When do you know that you need a vitamin supplement as a part of starting each day? Although it is entirely possible to obtain all of the daily necessary nutrients from your food intake, you should also know if you are not getting these critical vitamins that your body needs to function optimally. This is especially the case as having a deficiency of a specific vitamin or mineral can literally wreak havoc on your organism.
In fact, nutritional deficiencies will fundamentally alter your body’s processes and functions down to the cellular level, something that can cause you real harm and lasting damage. In this article we look at some clear signs that you should consider starting a daily multivitamin regimen.
Brain fog getting you down?
If you have ever experienced brain fog personally, then you know how scary a feeling it truly is. There is little so disconcerting as finding your car keys sitting inside of the freezer and wondering how in the world they got there. This does not mean that you are losing your mind, but it could be a telling warning sign that your body is desperate for Vitamin B12. Deficiencies in this critical vitamin may even lead to long term impaired functioning of your brain as well as anemia.
Some medications can also lead to a deficiency of Vitamin B12. If you take any metformin (in diabetes medications) or acid blockers, then this will definitely reduce your levels of the B Vitamin. Excessively drinking alcohol will also significantly lower it.
Feeling blah all the time?
While everyone may experience occasional blah days from time to time, when you start waking up in this condition more or less everyday, this is a real warning sign that you are low in a key nutrient. A lower level of iron could be the cause of it. Low iron levels in your blood lead to your feeling tiredness, weakness, and to having a weakened immune system. Low iron count can also harm you more seriously than in just leaving you feeling wiped.
Other symptoms of iron deficiency includes the following:
- Low energy
- Hair loss or thinning
- Bruising too easily
This is especially the case for women just ahead of their monthly menstrual cycle. Other symptoms of iron deficiency that are not so well known include feelings of extreme cold in your appendages, low endurance while exercising, and the half moon of white in your nails where they touch your fingers. One way to get these vitamin supplements is by using a topical patch that utilizes your skin as the delivery system. Biotin has many benefits, more than just a “beauty vitamin” for our skin, hair, and nails. You can read more about it on some reputable sites. Biotin and iron are both nutrients that your body requires to function well, and their absence can cause you real problems if you lack them. Suffice it to say that you do not want to be iron deficient if you can possibly avoid it.
Do you suffer from nail issues?
For those readers who suffer from brittle and dry nails, there is little reason to get sidetracked playing with special lotions or polishes. In most cases, your problems actually stem from your insides and a lack of certain calcium and zinc minerals. Few Americans actually take in enough calcium, and this causes more problems than just with your bones. In fact, the average American today only obtains around from 40 to 50 percent of their RDA Recommended Daily Allowance in calcium.
When you are short on your daily needs for calcium, you can have a higher chance of contracting all of the following ills:
- Depression
- Rickets
- Osteoporosis
- Insomnia
- Tooth Decay
- Menstrual issues
- Brittle nails
Also being low on zinc can lead to problems with your finger nails. White spots on your nails or brittle nails are similarly your body’s way of warning you that you suffer from a zinc mineral deficiency.
Is your hair going gray early?
You ought to check out your folate levels if your hair seems to be going gray ahead of its time. Folate deficiencies can lead to graying hair, mouth sores, and fatigue. This is why having an abundance of Folate during pregnancy is critical for expecting mothers. They shine from their luscious looking hair and nails as a result of all the Folate they get from the prenatal vitamins.
Are you craving non-food items like paint?
Yes, it is possible for vitamin deficiencies to make you crave paint and other unhealthy to eat items. A lesser known symptom of iron deficiency is craving unusual household items like paint chips and ice. If you start to feel these odd cravings, then you should go get blood work done through your doctor before starting a multivitamin supplement.
Other little-known symptoms of being short iron include the following:
- Headaches
- Lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath
You can also experience cracking around your mouth, swollen tongue, and unexplained hair loss.
Do you suffer from tossing and turning all night?
Magnesium deficiencies can create a wide range of troubles for your body. This includes muscle cramping, constipation, and insomnia. It means that a magnesium shortage in your body can do more than just keep you from sleeping, since a resulting cramp in your leg is likely to wake you up in a panic.
Are you often sick?
Many people complain about suffering in cold and flu season every year. Vitamin C deficiencies will weaken your immune system, but there are also deficiencies in Vitamin D to blame for your troubles. A lack of sufficient Vitamin D can cause autoimmune conditions and frequent and recurring infections.
Unfortunately, today deficiencies in Vitamin D are more common than ever, thanks to the lack of outside time in the sun (from which your body actually produces Vitamin D) that people are getting in America. This causes their bodies to not produce sufficient quantities of Vitamin D for the body’s daily needs.
When you are uncertain about a vitamin deficiency in your body, you should sit down and discuss the issue with your physician. He or she can recommend a blood test so that you know with certainty which vitamins you are short. Vitamin deficiencies not only affect your physical health, but your mood as well. The American Journal of Psychiatry states from a study result that women who suffer from lower B12 Vitamin levels have twice the chances of suffering from severe depression symptoms as do those who possess sufficient B12 Vitamin levels.