Common Nutrient Deficiencies Your Body Indicates: Must-Have Foods in Your Diet

Do you often feel fatigue, muscle aches, numbness and mood shifts? Then no doubt you are experiencing nutrient deficiency.

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Different nutrients like minerals and vitamins play a very important role in controlling bodily functions and processes at the most basic cell level. These processes include nerve signaling, water balance, enzyme functions, digestion and metabolism. So any kind of nutrient deficiency can alter these process that in turn will affect optimal growth, and development of the body.

It’s well known that Calcium and Vitamin D deficiency lead to Osteoporosis (brittle bone) and inadequate Iron leads to anemia. But how to identify other nutrient deficiencies?

Here we tell you the signs, the nutrient role and the foods that help overcome these deficiencies.

Muscle Weakness, Constipation, Irregular Heart Rhythm : Potassium Deficiency

Potassium is important in maintaining a healthy blood pressure. It also helps offset sodium’s negative impact on your blood pressure. Potassium helps your heart, nerves, and muscles work properly.

Your body may indicate Potassium deficiency in the form of muscle weakness, twitches, or cramps, constipation, tingling and numbness, and an abnormal heart rhythm or palpitations.

To overcome this deficiency, include Potassium rich foods in your diet that include bananas, milk, lentils/ dals and kidney beans, other legumes, spinach, yams, avocados, and fish such as salmon. WHO recommends a potassium intake of at least 3,500–4,700 mg daily for adults from food.

Cold Hands and Feet, Brittle Nails, Fatigue, Shortness of Breath : Iron deficiency

According to the University of California (UCSF) , Iron is very important mineral that is necessary to produce RBC (Red Blood Cells) that carry oxygen throughout the body.

Decrease in the Iron levels lead to Anemia; a condition in which there may be a deficiency of RBCs in the body. Iron deficiency is generally found in menstruating women, growing children, pregnant women and those following a vegetarian diet. And, since non-heme iron tends to be less easily absorbed by our bodies than heme iron, the daily requirement for vegetarians and vegans is 1.8 times higher than for meat eaters.

Your body may indicate Iron deficiency in the form of pale skin, headache, cold hands and feet, weakness and fatigue, shortness of breath, a fast heartbeat, brittle nails. These symptoms become more intense as iron stores keep depleting in your body.

To boost your iron levels add spinach, Shellfish, tofu, whole grains, dark chocolates, legumes, seeds like Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, nuts like pistachios, cashews and almonds, dried fruits, resins and apricots in your diet. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Iron as recommended by WHO is:

Men and post-menopausal women – 8mg/day

Premenopausal women – 18mg/day

Pregnant women – 27mg/day , Lactating women – 9 mg/day

9 to 13 years – 8 mg/day

14 to 18 years -11mg/day (boys) and 15 mg/day (girls).

Numb, Tingling Fingers and Abnormal Heart Rhythm : Calcium Deficiency

According to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Calcium is important in the body to maintain strong bones, control muscle and nerve function. It also controls the blood pressure and kidney functioning. When your feel numbness, tingling in fingers, abnormal heart rhythms, confusion or memory loss, muscle cramps, hallucination, your body is showing signs of Calcium deficiency.

You will likely get enough Calcium from dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, soya beans, tofu, nuts, ragi, fish like sardines (with bones), plant-based drinks with Ca fortification.

Most adults need 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day, though women over 50 and men over 70 need 1,200 mg, as per NIH.

Fatigue, Bone Pain, Mood Shifts, and Anxiety: Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D is required by the body to regulate Calcium and phosphate and promote bone growth. You also need vitamin D for other important body functions, regulate the immune system and the neuromuscular system.

Lack of Vitamin D may result in various defects starting from low bone density to softening of bones and impaired mineralization of bones and lead to fatigue, bone pain, mood shifts, and anxiety. If you see any such symptoms, you need increase your Vitamin D intake. According to NIH, daily requirement of Vit-D in adults is 15 micrograms (mcg), and adults older than 70 need 20 mcg.

To increase your Vitamin D level, include foods like oily fish (salmon, sardines, herrings),egg yolk , red meat . If you are a vegetarian, then switch to mushrooms, cheese, fortified foods (Cow’s milk, soya milk, almond milk, tofu, fortified yogurt, cereals). These fortified foods generally contain 54-136 IU per serving. According to NIH, exposing your skin to direct Sunlight is the best way to produce Vitamin D in the body.

Persistent Fatigue, Weakness, Pale Skin, Diarrhea and Smooth Tongue: Folate (Vit B9) Deficiency

Folate, or folic acid, is a type of B vitamin. It helps to: make DNA, repair DNA and

produce red blood cells (RBCs). Folate is particularly important for women in early stages of conception which is why prenatal vitamins usually contain a hefty dose. Folate supports healthy growth and function and can reduce the risk of birth defects, particularly those involving the neural tube (the brain and spine). Folate deficiency can decrease the total number RBCs leading to anaemia and can cause neural tube defects in an unborn child.

Various Symptoms that indicate folate deficiency include Weakness fatigue, irritability, diarrhoea, poor growth, mouth soars, and a smooth, tender-feeling tongue, pale skin as per MedlinePlus. The recommended folate dose is 400 micrograms per day. Women who may become pregnant should take a folate supplement according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

To get folate from food, go for leafy, green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach fruits, such as bananas and melons, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, whole grains, eggs, and fortified cereals.

Takeaway

While your diet should provide you with the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, it is easy to fall short of what your body requires. The first step is to eat a balanced diet, but if you still aren’t obtaining enough vitamins and nutrients, see your doctor. They may advise you to take supplements or make dietary changes. Because the FDA does not regulate supplement production, be sure you buy from reliable suppliers.

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