3 Major Nutrient Deficiencies and How to Deal With Them

Feb 26, 2016 by Marcin

The human body requires a lot of different important nutrients to function properly, and the lack of just a single one can have very serious consequences. Today we want to take a look at a few of these nutrient deficiencies, and what they look like when they manifest. Not all of these are common anymore, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know what you’re looking at if you’re ever confronted with some of these symptoms.

 

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is called anemia. In popular culture “anemia” often refers to sickle cell anemia, which is not the same thing, and only shares the same name because the symptoms are very similar. Those symptoms are characterized by low blood pressure, fatigue, and generally very low energy levels.

Anemia often has something to do with your body’s ability to absorb iron, and is often treatable by taking slow release or “slow Fe” iron supplements. However it is possible to consume poisonous amounts of iron, so it should be taken only with consultation from a doctor, especially for children under 6 years old, who are much more likely to ingest a dangerous dosage.

 

Vitamin C Deficiency

Vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, is probably the most well-known nutrient deficiency in the world because of the amount of attention it gets in popular culture, especially in reference to sailors, who often had to stay out on the open water for month without access to any significant source of vitamin C.

Scurvy causes fatigue, spotted skin, spongy gums, bleeding from your soft tissues, and eventually open sores on your skin. Better to stay home and eat your fruits and vegetables!

What to Do: Vitamin C is water soluble, so your body can easily flush out any excess. That means you can buy vitamin C supplements or eat vitamin C rich foods like apples or lemons to resolve the symptoms.

 

 

Iodine Deficiency

Iodine is vital to the healthy function of your thyroid gland, and an iodine deficiency can cause your thyroid gland to grow unnaturally and become a goitre, which is a large growth on the throat. Juvenile iodine deficiencies can impair brain development, and has been linked to reduced cognitive function among iodine deficient communities.

In the U.S. it’ very unlikely that you’ll meet someone with an iodine deficiency if they consume regular iodized table salt. People who prefer specialty natural salts and who don’t consume other iodine-rich foods like fish or eggs are at higher risk of this deficiency and should get checked periodically, especially if their children eat the same diet.