Your body is fascinating and talks to you in many different ways. If you pay attention, or listen closely enough you are sure to find signs your body is giving, telling you when you are lacking in something. For example like when you are falling short on certain vitamin.
Not hitting your nutritional needs is easy to do with today’s abundant diets of nutritionally void processed foods. Stressful work and life conditions can further deplete nutrients whilst poor digestive health can lead to malabsorption of nutrients from the foods we eat.
Whilst you may not end up with a chronic illness as a result, long term nutrient deficiencies can result in the body not functioning at it’s optimal levels because vitamins are required for all the biochemical processes in the body.
Here are a common signs and their corresponding deficiencies to look out for:
Skin:
Your skin is a true reflection of your health, and can be one of the first signs that something is missing from your diet:
- Dark circles under the eyes – iron deficiency aneamia or a possible food sensitivity
- Dry skin – Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), vitamin E and water!
- Spots – Zinc, (and too much dairy and sugar see my previous post https://www.nsnutrition.co.uk/2012/03/eat-your-way-to-better-skin/ for more info)
- Goose bump like spots on the arms – Vitamin A
- Stretch marks – Zinc
Hair:
- Hair loss – B6, biotin, thyroid, iron
- Dandruff – Selenium and EFAs
- Dry hair – EFA, vitamin A
- Premature greying – B12, Biotin, folic acid, weak adrenals
Nails:
- White spots on the nails – Zinc, selenium
- Brittle nails – Low stomach acid (can also cause bloating) , iron, zinc
- Pale nails – Iron
- Bitten nails – General mineral deficiency
Body:
- Yellowish-brown-coated tongue – Liver or gall bladder problems
- Yellow “whites” of the eye – Jaundice from liver disease; excessive beta carotene intake
- Difficulty sleeping – Magnesium
- Muscle cramps – Magnesium, potassium, sodium
- Recurring colds/infections – Vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc
- Sugar cravings – Chromium
- Dry eyes– Vitamin A
- Cracks at the corner of the mouth – B2
- Bleeding gums – Vitamin C
- Sugar cravings – Chromium
- Cold hands and feet – Iron, thyroid, magnesium
- Poor sense of taste and smell – Zinc
- Low energy – Magnesium, B Vitamins
Best food sources:
|
VITAMIN/MINERAL |
BEST FOOD SOURCE |
| VITAMIN A | Liver, eggs, cheese, yoghurt, carrots, sweet potato, peppers |
| VITAMIN C | Citrus fruits, peppers, berries, kiwi, sweet potato, dark green leafy vegetables |
| VITAMIN D | Oily fish (salmon, mackerel), shitake mushrooms, egg yolk |
| VITAMIN E | Olive oil, sunflower seeds, almonds |
| VITAMIN B2 (Riboflavin) | Yoghurt, eggs, trout, tuna, broccoli, avocado, quinoa |
| VITAMIN B6 | Poultry, red meat, whole grains, brown rice |
| BIOTIN (B7) | Liver, fish, egg yolk, almonds, hazelnuts, sweet potato, tomatoes, avocados |
| VITAMIN B12 | Red meat, poultry, oily fish, eggs, yoghurt |
| CHROMIUM | Raw onion, tomato, poultry, shellfish, broccoli, whole grains, pulses |
| IRON | Liver, beef, lamb, pulses, spinach |
| MAGNESIUM | Brown rice, quinoa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, nuts, green leafy vegetables |
| POTASSIUM | Banana, avocado, sweet potato, peppers |
| SELENIUM | Fish, shellfish, brazil nuts, walnuts, |
| ZINC | Meat, poultry, eggs, seafood (esp. oysters), pulses, nuts seeds |
| ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS | Oily fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados |
