Symptoms that may indicate that you suffer from nutritional deficiencies

The human body is a really complex thing. It contains 60 chemical elements and a balanced proportion of water, proteins and minerals. All this is very important for our health and sometimes, when one of these elements is missing, our body sends signals that indicate its malfunction, allowing us to do something about it.

O awesome.club found some symptoms of the most common nutritional deficiencies. Keep reading to find out if you have any of them.

This can be caused by a protein deficiency. Our bones, muscles, skin, hair and nails all contain protein. That’s why the deficiency of this important element influences the entire organism, and can cause serious health problems. The first symptoms that we can notice appear in the nails, hair and skin.

People who eat meat regularly are unlikely to face these problems. But in addition to this food, remember, there are many vegetarian sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, peas, quinoa, chickpeas, mushrooms, tofu and oats, among others.

Essential fatty acids, especially omega-6, are very important as they create a skin barrier against water loss. If you don’t get enough of these substances, you can suffer from dry skin, which causes wrinkles. Your skin may become scaly, itchy, or cracked. Other unpleasant symptoms are dandruff, hair loss and dry eyes. People who diet and reduce their fat intake are more at risk. If you have any of these symptoms, consume fatty fish (such as salmon and sardines).

These are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency. If you feel overwhelmed and exhausted even after waking up, or if you feel tired and weak without doing a lot of exercise, it could be a sign that you need to include foods rich in magnesium in your daily diet.

The best food sources of magnesium are: almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, linseed, sunflower, chia, cashews and cocoa.

Pale skin can be a sign of iron deficiency, which causes a drop in hemoglobin levels. With that, the blood loses part of its color and makes our skin and sometimes the gums, nails, the inside of our lips and eyelids lose their natural and healthy color.

The people most at risk are: pregnant women, people who donate blood regularly, people with a poor diet and vegetarians — who, depending on the case, must supplement their diet, always under medical advice.

Liver and red meat are very rich in iron. But there are alternatives, such as spinach, lentils and broccoli, in addition to the aforementioned iron supplements.

If you’re a fan of processed foods or alcohol, you may be lacking zinc in your system. Deficiency of this element affects the entire body and causes problems in the intestines and immune system. This, in turn, can cause allergies and negatively affect the condition of the skin.

Foods rich in zinc are: oysters, beef, lamb, chicken, beans, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, cashews, mushrooms and spinach. If you don’t get enough zinc in your diet, you should take specific supplements.

If you can’t explain your weight gain, you probably have an iodine deficiency. The substance is responsible for producing thyroid hormones, which help balance metabolism. When levels are low, the body burns fewer calories.

Not many foods contain this element, but there is a lot of iodine in seaweed, fish (from the sea), seafood, dairy products and iodized salt.

If you have these problems, you probably have a vitamin C deficiency. This isn’t very common these days, but there are groups of people who are at risk, such as pregnant women, babies, the elderly, and smokers.

It’s not difficult to get enough vitamin C when eating a healthy, balanced diet. An orange or half a bell pepper guarantees a daily dose of this important vitamin.

Do you feel depressed, especially during the winter months? This could be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. The problem is very common and mainly affects people who don’t get enough sunlight because they live in countries where the winter is harsh and the sun doesn’t show up much. Having dark skin and being overweight increases the risks.

If you don’t have the opportunity to sunbathe, take vitamin supplements and eat foods rich in vitamin D, such as: salmon, cod liver, herring, sardines, shrimp, egg yolks, tuna, oysters and mushrooms.

Having a correct diagnosis can be very tricky. One symptom may indicate different problems, different impairments may come together, or one impairment may cause another. A healthy diet and lifestyle are necessary for your well-being. And remember: we are what we eat. So, in addition to fighting the symptoms, try to find and treat the real reason for the disease.

Do you know any symptoms of nutritional deficiency that we didn’t mention in this post? Leave your comment!