The Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies: #3 Might Surprise You
Could you have a common nutrient deficiency?
Here are the most common ones & what you can do about them
Ever felt fatigued, depressed, or run down but couldn’t put your finger on why? Maybe getting out of the bed in the morning took all the energy you could muster up. Even if you’re eating a healthy diet, you still may be missing something - you could be struggling with one or more of the common nutrient deficiencies!
Despite the abundance of healthy food and improved medical care, nutrient deficiencies still exist in the US. While nutrient deficiencies are present in a greater part of the population, high risk individuals include pregnant women, children under five (1) and the elderly because of higher nutrient needs or malnutrition.
What Causes Common Nutrient Deficiencies?
It comes as no surprise that the average American diet is unhealthy. Fast food restaurants conveniently located on every corner and coffee drive-throughs 10 cars long serving high-carb, sugar-packed, low-quality fat drenched foods play a big role in the standard American diet (SAD). Foods are high in calories and nutrient poor. We are overfed and undernourished.
While the US Dietary Guidelines are clear on what a healthy, balanced diet should look like, US adherence to these guidelines remain low (2). Unfortunately, Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) and daily recommended intake (DRI) are a simplified estimation of nutrient needs based on a 2,000 calorie diet that gives just one number for everyone regardless of age, sex, or pregnancy. RDAs and DRIs represent the minimum required dose to avoid disease from that nutrient deficiency. They are nowhere near the value for what is required for optimal health. Plus, people's individual nutrient requirements vary greatly. With a poor or even average diet, nutrient deficiencies are bound to happen.
Even a healthy diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Modern agricultural practices have our plants being far less nutrient dense than they were a century ago. Believe it or not, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that nutrient deficiency is a widespread “public health issue” (3). So even if you eat your veggies, you are still likely to have some nutrient deficiencies.
On top of that, exposure to toxins in our air, food, water, daily household and personal hygiene products, has our detox pathways working overtime. With detox pathways upregulated, there are much higher nutrient demands on our body, leaving less of these nutrients available for other metabolic pathways.
Of course, other factors also play a role in the development of nutrient deficiencies. Factors such as impaired metabolism, chronic disease, gut issues, parasites and medications greatly impact nutrient status. This is why it’s so important to get to the root cause of your nutrient deficiencies.
How Do I Know If I’m Deficient?
While symptoms can vary, symptoms of common nutrient deficiencies can include:
Weakness
Fatigue
Mood changes, such as depression
Poor metabolism
Headaches
Low immunity
Delayed wound healing
Hormone imbalances
Brain fog
Muscle twitches/cramps
Food sensitivities
While symptoms can give a clue about discovering which nutrients are deficient, most nutrient deficiencies are diagnosed through functional lab testing at your holistic doctor’s office. While a conventional provider may order a regular lab panel and at best check a few nutrients in your blood (serum levels), a functional lab test will evaluate an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and even toxic elements on a cellular level, the place where nutrients actually need to end up. Micronutrient testing helps determine the nutrient deficiency you may be struggling with.
4 of the Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies
B Vitamins
These vitamins play essential roles in cardiovascular, neurological, reproductive health, as well as detoxification, energy production and red and white blood cell formation.
There are a variety of B vitamins:
Thiamine (B1)
Riboflavin (B2)
Niacin (B3)
Pantothenic Acid (B5)
Pyridoxine (B6)
Biotin (B7)
Folate (B9)
Cyanocobalamin (B12)
Many Americans are lacking several of these.
For example, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to macrocytic anemia. Symptoms of B12 deficiency can include fatigue, lack of energy, headaches, heart palpitations and a variety of neurological issues (4). B12 is often deficient in vegans and those with celiac disease. Medications such as proton pump inhibitors can also lead to severe vitamin B12 deficiency.
While B12 is best obtained from red meat, dairy, eggs, and poultry (6), food sources of other B vitamins include a full spectrum of foods such as (7):
Dairy
Poultry
Red meat
Liver and other organ meats
Fish
Eggs
Salmon
Leafy greens
Nuts
Seeds
Sweet potatoes
It’s hard to get enough vitamin B12 eating a primarily plant-based diet, so it may be important to use a high quality supplement if you are vegetarian. B12 deficiency, among other nutrient deficiencies, can come from hypochlorhydria (not enough stomach acid) and one of the most common causes of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If this is the root cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, a B12 injection may be the best alternative.
2. Iron
Iron is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies, especially in women. Needed to make red blood cells, iron helps support the transport of oxygen around the body. Without enough, microcytic anemia can develop and fatigue, dizziness, and cold hands and feet usually follow. While iron deficiency can be caused by blood loss from menstrual periods, GI bleeding, or traumatic injuries or surgeries, it also can be attributed to iron absorption problems (10).
Preventing or treating iron deficiency starts with maintaining a healthy diet with good sources of both iron and vitamin C, as well as an appropriate pH level in the stomach. When taken with Vitamin C, iron is better absorbed in the body.
