Common Nutrient Deficiencies

     Many of us are aware that the modern diet we commonly have here in America is a bit off. Either because of the amount of pesticides we use for our crops, or because of the sheer dependance we seem to have on overly processed foods. However, many of us also don't follow these thoughts to the deficiencies that this diet causes. So I decided to share with you a few common nutrient deficiencies we are seeing here in modern America.

1-Iron  

     Iron is essential to good health. It's one of the main components in red blood cells, and is what binds with hemoglobin in order to transport oxygen to cells. It also helps to regulate cell growth and differentiation.  Women of childbearing age are particularly prone to iron deficiencies, or anemia, because of their menstrual cycle. However preschool aged children, vegetarians and vegans, as well as pregnant women are also susceptible. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, fatigue, tiredness, weakness, weakened immune function, and impaired brain function.

Food Sources:

     There are two types of iron. Heme iron is the most easily absorbed and utilized form of iron. It's found only in animal foods, but is highest in red meat, dark-meat poultry, organ meats (such as liver), mussels, oysters, clams, and sardines. Non-heme iron is found in both animal and plant foods. It may be more common, but it's much harder for our bodies to absorb and use. This form of iron is most readily found in beans (legumes), seeds, greens, and dried fruit. To help the body be able to use non-heme iron more readily, combine these foods with foods high in vitamin C (strawberries, bell peppers, citrus fruit, etc) or other acids (vinegars, tomatoes, etc).
 

Other Ways to Increase Intake:

     Try using cast iron pots and pans in your cooking. This will naturally add iron to your food. Also, Stinging Nettle (Urtica doica), Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus), and Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) are a few herbs that have a great iron content. Try brewing a nourishing infusion with these herbs.

2-Iodine

     Iodine is essential for proper thyroid function. This may seem like a trivial thing, but the thyroid controls quite a bit in the human body. Thyroid hormones control body growth, brain development, bone maintenance, metabolism, and helps regulate quite a few reproductive processes. Low iodine may even be related to fibromyalgia, dry skin, reduced alertness, and certain cancers.

Food Sources:

     Iodine is found in every food source, however it's typically found in very small quantities. However, good sources of iodine can be seafood, raw dairy and eggs, and seaweed. Several countries have added iodine to table salt as a way to fight iodine deficiency. 

Other Ways to Increase Intake:

     Since iodine is found in the soil, if the soil is low in iodine the crops grown in that soil will be low as well.  It's hard to determine what may be a good vegetable source for this nutrient because of this. However seaweeds and algae such as Spirulina, Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus), and Kelp (Saccharina latissima) can go a long way to supplement your iodine intake.

3-Vitamin D  

     Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is produced out of cholesterol in the skin when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is essential for bone strength, immune function, brain health, and healthy moods. Since this vitamin is synthesized in our own bodies, you'd think we wouldn't have problems with deficiencies, however this deficiency is one of the highest in the world. There are quite a few factors in this. Scientists and doctors say that we only need 20 minutes of sun exposure for our bodies to make all the vitamin D we need, but even if we stay out in the sun, we don't get that sun exposure. We use sunblock which actually keeps us from absorbing the correct UV light that we need for the synthesis of vitamin D. Our sun exposure needs to be unprotected to get the right amount of UV. Also, our bodies need calcium and magnesium in order to properly use vitamin D, since these two nutrients are also common deficiencies, this makes it really hard for our bodies to use vitamin D correctly, and puts us at risk of calcium and magnesium deficiencies on top of that.

Food Sources:

     While we do make this vitamin in our own bodies, there are some food sources. One of the best sources of vitamin D is mushrooms. These little fungi also synthesize vitamin D by using sunlight. This makes the vitamin D found in mushrooms more readily available for our own bodies to use. We can also find vitamin D in dairy, eggs, and fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc).

Other Ways to Increase Intake:

     It's very difficult to get sufficient amounts of vitamin D through diet alone. Try going outside, in direct sunlight, without sunscreen, for 10 minutes a day. You can also increase the amount of vitamin D found in your mushrooms by exposing them to direct sunlight for up to 30 minutes before you cook them.

4-Calcium

     Calcium is super important for bone growth, development, and health. But not only that, calcium is used all over the body, as a signaling molecule, allowing our heart, muscles, and nerves to function correctly. It also helps regulate the acid in our digestive tract. Excess calcium is stored in the bones, and when our diets are low in calcium, our bodies remove the calcium stored in our bones. This is why the number one symptom of calcium deficiency is osteoporosis. Other symptoms include severe muscle cramps, and abnormal heart rhythm.

Food Sources:

     Dairy is one of the best known sources of calcium in the diet. However, dark leafy greens, boned fish, wheatgrass, the pith of citrus fruits, and carob are also good sources of calcium.

Other Ways to Increase Intake:

     Horestail (Equisetum arvensis), Oatstraw (Avena sativa), and Nettle (Urtica doica) are good herbal sources of calcium. However, calcium is fairly hard to extract, so using these herbs to make a nourishing infusion may be the best way to use them for calcium supplementation.

5-Folate or Folic Acid 

     Folate is a major nutrient. It aids the formation of red blood cells, the replication of DNA, and the breakdown of both protein and amino acids. However the most critical role this nutrient takes is in the early stages of pregnancy. Folate is essential in the early formation of the embryo, even before most women know that they are pregnant. This is why women who are trying to conceive should be taking folate supplements. Several studies have shown that women with folate deficiencies are much more likely to give birth to children with brain defects.

Food Sources:

     One of the most commonly known sources for folate in the diet are dried beans (pinto, kidney, soy, lentil, etc). You can also find decent amounts of folate in green leafy vegetables and nutritional yeast.

Other Ways to Increase Intake:

     Herbs can also be a great source of folate. Nettle (Urtica doica), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), and Oatstraw (Avena sativa) are three herbs high in this nutrient. Try consuming a nourishing infusion made with these herbs to help boost your daily intake.

     I hope this brings awareness to you and your family.  If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

Resources:

7 Common Nutrient Deficiencies; Know the Signs: Every Day Health: https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/guide-to-essential-nutrients/common-nutrient-deficiencies/

7 Nutrient Deficiencies That Are Incredibly Common: Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-common-nutrient-deficiencies#section7

7 Common Vitamin Deficiencies: Better Nutrition: https://www.betternutrition.com/features-dept/vitamin-deficiencies

10 Most Common Nutritional Deficiencies: Vitamins and Health Facts: https://www.vitamins-and-health-facts.com/common-nutritional-deficiencies.html

11 Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies: Dr. Mercola: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/10/19/most-common-nutrient-deficiencies.aspx

Vitamin D Deficiency

     We are in the middle of an epidemic here in America. One that has gone mostly unnoticed, and is just starting to really gain the respect of many health care practitioners. Vitamin D deficiency has become a major problem, is linked to other major problems, and until recently has not been seriously considered a problem at all. Now epidemic is a scary word, and one that we see thrown around quite a bit these days. However, I don't use it lightly. Over 90% of adults in America are Vitamin D deficient, and that deficiency is linked to quite a few other health conditions that have become prominent in recent years. Conditions such as osteoporosis, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune disease, depression, insomnia, arthritis, asthma, fibromyalgia, autisim, and even more.

     So why is this particular vitamin so important? Vitamin D helps your body absorb and use calcium, it plays an important role in proper neurological and muscle function, helps balance blood sugar, combats heart disease, and it helps to keep your immune system healthy. Now there are two kinds of Vitamin D, the one we synthesize, in our own bodies, when exposed to the sun is D3. There is another kind of Vitamin D that you can get from consuming plants and other animals (D2), however it's not as bioavailable to us as D3.

     10 minutes a day, in the sun, is all you need in order to allow your body to create enough Vitamin D, according to the experts that is. Living in Florida, the “Sunshine State,” you'd think that we'd get enough sunlight to do just that. Well, we get the sunlight, but there are other problems that prevent us from getting the correct amount of Vitamin D that we need for optimal health.

     Most people will pinpoint the increased time we spend inside, as a society, as the main reason for the rise in Vitamin D deficiencies. It's true that the inventions of air conditioning, the internet, video games, and personal computers, as well as an increase in desk jobs, do contribute to our lack of venturing outside. However, our lack of outdoor activities are only part of the problem. Quite a few of the problems actually stem from poor dietary choices, even when those choices are made for all the right reasons.

     Most of us feel pressure to be skinnier than we are. Fad diets have been on the rise for decades, and not all of them are healthy choices. Most of them leave out many of the good nutrients along with the bad, or substitute nutritionally deficient food choices for already poor food choices. Combine this with the concern about cholesterol levels and obesity, and you get a crazy amount of low-fat or no-fat diets. But fat and cholesterol serve quite a few important jobs in our bodies. Cholesterol helps to keep our brains healthy, helps to keep our skin plump and supple, and without fat or cholesterol we cannot synthesize and absorb Vitamin D. Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means that it is dissolved (and stored) in fats and oils. Our bodies need fat in order to use and store Vitamin D. However, polyunsaturated fats (the not so good for you fats) also block absorption and use of Vitamin D. Most processed foods, and foods not cooked in your home, are full of polyunsaturated fats. Choosing your food with care, and thinking about what fats are needed, and which fats are not, is a great way to increase your Vitamin D. For a list of foods that are high in good fats, check out a previous post of mine here.

     That isn't to say that fat is better, and that we should stop watching what we eat. Obesity can be a major concern when looking at Vitamin D levels. Because Vitamin D is stored in fatty tissues, obese people need more Vitamin D in order to be able to use their Vitamin D. Our bodies put this amazing Vitamin in storage before using it. Obese people simply have more storage to fill up than an average sized person. This means that obese people have to consume/synthesize more Vitamin D in order to stay healthy.

     Another reason for the recent increase in Vitamin D deficiency is simply fear. We, as a society, have become absolutely scared of cancer. One of the links that has been made between cancer and our skin is the sun. Now being careful in the sun is really important because the more you burn the higher your risk of skin cancer gets. However, wearing sunscreen of SPF 8 or more reduces your body's ability to synthesize Vitamin D by 90% or more. Once you reach SPF 30 or more, you reduce your synthesization by 99%. The, previously mentioned, 10 minutes a day recommended by experts, should be without sunscreen for maximum effect. Also, if you increase your intake of good fats (omega-3 fatty acids) you can reduce your risk of burning, as they help to protect your skin from the inside out. Amazingly enough, these are the same fats needed for synthesization and storage of Vitamin D in your body. Also, you are much more likely to develop skin cancer when you are deficient in Vitamin D.

     The last reason for Vitamin D deficiency that I want to touch on is pharmaceutical usage. Quite a few, commonly prescribed, drugs actually block or consume Vitamin D in your body. If you suspect that you may be at risk of being Vitamin D deficient, talk to your doctor to determine if your prescription may be contributing to the problem.

     Oddly enough, we are one of only two beings on this planet that actually synthesize Vitamin D in our bodies. The other one is rather fascinating, mushrooms. Just about any kind of mushroom synthesizes Vitamin D in the same way as us, and it's the same Vitamin D that we synthesize, D3. Mushrooms also synthesize this after they've been harvested, so laying mushrooms in the sun before cooking them increases the amount of D3 they contain. It's a great way to increase your intake and reduce your chances of becoming deficient.

     You can also get more Vitamin D from healthy fish, eggs, dairy, fatty meats, liver, cheese, and a few vegetables. However these, and most supplements, are Vitamin D2 and therefore not as bioavailable to us as Vitamin D3 is. If you plan on supplementing, try to find one that lists D3. Another good source of Vitamin D is cod liver oil. It may not taste the best, but it's super good for you in so many ways, probably because it's pretty high in Vitamin D.

     I hope I have helped you understand the nature of Vitamin D deficiency, and provided a good start to help you overcoming or preventing it. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

Resources:

5 Illnesses Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency: Everyday Health: https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/illnesses-linked-vitamin-d-deficiency/

8 Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency: Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?: Wellness Mama: https://wellnessmama.com/699/vitamin-d/

Many Reasons Why Vitamin D Deficiency Has Become Epidemic: Vitamin D Wiki: https://vitamindwiki.com/Many+reasons+why+vitamin+D+deficiency+has+become+epidemic

Monday Health & Wellness; Vitamin D: Modern Alternative Health: http://modernalternativehealth.com/2011/04/04/monday-health-wellness-vitamin-d/

Vitamin D Deficiency: MedicineNet.com: https://www.medicinenet.com/vitamin_d_deficiency/article.htm

Vitamin D Deficiency: Medline Plus: https://medlineplus.gov/vitaminddeficiency.html

Vitamin D Deficiency: WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/vitamin-d-deficiency#1

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms & Sources to Reverse It!: Dr. Axe: https://draxe.com/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms/