There are numerous advantages to eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet. A nutrient-deficient diet, on the other hand, might result in a number of unpleasant symptoms.
These signs and symptoms are your body's method of alerting you to possible vitamin and mineral deficiency. Recognizing them might assist you in making appropriate dietary changes.
This article discusses the eight most frequent indicators of vitamin and mineral deficiency, as well as how to treat them.
There are numerous advantages to eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet.
A nutrient-deficient diet, on the other hand, might result in a number of unpleasant symptoms. These signs and symptoms are your body's method of alerting you to possible vitamin and mineral deficiency.
Recognizing them might assist you in making appropriate dietary changes.
1. Hair and nails that are brittle
Brittle hair and nails can be caused by a multitude of circumstances. One of them is a biotin deficiency.
Biotin, often known as vitamin B7, is a nutrient that aids in the conversion of food into energy. Biotin deficiency is uncommon, but when it does develop, the most apparent symptoms are brittle, thinning, or splitting hair and nails.
Chronic weariness, muscle soreness, cramping, and tingling in the hands and feet are further signs of biotin insufficiency.
Biotin deficiency is most common in pregnant women, heavy smokers or drinkers, and persons with digestive diseases like Crohn's disease.
2. Mouth ulcers or cracks in the corners of the mouth
Inadequate intake of certain vitamins or minerals may be associated to lesions in and around the mouth.
For example, oral ulcers, often known as canker sores, are frequently caused by iron or B vitamin deficits.
According to one tiny study, persons with mouth ulcers are twice as likely to have low iron levels. To relieve symptoms of mouth ulcers or cracks at the corners of the mouth, people should eat more meals high in thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and iron.
3. Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums can be caused by a hard teeth brushing technique, but they can also be caused by a vitamin C deficient diet.
Vitamin C aids in wound healing and immunity, and it also functions as an antioxidant, preventing cell damage.
Vitamin C shortage can occur in people who eat a limited amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. This can cause unpleasant symptoms such as bleeding gums, a weakened immune system, tooth loss, and scurvy in severe cases.
4. Poor night vision and white growths on the eyes
A nutrient-deficient diet might cause eyesight difficulties in some people.
Low vitamin A levels, for example, are frequently connected to night blindness, a disorder that impairs people's ability to see in low light or darkness.
Vitamin A is required for the production of rhodopsin, a pigment found in the retinas of the eyes that aids night vision.
5. Scaly patches and dandruff
Stubborn dandruff and scaly patches on the scalp, eyebrows, ears, eyelids, and chest may be caused by low intake of zinc, niacin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine. Adding these nutrients to the diet may help reduce symptoms.
6. Hair loss
A common sign is hair loss. By the time they reach 50 years of age, up to 50% of adults have lost their hair.
A diet rich in the nutrients listed below may aid in the prevention or slowing of hair loss.
Iron
Zinc
Linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic
acid (ALA)
Niacin (vitamin B3)
Biotin (vitamin B7)
Because the vitamins and minerals listed above are necessary for hair growth, eating a diet rich in them may help prevent hair loss.
7. Red or white bumps on the skin
Keratosis pilaris is a skin disorder that creates goosebumps on the cheeks, arms, thighs, and buttocks. Corkscrew or ingrown hairs may also accompany these little pimples.
The illness usually occurs in childhood and goes away on its own as an adult.
The exact cause of these little bumps is unknown, however they may arise when the hair follicles create too much keratin. This causes raised red or white pimples on the skin.
People with this problem might consider adding foods high in vitamins A and C to their diet in addition to standard therapies such as medicated lotions.
8. Restless leg syndrome
RLS, also known as Willis-Ekbom illness, is a nerve ailment that causes unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations in the legs as well as an insatiable need to move them.
Iron supplementation can help reduce RLS symptoms, especially in patients who have been diagnosed with an iron deficit.
A diet lacking in vitamins and minerals can result in a variety of symptoms, some of which are more common than others.
Increasing your consumption of foods high in the right vitamins and minerals will often help you resolve or significantly reduce your symptoms.