Are You Nutrient Deficient? 7 of The Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies in the US
by Dr. Richard Haliburton
Nutrients: the little substances in our food that keep our bodies working properly. Most people are well aware that eating healthy means getting more good nutrients, and very few of us eat as many vegetables as we mean to. But how do we know if we are getting enough, or what we’re missing? Some nutrient deficiencies are easily caught by basic blood work that most doctors run, but some take more specialized tests or diet analysis.
#7 : Vitamin B12
1 in 50 people in the US have a vitamin B12 deficiency, and many more are borderline. B12 deficiency can look different in different people. It can cause anemia, which means low red blood cells, resulting in fatigue, dizziness, and even fainting. This type of B12 deficiency is often found by doctors, as common blood tests look for anemia. But sometimes B12 deficiency can just cause brain fog or strange pains in the arms and legs. If someone is just borderline low, usually it just causes brain fog. B12 is found in all animal products, mostly meat. But the way the body absorbs B12 is very complicated, and so it is often one of the first things to break when we have digestion problems. Some people are deficient because of being vegetarian or vegan, and since the body can store a 3 to 5 year supply of B12, many vegetarians and vegans don’t feel it right away. B12 can be taken as a supplement, but since absorption is complicated it sometimes needs to be an injection.
#6 : Vitamin C
1 in 17 people in the US have a vitamin C deficiency, and most of us could benefit from having a lot more vitamin C. Vitamin C is primarily an antioxidant, which means it protects the body from damage caused by toxins, infections, allergies, and most everything else. Also, vitamin C is needed for collagen production. Collagen is the protein that makes our hair, skin, joints, and much more. Vitamin C is found in almost all fruits and vegetables, and so getting “enough” is easy if you eat lots of those, but a little more can still be helpful. Most people think about oranges and lemons when they think of vitamin C, but those are not actually great sources, as it’s all in the peel. The best sources are actually bell peppers and leafy greens like broccoli.
#5 : Vitamin D
1 in 12 people in the US are deficient in vitamin D. Now this vitamin is a bit different, as it is rarely in food. There is some in fish, and often companies add it into milk. But most of our vitamin D we get from the sun. Vitamin D is needed for almost everything in the body, too much to list. But a couple examples are strong bones and a strong immune system. This is a tricky vitamin to have the right amount of though. You can get it from the sun if you aren’t wearing sunscreen, but then you increase the risk of sunburns and skin cancer. You can supplement it, but it’s easy to overdose on. It is best to get it tested frequently, and adjust supplement dosing based on your blood tests.
#4 : Iron
1 in 11 people in the US are deficient in iron, although this is almost entirely from menstruation. If you don’t have a period, you likely aren’t deficient in iron. In fact if you don’t have a period, but you’re deficient in iron, you need to really get that checked out by a doctor. Those that are deficient can really feel it during and after a period. Dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and more will result. Even when eating lots of meat it can be hard to get enough iron. Supplements can help, though they can cause constipation. Another option is through an IV, which bypasses any digestive issues.
#3 : Vitamin B6
A whopping 1 in 9 people in the US are deficient in vitamin B6. This deficiency is very rarely checked for and most of the medical community know nothing about it. The most tell-tale signs are cracked lips, swollen tongue, and sore mouth. But those are not always present, and other common signs are numbness and tingling throughout the body, especially hands and feet, as well as mood issues like irritability and depression. Vitamin B6 is common in a lot of foods including meats, whole grains, and green veggies, but is broken down a lot by cooking and processing. So the more processed the food, the less B6 it has left. Fortunately, like B12, this is an easy nutrient to have in an injection at a doctor’s office.
#2 : Omega-3s
About half of people in the US are deficient in omega-3s. These are the healthy fats from fish that have a huge number of benefits. Healthy skin, a healthy brain, healthy joints, and more require omega-3s. And very few of us eat enough fish to be getting it through our diet, especially since it’s all about the ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s. Omega-6s are some of the baddest of the bad fats, and are used extensively in fried and processed foods. Being low in omega-3s is not something that you easily feel, as it simply means there will be more out-of-control inflammation in your body. Essentially, most everything about your health will be just a little bit worse. Most doctors don’t test for omega-3 deficiency, but you can get testing at Walnut Creek Naturopathic.
#1 : Magnesium
About half of people in the US are deficient in magnesium. This leads to anxiety, pain, muscle cramping, migraines, and high blood pressure. Magnesium is mostly in dark leafy greens, and we really don’t eat enough of those even if we try. Unfortunately, there isn’t a great test for magnesium deficiency, because 99% of our magnesium is in our cells, and blood levels of magnesium don’t always reflect cell levels. It can take up to six months of supplementing to get magnesium levels in your cells back to normal. Magnesium through IV therapy is faster, though it still takes many repeated treatments.
There are many other common nutrient deficiencies in the US. But if you manage to not be deficient in these 7 you’ll be doing pretty well. Many of these can be tested for, as well as replenished through IV therapy, here at Walnut Creek Naturopathic.
References:
CDC _ Iron, and Vitamins B12, C, D, and B6:
https://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/pdf/4page_ 2nd nutrition report_508_032912.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/pdf/Nutrition_Book_complete508_final.pdf
Magnesium:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5786912/
Omega 3s: