It is always best to get our vitamins and minerals from our diets, but in the age of depleted soil, stressful jobs, and time crunches, many of us are likely to be short an essential nutrient or two. Taking a quality multivitamin/mineral is a great starting point, but here are 10 specific health symptoms that point to specific deficiencies:

1. Are you down? If you are in a down mood, you may be low in the B Vitamins. When you are stressed your body uses more B vitamins than during normal conditions. This family of vitamins is essential for proper mental functioning and lack of one of the B’s, folic acid, has been linked to depression. these vitamins are destroyed in the body by alcohol, so those who imbibe may need extra . To read my post on alcohol and a healthy lifestyle Click Here. How to get more? Eat more whole grains, meats, eggs, nuts, dried fruit, and green leafy veggies. If you choose a supplement, use a B complex because it contains several B vitamins in it and you will be covered.
2. Infection prone. A shortage of vitamin C can deplete your immune system, cause illness, fatigue, bleeding gums (see a later sign), and brusing easily. Vitamin C is plentiful in fruits and veggies but it is destroyed by long term storage or over cooking. Another reason why canned veggies/fruits is bad! Eat plenty of fresh fruit, especially citrus, and fresh, raw veggies. When you steam your veggies, serve immediately to preserve the vitamin content. Sources vary as to a safe level of supplementation. Some say to keep it below 1,000 mg. Others say take as much as your intestines can tolerate. Ascorbic acid supplements can be very irritating and in large doses can cause diarrhea. It is my personal opinion that your body will use what it needs and get rid of the rest – so I would stick with 1,000 mg or around in there somewhere. To read my post for 10 Tips on Staying Healthy Click Here.
3. Restless legs. According to a study done at the John Hopkins University, an iron deficiency may be at the root of the nervous system response that causes restless leg syndrome. Low iron can also cause pale skin, sores on the tongue, and a feeling of being tired more often than usual. Red meat, liver, dark green leafy veggies, whole grains, and lentils are good sources of iron, increasing your intake of vitamin C will enable your body to absorb more iron. Floradix is a good vegetarian source of iron.
4. Insomnia. Sleeplessness and especially type 2 insomnia – where you wake up and cannot go back to sleep – can indicate magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is a nervous system relaxant. Other symptoms of deficiency are apathy, weakness, muscle cramping, or general muscular tension. Whole grains, nuts, seeds, leafy veggies, and dried figs are high in magnesium. Supplement with magnesium citrate, 200 to 400 mg per day, in which case take it one hour prior to bed with 50 mg of B6. To read my post on Healthy Sleep and How to Get More Click Here.
5. Gums that swell or bleed. The health of our gums is a marker of certain nutritional states. Chronic bleeding and inflammation has been helped by taking 30 to 100 mg of CO enzyme Q10 daily. This substance is formed in the body from the amino acid tyrosine. Abundant tyrosine can be found in soybeans, peanuts, sardines, and sesame or you can try a supplement, beginning with a low dose of 15 to 30 mg daily of CO Q10 and increasing if needed.
6. Low libido. If you are healthy and in a good realtionship but would rather watch TV than have sex, you may be low in zinc. Zinc is needed to produce testosterone and in women as well as men a deficiency of the hormone can reduce sex drive. To read my post on testosterone Click Here. Other signs of a need for zinc are thinning hair, loss of sense of smell, white flecks on the nails, and depressed immune function. To get more zinc, eat shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, peanuts, and pumkin and sunflower seeds. Vegans and vegetarians may want to supplement, taking zinc at night on an empty stomach since it may decrease the absorption of other minerals in your food.
7. Menstrual cramping. This may also signal magnesium defciency since smooth muscle tissue needs magnesium in order to relax and the uterus contains alot of smooth muscle tissue. Other food elements that help with menstrual health are the essential fatty acids. Eat some oily fish once or twice weekly for the EFAs and whole grains and Brazil nuts for the magnesium. You can get 2,000 to 3,000 mg of evening primrose oil if you prefer a vegan source for the oil and take that on a daily basis. For magnesium supplementation you will start with 150 mg, increasing daily up to 900 mg daily. It may take a couple of cycles before you see symtomatic improvements.
8. Craving carbs and sweets. This symptom as well as poor concentration, afternoon sleepiness, irritability after 4 hours without food, and blood sugar problems can indicate a need for more of the trace mineral chromium. Chromium is found in red meat, liver, egg yolk, seafood, whole grains, molasses, and cheese. Body Designer Houston sells chromium supplements. Visit Body Designer Houston’s website now.
9. Eczema. Itchy and scaly skin signals a deficiency in the good oils that our bodies need. Oily fish, nuts, and seeds provide essential fatty acids that keep skin supple and other organs functioning properly. You can supplement with flax oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, or fish oils.
10. Panic and anxiety. The antioxidant mineral selenium may be in short supply if you suffer from panic attacks or chronic anxiety. In one study on the relationship between these symptoms and selenium supplementation, it took about 5 weeks of nutritional support to alter symptoms. Liver, kidney, oily fish, Brazil nuts, mushrooms, and whole grains are excellent sources of selenium. Capsules of 100 mcg are a good daily dose if needed.

If you are searching for supplements please feel free to click on the store below and start shopping and save today! They will support all your supplementation needs at a great price.


This article was adapted from On Fitness Magazine. Thanks, Kathie