Top Nutritional Deficiencies and Types Of Diseases They Cause

Nutritional deficiencies can harm your physical and mental health. Nutrition plays a vital role in your day-to-day life. The liquids and foods you consume can make a difference in your overall health. Each food item or liquids contains specific nutrition. So, when you eat or drink, the body starts digesting and absorbing the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water from the food item. It converts it into energy to keep the body healthy and promote growth. A balanced diet ensures you get the necessary nutrients needed for the body. But, a diet meeting only certain nutritional needs can result in deficiencies. It can cause issues in your life. Read ahead to know more about it.

About Nutritional Deficiencies

As mentioned earlier, you need to include a balanced diet for a healthy life. But, when you fail to eat such a diet, your body becomes deprived of the essential nutrients. It results in nutritional deficiencies. It means your body has an inadequate supply of essential nutrients. Since the body needs different nutrients to function properly, the deficiency can cause health issues. Chronic deficiency of any nutrient can result in the development of a disease. Unfortunately, the Western diet does not include all essential nutrients. So, people following such a diet can face a deficiency of nutrients.

Types of Nutritional Deficiencies

In ancient times, sailors who spent more time at sea used to see such deficiencies. Long sea voyages mean sailors cannot eat a balanced diet. But, today, common people can suffer from a deficiency of vital nutrients needed for the body. Without necessary nutrients, it can alter bodily functions. It may also affect the processes of the body at the basic cellular level. The common types of nutritional deficiencies include:

One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies: Vitamin Deficiency

Vitamins refer to the organic compounds present in the food items that your body needs in small quantities. But, the lack of certain vitamins can result in a deficiency. Common vitamin deficiency includes Vitamin B, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D deficiencies. Let’s see them in detail:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The B vitamins aid the body in converting food into energy. The B vitamins have vital functions to play in the body. Vitamin B12 refers to the water-soluble vitamin. It is also known as cobalamin. Our body requires Vitamin B12 to function properly. This vitamin is essential for nerve and brain function. Vitamin B12 is also necessary for blood formation. But, this vitamin is not produced by the body. Hence, you need to include foods or supplements to get the necessary amounts of Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is found in abundance in animal foods. It is a bit difficult for vegetarians or vegans to get the vitamin in appropriate amounts. But, certain types of seaweeds can contain this vitamin in small quantities.

People At Risk Of Suffering From One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies

 People who do not include animal products or seaweed can face the risk of suffering from one of the top nutritional deficiencies. According to certain studies, around 80% to 90% of people following a vegan or vegetarian diet can suffer from the deficiency of vitamin B12. It is observed that more than 20% of adults suffer from the deficiency of Vitamin B12 as the absorption decreases with advancing age. Another issue triggering the deficiency remains the lack of intrinsic factors. It is the protein that aids in the absorption of vitamin B12. It is different compared to the absorption of other types of vitamins.

Symptoms Linked To Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Due to suffering from one of the top nutritional deficiencies, your body fails to make necessary blood. It can result in anemia. It can trigger a wide range of symptoms. Anaemia refers to the condition where your body has fewer red blood cells than normal levels. It can also occur when your blood has low amounts of hemoglobin in the red blood cell. These symptoms develop gradually and worsen as the condition remains untreated.

• Lethargy or lack of energy
• Fatigue (feel extremely tired)
• Feeling faint
• breathlessness
• feeling faint
• Pale skin
• Headaches
• Palpitations (noticeable heartbeats)
• Tinnitus (hearing or ringing coming from the inside the body instead of an outside source)
• Loss of appetite leading to weight loss

The deficiency of Vitamin B12 can also result in megaloblastic anemia. It is a blood disorder causing enlarging of the red blood cells. Due to the condition, you can suffer from the following signs:

• Elevated homocysteine levels
• Impaired brain function

Foods Sources To Manage One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies

To overcome the deficiency of Vitamin B12, you can make some changes to your diet. Include certain food items rich in this vitamin to ensure you get the suggested amount. Here are the dietary sources of the vitamin you need to know:

