Even healthy eaters may fall short of key vitamins and minerals. See if you have any of these nutrient deficiency symptoms, then follow our advice for getting more.
Your nails are brittle
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When your body is running low on the mineral
iron, parts of the body become weak and pale. This may express itself as
brittle fingernails—or toenails—or pale inner eyelids. Women with heavy
menstrual bleeding are at a greater risk for iron deficiency, as are
vegetarian women—although men are more likely to have excess iron
intake, per a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The fix:
Premenopausal women need 18 milligrams (mg) a day, and men and
postmenopausal women require 8 mg. Your body best absorbs animal-based
iron, the type found in meat, poultry, and seafood. Pair vegetarian
sources of iron, such as spinach or chickpeas, with citrus or other vitamin-C-containing foods to increase absorption.
Your blood pressure is too high
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You may be low on vitamin D.
Although only 3 percent of non-Hispanic whites are deficient, 31
percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 12 percent of Mexican-Americans don’t
get enough, according to the CDC study. Preliminary research
links higher intake of this fat-soluble vitamin with lower blood
pressure—and people who get enough aren't as likely to develop
hypertension. The fix: Adults need 600 international
units (IU) of vitamin D daily. This is one nutrient that’s difficult to
get from food, as few options contain significant amounts. But here are a
few that do: swordfish, salmon, fortified milk and orange juice, and
mushrooms grown in sunlight or UV light, such as those produced by Monterey Mushrooms.
Supplementation in postmenopausal women and older men may be
beneficial; choose the D3 version, the active form of the vitamin. These
8 foods may help reduce blood pressure.
Your blood pressure is too low
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This is one of many possible symptoms of
vitamin B12 deficiency—a lack of this water-soluble vitamin can affect
the neurological system, preventing the body from naturally bringing
blood pressure back up. Others symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
include unsteady gait, muscle weakness, and lack of bladder control.
The fix:
Adults need 2.4 micrograms (mcg) daily. Excellent food sources include
clams, trout, salmon, and fortified cereals; beef, milk, and eggs are
good sources. If you go the supplement route, sublingual (under the
tongue) may be a better choice for older adults, who sometimes have a
hard time absorbing the vitamin through food or oral supplements, due to
lower levels of stomach acidity.
Your leg muscles are cramping
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Your body needs the electrolyte potassium to
build muscle and protein. A dip in levels of the mineral can cause
muscle cramping, often appearing in the calf area. Potassium deficiency
is rarely caused by low dietary intake—excessive sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of fluid are the more likely culprits.
The fix: You need 4,700 mg daily, and food sources include sweet potato, banana, avocado, and coconut water.
You’re feeling tired
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While scurvy, or vitamin C deficiency, may make you think of pre-18th-century
sailors, inadequate intake of the immunity-supporting nutrient is seen
in specific groups, including smokers and people exposed to secondhand
smoke. In fact, smokers have a more than three-fold greater risk of
vitamin C deficiency, per research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Feeling tired all the time and irritability are symptoms that you may have dipping vitamin C levels.
The fix:
Women need 75 mg daily, and men require 90 mg—while smokers need an
extra 35 mg daily. Citrus, cantaloupe, kiwi, pineapple, tomatoes,
spinach, bell peppers, and broccoli are all excellent sources.
Your thyroid hormone production has dipped
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You would only know this for sure via lab work,
and low levels might be linked with decreased intake of the mineral
iodine. Although rare in the U.S., very low iodine levels may
reduce production of the thyroid hormone, which could lead to
hypothyroidism. Low iodine intake is especially worrisome for pregnant
women—it can cause miscarriage and many other problems. Women of
childbearing age had iodine levels just above iodine insufficiency, on
average, in the CDC report. These subtle signs may indicate a thyroid problem.
The fix:
Most adults need 150 mcg daily, while pregnant women need more (220
mcg). If you cook with salt or add any to your food, opt for iodized
salt over sea salt and other varieties. Seafood and dairy also contain
iodine.
You’ve had several recent fractures
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When you’re deficient in the mineral calcium,
you’re at risk for osteopenia, a condition that causes low bone mass and
heightens risk of osteoporosis and bone breaks. Bones reach max
strength at around age 30—at which point they start to slowly lose
calcium. This is why it’s important to take in proper amounts of
calcium, alongside weight-bearing activity such as walking and aerobics.
The fix: Men and premenopausal women need 1,000 mg daily, and postmenopausal women require 1,200 mg. The best food sources of calcium
include dairy (yogurt, milk, and cheese), some leafy greens (collard
greens, turnip greens, and kale), tofu, edamame, and fortified juice. If
you choose to take a supplement, divide into two doses and pair each
with a meal.
You have cracking at the corners of your mouth
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Although not super common, a vitamin B6
deficiency can reveal itself through skin conditions—also including
scaling on the lips or an inflamed tongue—as
well as through depression or confusion. The body’s small supply of the
water-soluble vitamin typically lasts several weeks, so deficiency
appears once the body is fairly depleted. Some types of oral birth
control may affect vitamin B6 status, as can certain corticosteroids and
anticonvulsants.
The fix: People up to age 50 need 1.3
mg daily, while older women need 1.5 mg and older men require 1.7 mg.
Dietary sources include chickpeas, tuna, salmon, fortified cereal,
bananas, and marinara sauce—although deficiencies are typically treated
by a doctor with a daily supplement of 50 to 100 mg.
Courtesy Reader's Digest