Food sources of iron include (4):
Beans
Red meat
Dried fruits
Eggs
Dark green leafy vegetables
Iron deficiency is diagnosed through several factors in your blood work. Iron deficiency may not come from insufficient intake but may stem from gastrointestinal issues, chronic simmering infections (which cause iron sequestering) or blood loss so it is important to find the root cause. Use caution with iron supplements as they can lead to constipation adding a new issue of toxic overload. Furthermore,excess iron can cause liver and other organ damage so it is best to seek professional care and evaluate blood work prior to just supplementing.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D, a pro-hormone, is another common deficiency and plays a variety of roles in the body. With vitamin K2, vitamin D supports calcium uptake into the bone. Vitamin D has other roles in the body, including reduction of inflammation as well as modulation of such processes as cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and glucose metabolism (5) Many genes encoding proteins that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis are modulated in part by vitamin D. It also plays an important role in maintaining the lining of the digestive tract, immunity, cancer prevention and it can help with mood disorders (6).
When the body doesn’t get enough of this important vitamin, conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, infections, and injuries from falls can occur. Many people in the US are deficient, especially older adults and those who spend a majority of their time indoors.
The amount of vitamin D needed each day depends on age, lifestyle, diet (3). Optimal lab values should range between 35-50 ng/ml. The best way to ensure you’re getting enough is to eat foods high in vitamin D and plan time to go outside several times a week for at least 20 minutes without sunblock.
Supplementation may be appropriate, but keep in mind: more is not always better. It’s best not to start just taking 10,000 IUs of vitamin D, as this can lead to other nutrient depletions in your body. It’s advisable to discuss the best form of vitamin D, appropriate dosing for your body with a professional. Learn more about vitamin D here.
Foods rich in vitamin D include:
Wild-caught fish, e.g. salmon, cod, trout, mackerel, sardines, herring (although high in Vitamin D, avoid large fish like swordfish and tuna due to their high levels of mercury, a toxic element that is damaging to the brain and nervous system)
Eggs (it's in the yolks, so no more egg whites. Eat the whole egg!)
Mushrooms
Beef liver
Chicken
Almonds
4. Calcium
Calcium is one of the most well known minerals and common nutrient deficiencies in the US. When Americans think of calcium, they often think of cows, dairy, and strong teeth and bones. This is due to the heavy marketing and propaganda done by the dairy industry. Getting enough calcium often requires more than just drinking milk each day. With the amount of lactose intolerance and food sensitivities to dairy, this may not be your best source of calcium. It’s estimated that over 40% of the US population doesn’t get enough calcium from their diet alone (5).
Without enough of this essential mineral over time, bone strength reduces and can lead to osteoporosis, fragile bones, and an increased risk of fracture from falls (8).
Good food sources of calcium include besides dairy (8):
Sardines
Salmon
Legumes
Almonds
Rhubarb
Figs
Leafy green vegetables
Interestingly enough, low calcium levels are often associated with vitamin D, K2 or magnesium deficiencies. It’s important not to start calcium supplementation blindly. High levels of serum calcium (hypercalcemia) can actually weaken your bones, lead to cardiovascular and brain issues as well as kidney stones (9). This is why it’s so important to get a nutrient evaluation done and work with a professional to make sure you're getting to the root cause of your nutrient deficiencies.
Treatment For Common Nutrient Deficiencies
The best treatment for nutrient deficiency is to get to the root cause of your nutrient deficiencies. Eating a well-balanced, nutrient dense diet is a great place to start. A simple first step is to add a variety of organic fruits and vegetables into your diet. Start using high quality oils, choose grass fed meat and dairy and wild caught fish. Eat out less and prepare your foods from whole, organic ingredients versus prepackaged foods.
While healthy eating can help address some nutrient deficiencies, you’ll likely need even more targeted support to get everything your unique body needs.
You may think that now it’s time to go buy some vitamins at the drugstore. Although with good intention, many people choose low-cost, low-quality vitamins that are in the wrong chemical form, missing other essential cofactors and are often packed with fillers, additives and preservatives. Low-quality supplements are poorly absorbed, lack bioavailability, and often introduce more toxins rather than providing nutrients. You pretty much end up flushing your investment down the toilet! Targeted, high-quality, bioavailable, GMP-certified nutraceuticals available and prescribed by a holistic doctor are your best choice for restoring your nutrient deficiencies.
Think about it this way - no matter how great your diet is, there’s always going to be something that’s missing. That’s okay! That’s why high-quality, targeted nutritional supplementation is so important.
How to Detect Nutrient Deficiencies
Have a feeling you may have a common nutrient deficiency? Do you have symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, or getting sick often? It's time to get to the bottom of your symptoms. The best way to know is to get functional lab testing done to evaluate your nutrient status.
At Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine, our diagnostic workup and functional medicine lab tests not only allow us to discover your nutrient deficiencies, but to get to the root cause of your symptoms.
Schedule a free consultation with Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine today. Together we’ll get to the bottom of your symptoms, perform the necessary functional lab tests and make a personalized plan for you so you can restore your health with lasting change. We are your partner in achieving and maintaining the optimal health you deserve.
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