• Chicken, liver, and beef
• Fish
• Shellfish such as clams, tuna fish, salmon, and trout
• Eggs
• Low-fat Milk
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Fortified breakfast cereal

When the diet cannot help you overcome the deficiency, you need to see a doctor. The doctor can suggest taking Vitamin B12 supplements. The supplement may come in a nasal spray or pill form. For people with severe deficiency of this vitamin, getting shots may make a change. People getting treated for this condition need to take Vitamin B12 for the rest of their lives. Since this deficiency triggers anemia, you need treatment to address the condition.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can affect people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. It is also common among old people. But, you need to address the deficiency when you see the symptoms. Not handling the problem for a long time can lead to damage to the brain, heart, bones, nerves, and other organs in the body. While the excess amount of Vitamin B12 may cause any harm, better stick to the dose suggested by the doctor. The large amounts of the vitamin usually remain unabsorbed that the digestive system excretes from the body.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Do you know about the vitamin that acts as a steroid hormone in the body? Then, you need to learn more about the fat-soluble Vitamin D. It travels into the cells through your bloodstream. It instructs the cells to turn on or off the genes. Almost all cells in the body have a receptor for vitamin D. When your skin becomes exposed to sunlight, the cholesterol in your skin produces Vitamin D.

People At Risk Of Developing Vitamin D Deficiency

People living far from the equator can develop a deficiency of Vitamin D unless they manage it with adequate intake of Vitamin D from foods or supplements. It is because they become less exposed to sunlight. Due to not going out in the sun, many people suffer from this deficiency. People with dark skin can also suffer from one of the top nutritional deficiencies as the skin produces less of this vitamin in response to the sunlight.

Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency

In usual cases, people suffering from vitamin D deficiency may not notice any visible symptoms. The signs appear subtle. It may take months or years for the signs to appear. If the signs do appear, the common ones in adults include:

• Bone loss
• Muscle weakness
• Increased risk of fractures
• Reduced immune function
• Risk of cancer
• In children, the signs linked to one of the top nutritional deficiencies include:
• Growth delays
• Rickets (Soft bones)

Methods To Manage Vitamin D Deficiency

The main method to get this vitamin remains going out in the sun. From late March to the end of September, you can get the necessary sunlight to get Vitamin D. Just going outdoors helps the body create the vitamin. But, after October until early March, the body cannot make enough Vitamin D due to the winter season. In such cases, you can include a few foods that contain this vitamin in small quantities. The main sources of Vitamin D include:

• Liver
• Oily fish such as herring, salmon, and mackerel
• Egg yolks
• Fortified foods (certain breakfast cereals and fat spreads)

Dietary supplementary containing Vitamin D also offers enough vitamin. But, to overcome one of the top nutritional deficiencies, you need to take supplements only after consulting a doctor. In most cases, this deficiency can clear with enough sun exposure. It is not possible to overcome the deficiency by improving your diet alone. Never ignore this vitamin deficiency as it can result in complications such as weak bones and bone loss. Without intervention, it increases the risk of fractures, especially in children due to soft bones.

One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies: Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A is a vital vitamin needed to maintain skin health. The fat-soluble vitamin also enhances the health of your bones, cell membranes, and teeth. It is an important vitamin needed for vision as it produces eye pigments. Vitamin A is available in two types of dietary forms:

Preformed Vitamin A

It is the type of vitamin available in animal products. Consuming animal products such as dairy, poultry, fish, and meat.

Pro-Vitamin A

It is the vitamin A found in plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits. The vitamin available in the form of Beta carotene converts into Vitamin A by the body.

People At Risk Of Suffering From One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies

People who follow a Western diet get enough Vitamin A. Such people never have to worry about deficiency. But, in developing countries, Vitamin A deficiency seems common. Around 44% to 50% of pre-school-aged children in specific areas suffer from this deficiency. Women, especially in countries such as India face the risk of developing this deficiency.

