What you eat can make a huge difference in your health and well-being. Lack of healthy food can cause many nutritional problems, which include vitamin deficiency, lack of adequate minerals and even an imbalance of macronutrients. In fact, it’s not about how much you eat, since there are many obese people that are malnourished. It’s about the quality of food you eat and how well you process it. Even people who eat healthy, based on the recommended daily allowance of nutrients, can be deficient in important nutrients because they don’t process or absorb that nutrient well. Here are some signs that might alert you to vitamin deficiency.
Check for cracks in the corners of your mouth.
If you have a painful cut-like lesion in the corner of your mouth or canker sores, it could be an indication you need vitamin B or iron. Studies show that patients with these ulcers in the mouth or at the corners were often deficit in both. Specifically, one study showed that riboflavin—-B2— deficiency was a leading cause, but thiamine—B1, and pyridoxine—vitamin B6, were other suspects. Bleeding gums may be a lack of vitamin C.
Is your night vision a problem or do you have small white growths on the white’s of your eyes?
Vision problems occur more frequently as you age. Your nutrition can play a role, since diabetes and high blood pressure can be the cause. Night blindness can also occur and can lead to xerophthalmia, which damages the cornea and leads to blindness. It also has another symptom, which is soft foamy spots on the white part of the eyes called Bitot’s spots. These growths disappear completely when people are given vitamin A treatment. Increasing the vitamin A rich foods in your diet can help prevent it. Since vitamin A is fat soluble and can cause problems if you take too many supplements, avoid supplementing unless your doctor suggests it.
Is your hair dry and brittle and do your nails break easily? Maybe you need vitamin B7.
Vitamin B7 is biotin. It’s necessary to convert food into energy for the body. While you can get it from a number of sources both plant and animal, so it’s rare, it still can occur. Besides thinning hair, split ends and brittle nails, biotin deficiency can cause other problems. It can cause chronic fatigue, cramps, tingling of the hands and feet, as well as muscle pain. If you smoke, are pregnant, drink heavily or have digestive issues like Crohn’s you may require more Biotin. Eating raw egg whites, which has a substance that blocks biotin’s absorption and long term use of antibiotics can cause it.
- Dandruff and scaly patches can come from a vitamin deficiency. It can occur from lack of vitamin B3—niacin, vitamin B2—riboflavin, vitamin B6—pyridoxine and lack of zinc.
- Hair loss is a huge problem faced by individuals. It can come from lack of B3—niacin or B7—biotin. Other nutritional deficiencies that can cause it are iron and linoleic acid—LA, alpha-linolenic acid—ALA.
- Little white or red bumps on the skin that look like goosebumps and ingrown hairs can be caused by lack of vitamin A and vitamin C.
- If you get dizzy spells or heart palpitations, it could be a sign of a vitamin B deficiency. Always check with your doctor for a complete diagnosis.
For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit