Almost everyone is dangerously deficient in one, or even several, key nutrients. Here’s a quick look at some of the more common deficiencies, what happens when you are deficient, and what you can eat to remedy the problem.

*Please note that the symptoms listed are generally what CAN happen with long-term deficiency. Many of them are quite extreme, but also rare and in extreme circumstances. 

Zinc 

This is THE most common nutritional deficiency. If you get too low on zinc, you might notice hair loss, diarrhea, impotence, eye & skin lesions, loss of appetite, weight loss, loss of your sense of taste, brain fog and it takes longer for wounds to heal.

Make sure you eat your proteins as zinc is found in red meat and poultry, as well as beans and nuts.

Vitamin E

Without enough Vitamin E, your skin and hair have major difficulties regenerating. You can become anemic, bruise more easily, get eczema or psoriasis, develop cataracts, muscle weakness and sterility.

You can get more Vitamin E by eating liver, eggs, nuts & seeds, cold-pressed oils (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.), dark leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach, etc.), sweet potatoes, avocados and asparagus.

Magnesium

It is also very common to be deficient in magnesium. Without enough of this mineral, you may become frequently nauseous, develop cramps, tingling, numbness, start having seizures, heart spasms and even changes in your personality.

Magnesium can be found in most green vegetables, beans, peas and nuts & seeds.

N – Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) & Glutathione

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard of these nutrients. It is very common to be deficient in both (they are closely related). Without these nutrients, toxins tend to build up quickly and cause all sorts of downstream issues–including elevated cancer risk, general feelings of sickness, mental and physical sluggishness, lowered immune function and eye degeneration.

Eat meats and cheese–particularly ricotta cheese and cottage cheese. A good, sugar-free Greek yogurt is also a great source of these nutrients.

Vitamin B1

A deficiency in Vitamin B1 causes what most of us see as the symptoms of aging, such as heart and cognitive decline, a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s and general fatigue.

The problem with this nutrient is that it is in a variety of foods we generally recommend you avoid such as grains and pork. But you can also get it in organ meats (beef liver for example) or Brewer’s yeast. Most of us don’t eat these foods regularly. Luckily, it is an easily supplemented vitamin.

Vitamin B2

Without Vitamin B2, you can become anemic, have difficulty expelling toxins from the body’s various systems, develop cataracts and experience poor thyroid function.

Similar to Vitamin B1, it can be found in organ meats and grains. However, it is also available in much more commonly-eaten foods like green vegetables, eggs, almonds, mushrooms and dairy products.

Vitamin B12

Among the more common vitamin deficiencies is Vitamin B12. Without it, you can become anemic, feel extreme fatigue, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, numbness and tingling in the extremities, depression, dementia, and soreness in the mouth.

Just make sure you eat your proteins – eggs, poultry, red meat, milk and cheese all contain good amounts of Vitamin B12.

Folate

This is another little-known but very important nutrient of which many of us are very deficient. Without folate, immune function decreases, one has trouble sleeping, hair loss, fatigue and a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease.

This is a nutrient that might require supplementation. However, you can get it in tomato juice, green vegetables and various legumes–particularly lentils.

Vitamin D

The amount of people low in Vitamin D is shocking. Nearly everyone I test at my office is dangerously low. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of developing nearly every chronic condition imaginable, as it is such an important nutrient for your immune system. Beyond that, a lack of Vitamin D can lead to decreased thyroid function, osteoporosis and prevent your body from absorbing calcium–which has its own laundry list of problems.

About 30 minutes per day in direct sunlight will give you your daily dose of Vitamin D. However, most of us avoid direct sunlight, even going so far as to slather sunblock all over our bodies–which also prevents Vitamin D absorption. Furthermore, depending on your latitude, the angle at which the sun hits the Earth’s atmosphere may make it difficult to absorb Vitamin D for several months out of the year (one potential cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD]). But you can get your Vitamin D from things like milk, egg yolks, liver and fish.

It is good to take a high-quality multi-vitamin and eat a varied and balanced diet. As you can see, many of the most commonly deficient nutrients are found in proteins–creating a challenge for vegans and vegetarians. Many more are found in green vegetables–something many of us adults still try to avoid eating if possible.

Keep your diet diverse, clean and natural, get enough proteins and greens, get some sun when possible, and you should be in much better shape than most in the vitamin and mineral department.