Symptoms Of Vitamin A Deficiency

Deficiency of Vitamin A can trigger temporary and permanent damage to the eyes. In some cases, people suffering from one of the top nutritional deficiencies can suffer from blindness. Other symptoms of the deficiency include:

• Suppress immune function
• Dry skin
• Dry eyes
• Night blindness
• Infertility in women of childbearing age
• Delayed growth in children
• Poor wound healing
• Chest and throat infections
• Acne and breakouts

Methods To Manage Vitamin A Deficiency

Without adequate vitamin A, children, pregnant women, or breastfeeding women can face the risk of increased mortality. To manage the problem, you can include food rich in Vitamin A such as:

• Fish liver oil
• Organ meat
• The dietary sources of Pro-vitamin A (beta carotene) includes:
• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Dark green, leafy vegetables. 

While deficiency of this vitamin can trigger health problems, taking too much of this vitamin can affect your health. Increased levels of Vitamin A can cause toxicity. But, this does not apply to foods containing pro-Vitamin A such as beta carotene. In some cases, the excess consumption of pro-vitamin A has resulted in the skin color turning orange, the effect remains non-fatal.

Mineral Deficiency

Minerals refer to the specific type of nutrients needed by the body for its proper functioning. When you suffer from mineral deficiency, it means your body cannot absorb or does not obtain the necessary amount of the specific minerals. The human body requires minerals in certain amounts for its proper functioning and well-being. Here are some of the top nutritional deficiencies triggered due to the lack of certain minerals.

One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies: Iron Deficiency

Iron is an important mineral needed by the body to make red blood cells. These red blood cells bind with hemoglobin. It then transports oxygen to different cells in your body. The two common types of dietary iron include:

Heme Iron

It is a type of iron easy to absorb by the body. Usually, you can find the type of iron in animal foods. So, red meat contains a high amount of heme iron.

Non-Heme Iron

You can find non-heme iron in animal and plant foods. It is the common type of iron found with ease. But, the body cannot absorb this type of iron as easily as the other type.

People At Risk Of Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is one of the top nutritional deficiencies faced by people around the world. It affects more than 25% of the population in the world. Mainly, preschool children face the risk of suffering from the problem. To manage this issue, children need to eat an iron-rich diet. Taking food items rich in iron or iron-fortified items can address the lack of iron in the body. Menstruating women also face a deficiency of iron due to their monthly menstrual cycle. It results in blood loss, resulting in this deficiency. Pregnant women also face a deficiency of minerals.

People following a specific diet such as vegans or vegetarians face an increased risk of suffering from iron deficiency. It is because these people consume only non-heme iron. Hence, it does not get absorbed by the body as well as the other type, heme iron.

Symptoms Linked To Iron Deficiency

Due to the deficiency of iron, people commonly suffer from anemia. This condition causes the number of red blood cells in the body to drop. It also results in the reduced ability of blood to carry oxygen. This deficiency can result in the following symptoms:

• Weakness
• Tiredness
• Impaired brain function
• A weakened immune system

Methods To Manage Iron Deficiency

The main method to manage iron deficiency remains by consuming foods rich in heme and non-heme iron. The best source of foods containing heme iron includes

• Shellfish (Oysters, mussels, and clams)
• Organ meat
• Red meat
• Canned sardines. 

To get enough non-heme iron from food sources, you need to include seeds, beans, and dark, leafy vegetables in your diet.

Many believe taking iron supplements can help them combat the deficiency. But, taking too much iron can only harm your health. Hence, you must never take an iron supplement unless your doctor recommends it. To make the absorption of iron in the body better, you can include Vitamin C in your diet. Include vitamin C enriched food items such as kale, oranges, and bell peppers when you eat iron-rich foods to increase the absorption of iron.

