With today’s technology and nutrition, it’s kind of difficult for bacteria and other viruses to penetrate our bodies. With the advancements of medications and technology, we really can rely on the fact that some medication can be enough for our sustainability and development. However, as our technologies advance, our bodies move forward, too. Did you know that a total of nine (9) out of ten (10) people suffer are deficient in Potassium? While eight (8) out of ten (10) lack the necessary vitamin E they need.
This simply means that people, in general need to know more about vitamins and nutrients. A majority of people have the thinking that they are already getting sufficient nutrients from the food they eat everyday. However, in reality, most individuals are not consuming the right amount of food that their bodies need to get the recommended intake of some minerals and vitamins daily.
What diseases does nutrient deficiency bear?
If you weren’t aware, having insufficient nutrients can actually lead to certain conditions. These conditions are not critical, however, if it gets disregarded for a long time, it gets worse and can actually become a life-threatening disease or condition.
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Some of the diseases that nutrient deficiency can give are:
- Anemia
- Weakened immune system
- Impaired brain function
- High-cholesterol levels
- Different blood disorders
- Kidney issues
- Osteoporosis
- Mental retardation and abnormalities (not kidding)
Those are some of the common diseases developed if you do not take the sufficient vitamins your body needs everyday.
Supplements
Although supplements are helpful, some supplements are not effective in sustaining and in ensuring the vitamins our bodies need. This is why it’s always best to gather the needed nutrients through the food that we eat and through natural means.
So, the next time that you go to the pharmacy to buy supplements, make sure to visit the grocery first and make a list of the food that can help increase and improve your intake of vitamins and minerals.
What are the common nutrients that most people lack?
B12 vitamins
People who are at risk of vitamin B or vitamin B12 deficiency are vegetarians or people who indulge themselves on a strict leafy diet. Why? Because vitamin B12 can be seen in meaty food. In fact, animal liver is one of the best sources of vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is a necessity to further enhance blood flow and nervous functions – brain functions. This is why it is always important to include meat in your diet.
Foods that are rich in vitamin B12:
- Clams
- Animal liver
- Tuna
- Beef
- Sardines
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Iron
You would know that you have low iron levels if you continuously and regularly feel dizzy. If you are not aware, almost half and more than a quarter of the entire population lacks the daily iron needs. Even if some people take iron supplements, it’s still not enough to cover our body’s needs of iron levels.
Iron is important for our red blood cells which means that not having enough iron levels can make us look pale and malnourished. More so, it is relevant to know the two types of iron: Non-heme and heme. Non-heme is gotten from both vegetable and meat sources, while heme is the type of iron you get from meat.
Foods that are rich in iron:
- Giblet
- Eggs
- Beans
- Shellfish
- Oysters
- Read Meat
- Tofu
- Cashews
Read: Subtle Signs That You May Have Protein Deficiency
Potassium
Potassium is some kind of a steroid of our body’s building blocks. It assists our bodies’ nerves, muscles, and bones. More so, it’s important for energy production. In school, we are taught that bananas are the best sources of it. However, there are still a lot of food that can provide abundant amounts of potassium.
Foods that are rich in Potassium:
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Raisins
- Mushrooms
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Drink more water
Vitamin D
Calcium is not the only vitamin that aids our bones to be strong and sturdy. Vitamin D is another essential vitamin that could make our bodies’ frames stronger and better.
Appropriate sun exposure is the best source of vitamin D. However, do know that too much exposure to the sun is not, in any way, healthy for our bodies as well. If you want to know which types of food are enough to ensure vitamin D absorption, trouts or salmon are good sources.
However, eating cod liver oil, which has the highest and the best vitamin D concentration, can be enough.
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Foods that are rich in vitamin D:
- Cod Liver Oil
- Egg Yolks
- Beef liver
- Oranges
- Soy
- Tuna
- Mackerel
Vitamin A
Probably the less talked about vitamin of all, vitamin A is something we should really work on. Vitamin A, to give you some sort of a lesson, is an essential vitamin to the improvement of our teeth, skin, and bones. It’s one of the best vitamins to improve our eyesight.
Just like iron, there are two types of vitamin A, preformed vitamin A and pro-vitamin A. Preformed vitamin A comes from meat and dairy, mainly animal products. Pro-vitamin A, on the other hand, comes from vegetables and fruits. Sweet potatoes are excellent sources of vitamin A so you might want to consider sweet potatoes in your diet more often.
Foods that are rich in vitamin A:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Carrots
- Beef Lifer
- Cod Liver Oil
- Salmon
- Winter Squash
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Iodine
Iodine is found in salt but, of course, too much salt can do more harm than good. As per research, a third of the world’s population get less amounts of Iodine they need in a day. If you are wondering, Iodine is essential in the production of thyroid hormones and in its functioning.
We need it for better metabolism processes and to have brain and body development. So, you need to make sure that you are taking more Iodine correctly.
Foods that are rich in Iodine:
- Seaweed
- Iodized Salt
- Eggs
- Tuna
- Prunes
- Dairy Products
- Shrimps
Calcium
As we all know, Calcium is an important nutrient for the development of our bones and teeth. Not just that, it also helps the development of our muscles, hearts, and nerve functioning. Did you know that if you lack the needed Calcium amount can lead to Osteoporosis at a young age? So, it is just important to consume the correct amount of Calcium as early as now.
Milk and other dairy products help with our Calcium production but there are other sources that you are not aware of.
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Foods that are rich in Calcium:
- Milk
- Almonds
- Cheese
- Sardines
- Yoghurt
- Beans
- Lentils
These are the common minerals and vitamins that most people lack. If you think that you are somehow guilty to some of these, make sure to adjust your diet and to eat foods that are rich in whatever deficiency you think you might have.