Recognize and treat
Tiredness, sluggishness and dizziness accompany your everyday life? Do you regularly feel weak and suffer from headaches? Then you should have your blood values checked, as a nutrient deficiency could be the cause of your symptoms.
A balanced and varied diet can easily get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday working life. However, an unbalanced diet can have consequences and have a negative effect on your body’s health over a long period of time.
Find out in this article how a nutrient deficiency develops, which nutrients your body needs and how you can make a lasting contribution to a healthy lifestyle.
Our body needs various nutrients to carry out metabolic processes and perform bodily functions properly. A distinction is made between macro and micronutrients:
Macronutrients are the energy suppliers for the human organism. These include carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which are responsible for building our cells.
Micronutrients, on the other hand, regulate various processes in the body, such as our metabolism and our immune system. These include vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
A nutrient deficiency occurs when your body is not supplied with sufficient nutrients. This then leads to processes and functions being restricted.
The human organism cannot produce some of the nutrients it needs to maintain bodily functions. These must be supplied through a balanced diet, for example. If this does not happen, the body is undersupplied and there is a lack of nutrients.
A basic distinction is made between two levels of nutrient deficiency: marginal and absolute.
In the case of a marginal nutrient deficiency, the body is restricted in its functionality and performance due to the nutrient deficiency, but its viability is not endangered. In this case, the carbohydrates in the body become scarce or the organism suffers from a lack of vitamins and minerals. However, all symptoms disappear completely as soon as the missing nutrients have been reabsorbed in sufficient quantities.
An absolute nutrient deficit describes the permanent undersupply of a body with nutrients. The reason for this is the complete lack of required nutrients in the diet. As a result, vital basic functions can no longer be maintained and corresponding deficiency symptoms occur.
A balanced and varied diet forms the basis for a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The body receives sufficient nutrients and can coordinate both a functioning immune system and a healthy metabolism.
A one-sided diet, especially one dominated by fast food, does not provide the body with a variety of nutrients, resulting in a deficiency.
Pregnant women, mothers who are breastfeeding and athletes in particular need more nutrients due to their increased consumption. If the food intake is not adapted to this requirement, this can lead to a nutrient deficiency.
Certain illnesses, such as intestinal diseases or chronic illnesses, can also lead to nutrients no longer being properly absorbed by the body, resulting in a nutrient deficiency.
Regular and excessive consumption of alcohol, coffee, sugary foods, nicotine and other stimulants can impair the body’s absorption of nutrients.
Psychological problems, such as depression, can lead to a loss of appetite or gastrointestinal complaints, which means that not enough nutrients are absorbed and a deficiency occurs.
A vegan diet, which is based on plant-based foods, can also lead to a nutrient deficiency, as certain nutrients, such as vitamin B12, are only present in significant quantities in animal foods and are therefore not absorbed.
People who are particularly affected by nutrient deficiencies are older people, people who are under constant stress and alcoholics or people who use other drugs.
Many general symptoms of a nutrient deficiency become noticeable gradually over a longer period of time and are therefore often perceived by those affected as normal reactions to stressful everyday life.
Basically, it can be said that the respective symptoms always vary depending on the type of nutrient deficiency.
In addition, a specific diagnosis can only be made by a doctor with the help of a blood count, who will then prescribe the appropriate treatment. If you suffer from any of the symptoms listed below, always talk to your doctor before taking any treatment measures on your own:
Proteins are made up of amino acids, which promote the firmness of skin and hair, among other things. In the event of a protein deficiency, the body falls back on the proteins stored in the body tissue, which are found in the skin, hair, nails and muscles. This causes the connective tissue to slacken and the skin to become thin, leading to hair loss and muscle breakdown.
Protein deficiency is often caused by malnutrition.
Symptoms
As a rule, 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is recommended. You can get protein from your diet by eating egg yolk, cheese, low-fat quark, fish, turkey, chicken, nuts, seeds, ham, beans or quinoa.
However, protein shakes are also a good alternative to cover your daily protein requirements.
Iron is a trace element and is responsible for transporting oxygen to the individual cells in the red blood cells. If there is an iron deficiency, this is referred to as anemia – the organs are then insufficiently supplied with oxygen.
Women in particular are often prone to iron deficiency due to their period. Causes of iron deficiency can include chronic blood loss triggered by bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, bleeding from the urinary tract or genital organs or chronic bleeding from the gums or nose.
Symptoms
Treatment
At best, we should consume 10-15 milligrams of iron per day. We can make this possible by eating lamb’s lettuce, rocket, fennel, pulses, oilseeds, meat, fish, elderberries, mulberries and blackberries, beet or cocoa, for example.
Alternatively, you can also take iron supplements to cover your requirements.
