contains high levels of synthetic vitamin A.

Signs of vitamin A deficiency include dry skin, skin eyes, poor wound healing, and acne breakouts.

In one study, they found that vitamin A levels in those with acne are 80 mcg lower than those without acne.

The food with the most vitamin A by far is beef liver. Thirty-five grams of beef liver contains 200% of your RDA for vitamin A. If you are struggling with acne, try eating liver a few times a week, your skin will thank you.

Even if you do not suffer from acne, increasing your liver consumption will only benefit you since vitamin A plays so many crucial roles in the body. Your skin will also be clearer.

* Potassium

Potassium is one of the most important minerals in the body. This electrolyte is necessary for the normal functioning of our cells and is needed by the heart and kidneys to work properly.

Potassium deficiencies are common in people who work physically demanding jobs, smoke, abuse alcohol, and have an eating disorder.

Symptoms of low potassium include, feeling weak and tired, frequent muscle cramps, and constipation.

Foods like bananas, apples, broccoli, and spinach are all high in potassium.

* Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is needed to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy. It also helps make DNA. People who have the highest risk of developing B12 deficiency are vegans. If you are vegan, I recommend you supplement with vitamin B12.

Signs of vitamin B12 deficiencies include nerve problems, tingles in your hands and feet, trouble thinking and reasoning, and mouth pain.

With the recent popularity of veganism, vitamin B12 deficiencies are on the rise. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products like eggs, fish, meat, poultry, and dairy products.

Like with most nutrients, the best way of getting B12 is through your diet, if you cannot get B12 through your diet, try getting a B12 shot.

Conclusion

A nutrient deficiency is difficult to spot as a lot of these deficiencies I mentioned have overlapping symptoms like weakness, fatigue, and feeling cold. So instead of diagnosing yourself, go for a blood test to see what you are deficient in and focus on upping that vitamin. I hope this article gave you some insight on deficiencies and made you realize that it is a real and common problem we all must deal with.

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