Everyday Symptoms that Indicate a Vitamin or Mineral Deficiency!

Experts have revealed the everyday symptoms which could show you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency, including cracked lips, headaches – and bad breath.

Persistent dandruff, itchy or dry skin, low mood and even stress could also be signs you need more of a certain vitamin or mineral in your diet.

Other issues which could point to a deficiency include thinning hair, a low libido, white spots on your nails and tiredness.

The findings come after a survey by Healthspan to launch its new magnesium range, found 44 per cent of Brits admit they have no idea about the different vitamins and minerals they should be consuming.

One in twenty, of the 2,000 adults polled, believe they need to be eating krill oil and vegetable oil for a healthy body, while some even said they thought kryptonite and kerosene are essential vitamins and minerals.

And almost six in ten admit they are clueless about the signs which could show they are suffering from a mineral deficiency.

Worryingly, almost half of Brits are unaware that taking medications, antibiotics and even drinking tea and coffee can all affect how you absorb vitamins and minerals.

Healthspan’s head of nutrition Rob Hobson said: “Many of these symptoms are things people put up with every day, thinking they are just par for the course.

“But often, they could be a sign that you are suffering a vitamin or mineral deficiency and simply eating foods which contain the item you are lacking could ease your symptoms.

“For example, a headache could be an indicator that you need more magnesium, vitamin B12 and B6 – something you can get from eating pumpkin seeds, prunes, banana or fortified nut milk.

“And even bad breath, while a possible sign of poor oral hygiene, could also be linked to your gut health and an iron deficiency.

“It’s important to bear in mind that your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals can also be affected by medications you are taking, such as antibiotics or the oral contraceptive pill as well as aspects of your diet such as whether you drink tea or coffee.”

Cracking lips can be a sign of a vitamin C or iron deficiency, with eating more red meat, red peppers, kale and tofu a way of boosting levels of the vitamins and minerals in your diet.

Persistent dandruff could be an indicator you need more biotin or vitamin B7 while feeling stressed could be a sign you need to consume more magnesium, zinc or essential fatty acids.

A magnesium deficiency could also be indicated by insomnia, PMS or PMT and restless legs.

Thinning hair could be a result of a mild iron and vitamin C deficiency and white spots on the nails could signal a lack of zinc and iron.

The research found 36 per cent of people have made a conscious effort to boost their intake of certain vitamins and minerals because they felt they were lacking in them, while 28 percent have even sought professional help.

And one in five has suffered from a symptom or health condition which was caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

It also emerged 41 per cent of Brits are currently taking a supplement, with 68 percent of those saying they do so to improve their health.

But almost one in five have the supplement as an insurance policy and one in ten take it for a ‘quick boost.’

Healthspan’s Dr. Sarah Brewer added: “An estimated forty per cent of UK adults take at least one dietary supplement, whether vitamins, minerals, fish oils, glucosamine, isoflavones or herbal remedies such as Devil’s Claw or Saw Palmetto.

“Many people taking a food supplement or herbal remedy are also taking at least one prescribed drug.

“In fact, the popularity of complementary medicine has now increased to the extent that 30% of people use them at the same time as conventional medications.

“Although the risk of serious interactions between vitamins, minerals and prescribed drugs is low, many drugs appear to deplete body stores of vitamins and minerals and, in these cases, a replenishing supplement is desirable – but are you taking the right one?

“Many popular dietary ingredients also deplete levels of certain vitamins and minerals and can interfere with the absorption of food supplements.”

Physical signs and symptoms:	What could be:	Foods which can help:
Cracking lips	Iron and or /vitamin C deficiency	Red meat Red peppers Kale Tofu
Persistent Dandruff	Biotin or vitamin B7 plus deficient in essential fatty acids	Fresh salmon Almonds Peanut butter Sunflower seeds
Thinning hair	Could be mild iron and vitamin C deficiency	Lemons Kiwi fruit Strawberries Red kidney beans
Psoriasis	Vitamin D deficiency plus mixed vitamin B, zinc and essential fatty acid deficiency	Eggs Prawns Fresh tuna Mushrooms
Itchy /dry skin	Omega-6 essential fatty acid deficiency	Sunflower seeds Pine nuts Sesame seeds Turkey mince
Acne	Possible zinc deficiency	Crab Spinach Cashew nuts Cocoa powder
White spots on nails	Could be lack of zinc or iron	Lean pork Mushrooms Chickpeas Dried apricots
Split brittle nails	Iron deficiency	Flaxseed Chicken liver Pistachio nuts Lentils
Red greasy skin at side of nose	Sign of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin and or vitamin B6 and/or zinc deficiency	Feta cheese Almonds Mackerel Asparagus
Recurrent mouth ulcers, sore tongue	Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, B3 deficiency	Black beans Pak choi Avocado Trout
Bad Breath	Poor oral hygiene but can be linked to gut health as well as iron deficient	Raisins Peas Fortified breakfast cereals Adzuki beans
Headaches	Magnesium plus could be vitamin B12 and B6 as well  dietary factors	Pumpkin seeds Prunes Banana Fortified soy milk
Lost sense of taste	Possible zinc deficiency	Eggs Red meat Yoghurt Red kidney beans
Depression	Low in Vitamin B, Vitamin D, magnesium deficient as well as low in essential fatty acids	Cashew nuts Kale Mushrooms Barley
Low Mood	Vitamin D as well as the B vitamins and magnesium	Quinoa Salmon Avocado French beans
Low Libido	This time of year can be vitamin D	Mushrooms Fortified breakfast cereals Mackerel Eggs
Anxiety	A whole raft of deficiencies from vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins and even calcium	Tofu Milk Bananas Dates
Stress	Magnesium, zinc, essential fatty acids	Fresh tuna Cocoa powder Prawns Sunflower seeds
Tired all time	B vitamins, iron and magnesium deficiencies but also underactive thyroid	Dried apricots Prunes Liver Walnuts
Can’t sleep /Insomnia	Could be deficient in magnesium	Spring greens Brazil nuts Soya beans Chickpeas
Restless legs	Lack of magnesium/iron or folate	Avocado Dried oregano Bulger wheat Dark chocolate
Aching joints	Low levels of Magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin B1 and vitamin D if there is hypocalcaemia (low calcium levels)	Trout Pork Chia seeds Macadamia nuts
PMS / PMT	Low levels of magnesium and levels of oestrogen	Cashew nuts Pumpkin seeds Mackerel Wild rice
Cold hands and feet	Could be due to anemia so lack of iron	Red meat Kale Tofu Cumin

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