Magnesium is one of the nutrients that our body cannot produce itself. However, it is needed for our organs, tissues and cells, which is why the human organism is dependent on a sufficient supply of magnesium. Thanks to a sufficient supply, the body can build muscle mass more easily and absorb and activate vitamin D better.
A magnesium deficiency only becomes noticeable after a longer period of time, as the magnesium level only drops when there is a severe deficiency. For this reason, a deficiency is often not immediately recognizable in the blood count.
Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, athletes and people under a lot of stress are particularly susceptible to a magnesium deficiency.
Symptoms
A magnesium deficiency can be caused by an unbalanced, unbalanced diet and impaired absorption of magnesium in the intestine. Diets, increased magnesium excretion due to diarrhea, exercise or the use of laxatives or diuretics, as well as an increased magnesium requirement, as is the case with pregnant women and athletes, can also lead to a deficiency.
Treatment
Magnesium levels can be maintained by eating bananas, avocados, chocolate, nuts, oilseeds, spinach, dried figs, strawberries, cauliflower or magnesium supplements.
Folic acid is one of the B vitamins and plays a special role in cell growth and reproduction. Together with vitamin B12, folate is required in the human organism for the formation of red blood cells and is responsible for the synthesis of DNA and the development of the nervous system of a fetus.
In addition to older people and people with high alcohol consumption, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in particular are often affected by a folic acid deficiency. The body itself can only store small amounts of folic acid and folic acid naturally contained in food is more difficult to absorb.
The increased requirement of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers is usually not met, but in individual cases this can lead to the baby being born with a birth defect of the spinal cord or brain.
Symptoms
Intestinal diseases, certain medications – such as the contraceptive pill – insufficient folate intake, impaired absorption and an increased folate requirement can lead to a folic acid deficiency.
Treatment
In principle, folic acid from supplements or fortified foods can be more easily absorbed by the body. Taking such supplements is therefore recommended to cover the folate requirement.
You should also make sure you eat a balanced and varied diet consisting of pulses, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, wholegrain products, potatoes, nuts, animal products, citrus fruits and liver.
Vitamin D3 – probably the best known vitamin of all. It is actually one of the few nutrients that the body can produce itself. However, this only happens when it is exposed to the sun, which is why many people often suffer from a vitamin D3 deficiency in winter.
Vitamin D3 deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in our region. It is accelerated by isolation in the home and the associated avoidance of sunlight and fresh air. With the constant development of technology, indoor living is also becoming more and more comfortable, so that fewer and fewer people are avoiding the outdoors.
However, this development is fatal because vitamin D3 is essential for our bones, immune system, muscles and hair.
Symptoms
A severe vitamin D3 deficiency should always be taken seriously, as it can have a significant impact on our well-being. Depression, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases such as asthma, metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diseases can be caused by a vitamin D3 deficiency, among other things.
The most common causes of a deficiency are insufficient sun exposure, malnutrition, impaired utilization and absorption of vitamin D, an increased need for vitamin D, the intake of certain medications (e.g. for epilepsy) and increased excretion of the vitamin via the kidneys.
Treatment
To counteract a vitamin D3 deficiency, you should spend some time in the sun every day and eat foods that contain a lot of vitamin D3. These include fresh fish, milk and dairy products.
However, vitamin D supplements in the form of drops or capsules are also a proven method of covering the requirement.
Vegans in particular are familiar with vitamin B12 deficiency. Why? Because the vitamin is contained in significant quantities in animal foods, which are not part of the vegan diet. As our body cannot produce vitamin B12 itself, it must be obtained from food, which is a problem in a vegan diet.
The vitamin is responsible for the production of red blood cells and ensures that our nerve cells and metabolism function properly. It also contributes to the formation of blood cells and the development of nerve sheaths.
However, a vitamin B12 deficiency only develops if too little vitamin B12 has been consumed over several years.
Symptoms
A vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by a lack of the protein intrinsic factors, chronic inflammation in the stomach or intestines, taking medication for diabetes or too much stomach acid and regular alcohol consumption.
Treatment
You can eat meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products to cover your daily vitamin B12 requirement. Vegans can use vitamin B12 supplements or fortified foods.
If you want to counteract a nutrient deficiency, a balanced and varied diet is always your healthy, stable foundation. Make use of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and make your diet as varied as possible.
Avoid fast food, industrially processed foods and sugary dishes as far as possible. You should also eliminate drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine and other intoxicants from your everyday life.
Make sure you get enough exercise and regular exposure to the sun and don’t jump to conclusions if you notice any of these symptoms. If you have any concerns, always speak to a doctor before taking any action.
With Probatix it is now very easy to have your own nutrient levels checked regularly. Simply contact Probatix Health and make an appointment!
Choose a suitable health test from our wide range and book it in just a few clicks via our website.
Find a partner in your area or choose a home test kit to easily draw blood from your finger.
Your result will automatically appear in your personal health portal. Including explanations and timelines.
