Do You Have Any of These 11 Common Nutrient Deficiencies?

It is very difficult to get all of your nutrition that you really need from food.

One reason is that most of us don’t consume vine ripened fruits and vegetables. Many nutrients only appear when the fruit or vegetable fully ripens on the vine. Another reason is that the soil just doesn’t contain the nutrients that it did centuries ago. The third and most significant reason is that most Americans are eating way to many processed foods that have the majority of nutrition stripped away and not enough whole unprocessed foods.

Your age and certain health conditions (digestive issues and others) can also impact your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients in your food. Unfortunately, in many cases, nutrient deficiencies can be difficult to assess and you may not develop symptoms until the deficiency has become quite pronounced.

Here are 11 of the most common nutrient deficiencies:

1. Vitamin D - Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in people of all ages. Researchers estimate that 50% of the population are vitamin D deficient. This percentage rises in higher-risk populations, such as the elderly and those with darker skin.

Signs indicating you may have a vitamin D deficiency include being over the age of 50, having darker skin, obesity, achy bones, feeling depressed, head sweating and poor immune function.

If your vitamin D levels are low, you should play it safe and get your vitamin D level tested twice a year, once in the summer and once in the winter. The test is a blood test and the healthy vitamin D range appears to be somewhere between 50 and 70 ng/ml.

2. Omega-3 Fats - Low concentrations of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are associated with an increased risk of death from all causes and omega-3 deficiency has been revealed as the sixth biggest killer of Americans.

Most Americans eat too many inflammatory omega-6 fats (think processed vegetable oils) and too few anti-inflammatory omega-3s, which sets the stage for a number of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, just to name a few.

Telltale signs that your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio may be out of balance include dry and flaky skin, “alligator” skin, dandruff or dry hair; soft brittle nails; fatigue; menstrual cramps and a poor attention span.

3. Vitamin K2 - Vitamin K2 may be just as important as vitamin D for optimal health. It’s essential for bone strength and the health of arteries and blood vessels. Vitamin K2 plays a role in other biological processes as well, including tissue renewal and cell growth, healthy pregnancy and cancer prevention.

Examples of foods that are naturally high in vitamin K2 are:

a. Natto, which is a fermented soy product. This is the only type of soy that I recommend. It must be organic, since over 90% of soy is GMO.

b. Fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut.

4. Magnesium - Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body, yet an estimated 80% of Americans are deficient in it. Without sufficient amounts of magnesium your body simply cannot function at its best. Researchers have detected more than 3,750 magnesium-binding sites on human proteins, reflecting how important this mineral is to a great variety of biological processes.

Magnesium also plays roles in preventing migraine headaches, cardiovascular disease (including high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.

5. Vitamin B12 - Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is known as the energy vitamin. Your body requires it for a number of vital functions, including energy production, blood formation, DNA synthesis and myelin (insulates nerves) formation. The two ways you become deficient are through a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet, or through your inability to absorb it from the food that you eat.

About one in four American adults are deficient in this important nutrient and nearly half the population has suboptimal blood levels. Warning signs of B12 deficiency include a mental fog, memory problems, mood swings, apathy, fatigue, muscle weakness and tingling in the extremities.

Unfortunately, B12 deficiency may not present itself for a number of years, so by the time you notice symptoms, you may be quite deficient.

6. Vitamin E - Vitamin E is particularly important for your brain health, but it also helps support normal cholesterol levels and protect against free radical damage, as well as the protecting against the effects of aging. Recent animal research warns that vitamin E deficiency may actually cause brain damage, while studies have also found that supplementation with it may help delay the loss of cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

The vitamin E most often referred to and sold in most stores is a synthetic form of the vitamin, which really should NOT be used if you want to reap any of its health benefits. You can tell what you’re buying by carefully reading the label. Natural vitamin E is always listed as the “d-” form (d-alpha-tocopherol, d-beta-tocopherol, etc.). Synthetic vitamin E is listed as “dl-” forms.

The best way to ensure that your body is getting the full spectrum of vitamin E, in a form your body can beneficially use, is to make smart dietary choices. Good dietary sources of vitamin E include nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts and pecans; seeds such as sunflower seeds; olive oil; legumes and green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli.

7. Vitamin A - Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that is important for maintaining healthy skin, teeth, bones, cell membranes and vision. Vitamin A is also essential for your immune system. It’s a precursor to active hormones that regulate the expression of your genes. There is evidence that without vitamin D, vitamin A can be ineffective or even toxic. But if you’re deficient in vitamin A, vitamin D cannot function properly either, so a balance of these two vitamins is essential.

It can be very difficult to get sufficient amounts of vitamin A from beta-carotene alone. Unless your intestinal health is top notch and you eat your veggies with healthy fats, getting your vitamin A in the form of retinol from organic animal products is your best bet.

Retinol is preformed vitamin A, found in animal products such as grass-fed meat and poultry, liver, fish and organic dairy products like butter. This is the form of vitamin A your body can utilize.

Beta-carotene is pre-vitamin A, found in plant foods like fruits and vegetables. In order for your body to actually use beta-carotene, it must first convert it into retinol and to do this, you need to have a well-functioning digestive tract.

8. Iodine - Iodine is an important nutrient found in every organ and tissue and many are deficient in this nutrient. Worldwide, it’s thought that up to 40% of the population is at risk of iodine deficiency. Along with being essential for healthy thyroid function and efficient metabolism, there is increasing evidence that low iodine is related to numerous diseases, including cancer.

There are potentially serious risks to taking too much iodine. Toxin-free sea vegetables and spirulina are likely the ideal natural sources from which to obtain your iodine.

9. Calcium - Calcium is one of several nutrients required for strong, healthy bones. However, it’s important to not overdo it on calcium supplements. Calcium needs to be balanced with vitamin D, K2, and magnesium, or else it can do more harm than good. Lack of balance between these nutrients is why calcium supplements have become associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

You also need sources of silica and magnesium, which some researchers say is actually enzymatically “transmuted” by your body into the kind of calcium your bones can use. Good sources of silica are cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and a number of herbs.

10. Iron - Iron is essential for human life, as it is a key part of various proteins and enzymes, involved in the transport of oxygen and the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. One of the most important roles of iron is to provide hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen.

If you have too little iron, you may experience fatigue, decreased immunity, or iron-deficiency anemia, which can be serious if left untreated. This is common in children and premenopausal women.
But, while iron deficiency affects more than a quarter of the global population, it’s equally hazardous to have too much iron and elevated levels are just as common, or perhaps even more so than iron deficiency.

It is also important to also test ferritin levels along with iron to make sure to identify the true cause of an anemia. Since your body has a limited capacity to excrete iron, it can build up in your body, with potentially devastating consequences.

11. Choline - Choline is a B vitamin known for its role in brain development. It’s a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a role in both muscle control and memory. Choline is also important for the health of your cell membranes. Choline also has anti-inflammatory properties. An estimated 90% of the US population may be deficient in choline. Some of the symptoms associated with low levels include memory problems, lethargy and a persistent brain fog.

Your body can only synthesize small amounts of this nutrient, so you need to get it from your diet. Animal foods, such as organic pastured eggs and grass-fed meat are some of the best sources of choline. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian who does not consume any animal foods, you may be at particular risk of deficiency. Other good sources of choline include beef liver, wheat germ, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and wild-caught salmon.

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