Certain symptoms in your body like muscle pain, tiredness, a tingling sensation could indicate deficiencies and most often we tend to ignore them, passing them off as common

It is important to know the different types of deficiencies and their symptoms, so you can be aware and get yourself checked and receive proper treatment.

1) Iron

Iron deficiency is very common and it can reduce Hb levels. Iron deficiency can occur when there aren’t enough red blood cells or these cells do not have enough capacity to carry oxygen in blood. It can also happen when there isn’t enough iron in your body.

The signs and symptoms of iron deficiency include – anaemia, fatigue, weakness, pale skin, cold hands and feet, dizziness, headaches, cravings for non-nutritive substances or poor appetite.

Iron rich foods include legumes; nuts (almonds/ cashews) and seeds (pumpkin, flax seeds, sesame seeds); green leafy veggies (spinach, beet greens, broccoli), sea food, eggs, lean cuts of chicken. It also helps to increase your Hb levels.

Pairing vitamin C rich foods along with iron rich foods will help in better absorption of iron in body.

2) Vitamin-D

Vitamin-D is a very important vitamin that is required for many functions in the body. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps use calcium from diet. While it wasn’t a very common nutrient deficiency a few years ago, it is seen that 1 in 100 people have the deficiency because of lifestyle changes and sunscreen that is widely used.

Here are few symptoms that can tell you about this deficiency- weak bones, muscle pain, fatigue, mood changes.

Vitamin D can easily be obtained from sunlight. It is produced by cholesterol in your skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Other sources include fish and egg yolk. This is why it is important to have sunlight exposure every day for 10 minutes between 11 am to 1 pm.

3) Vitamin- B12

It is a water-soluble vitamin and is also known as cobalamin. As there are no vegetarian sources for Vitamin-B12, it is important that there is a routine check-up and get right doses of supplements from the help of your doctor. This nutrient helps make DNA and red-blood cells in your body.

Symptoms of deficiency can include – more prone to gastritis, low immunity, mouth ulcers, impaired brain function, disordered vision, irritability, dizziness, etc.

Sources of vitamin-B12 are milk, eggs, fish and cheese.

Get a blood test done and you can consult your doctor for supplements, if you are deficient.

4) Vitamin- A

It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is very essential in optimum vision and health of eyes. It is also essential for maintaining a healthy skin, teeth & cell membranes. It is important for reproduction and for proper functioning or body organs like heart, kidney and lungs.

Possible symptoms include – dry or scaly skin, night blindness, frequent infections, infertility, delayed growth.

Vitamin A rich sources are carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, red peppers, pumpkin, apricots, broccoli, black eyed peas, milk and its products, eggs, fish.

5) Calcium

Calcium is very important to strengthen bones and teeth. It also helps blood to clot and in muscle contraction. Calcium is easily lost through skin, cells and body. As the body doesn’t produce calcium, it is easy to have calcium deficiency and calcium starts to leach out from bones causing weak bones/ osteoporosis.

Symptoms – muscle cramps/ spasms, brittle nails, tingling in hands/ feet, osteoporosis, dental problems.

Food sources – Broccoli, spinach, figs, milk and its products or other calcium fortified foods.

Get sunlight exposure for optimum calcium absorption. Vitamin D and calcium are nutrients that support each other.

6) Iodine

It is a very important mineral for proper thyroid functioning. Iodine deficiency can cause swelling in thyroid gland leading to goitre. It can also lead to hypothyroidism as low iodine in your body can’t make enough thyroid hormones.

It can lead to swelling in neck, hair loss, unexpected weight gain, changes in heart rate, shortness of breath or feeling colder than usual.

Here are iodine food sources you can include in your diet – iodised salt, milk and its products, eggs, some sea food like shrimps or cod.

7) Magnesium

It helps to regulate many functions in the body like manging blood pressure, regulating muscle and nerve function, making protein, DNA, etc. This is the reason why magnesium is required to be healthy overall. Deficiency can increase risk for metabolic disorders.

Here are few symptoms of a magnesium deficiency – abnormal heart beat, muscle cramps, seizures, numbness.

Magnesium rich food sources - pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, beans, unsweetened cocoa powder, whole grains, avocados, milk and its products, raisins, rice, potatoes with skin, carrots, etc.

Being healthy includes balanced eating habits along with moderate intensity exercises in your routine. Additionally, having knowledge about signs and symptoms of these deficiencies can help avoid any kind of nutrient deficiencies.

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355034

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-deficiency-signs-symptoms

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/iron-deficiency-anemia

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-common-nutrient-deficiencies#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15050-vitamin-d--vitamin-d-deficiency

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/symptoms/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/16297-increasing-calcium-in-your-diet

https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/#:~:text=Calcium%20is%20a%20mineral%20that,in%20our%20bones%20and%20teeth.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15650-magnesium-rich-food