One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies: Iodine Deficiency

Iodine is one of the essential minerals needed for normal thyroid function. It is also vital for producing thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are needed for different bodily processes such as:

• Brain development
• Growth
• Bone maintenance
• Metabolic rate

People At Risk Of Iodine Deficiency

Iodine deficiency is one of the common deficiencies that affect at least one-third of the world’s population. It is a condition affecting people coming under the following classification:

• Consume low dietary iodine
• Pregnancy
• Selenium deficiency
• Women
• Smoking tobacco
• Consume excess alcohol
• Exposure to radiation

Children suffering from iodine deficiency can suffer from developmental abnormalities and mental retardation.

Symptoms Of Iodine Deficiency

Goiter is the most common symptom linked to iodine deficiency. It causes your thyroid gland to enlarge. Due to this condition, you can see symptoms such as:

• Shortness of breath
• Weight gain
• Increase in heart rate

Manage Iodine Deficiency

Like other deficiencies, consuming iodine in the diet can help you avoid the deficiency. Good sources of iodine include the following:

• Eggs
• Seaweed
• Dairy
• Fish

To ensure people can get the necessary iodine, some countries make it mandatory to consume table salt enriched with iodine. It has successfully lowered the incidence of deficiencies.

One Of The Top Nutritional Deficiencies: Calcium Deficiency

Calcium is needed for all the cells in the body. Calcium is one of the top nutrients that can strengthen the bones and teeth. Calcium mineralizes your teeth and bones during times of rapid growth. This is also needed for bone maintenance. Additionally, calcium refers to the mineral that serves as a signaling molecule. It means that without calcium, the nerves, muscles, and heart may fail to function. The body regulates calcium concentration in the body. So, any excess amount of calcium gets stored in the bones. When you consume less calcium, the bones start to release calcium. It starts to affect bone health. Due to calcium deficiency, you tend to have soft and fragile bones.

People At Risk Of Calcium Deficiency

Some people are at risk of suffering from calcium deficiency compared to others. The risk factors increase for the following people:

• Teenage girls and boys
• Men and Women over fifty years
• Symptoms Of Calcium Deficiency
• People suffering from calcium deficiency can exhibit the following symptoms:
• Numbness and tingling in the extremities
• Muscle cramps and spasms
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Fatigue
• Dry skin
• Osteopenia
• Osteoporosis (in older adults)
• Rickets (in children)
• Confusion
• Memory loss

Tips To Manage Calcium Deficiency

In most cases, doctors recommend taking calcium supplements. While intake of supplements increased the calcium numbers slightly, it remained insufficient. It is better to include calcium in the diet. So, you need to add the following:

Dairy products

• Boned fish 
• Dark vegetables such as bok choy, spinach, kale, and broccoli

Since calcium supplements may trigger side effects in some people, a good diet rich in calcium will help combat this nutritional deficiency.

Magnesium Deficiency

It is one of the key minerals needed for your body. Magnesium plays a vital role in building your bond and teeth structure. It is also responsible for more than three hundred enzyme reactions. Even in developed nations such as the USA, people get less than the suggested magnesium from their diet. Low intake of the minerals can result in reduced levels of the mineral in blood levels. It can trigger several health conditions such as:

• Osteoporosis
• Heart disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes

People At Risk Of Suffering From Magnesium Deficiency

Low levels of magnesium remain one of the top nutritional deficiencies. It is common among people getting treatment in the hospital for some time. According to certain studies, among hospitalized patients, 9% to 65% suffer from the deficiency of this mineral. Apart from hospitalized patients, this deficiency is also common among people suffering from the following:

• Low intake of magnesium in the diet
• Reduced digestive function
• Drug use
• Underlying diseases

Symptoms Of Magnesium Deficiency

Magnesium deficiency, also referred to as hypomagnesemia has become one of the overlooked health problems. This deficiency can trigger the following symptoms that may ignore as a common discomfort:

• Fatigue
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Muscle cramps
• Restless leg syndrome

In some people, subtle and long-term symptoms seem to develop. These symptoms are usually ignored by people. It includes high blood pressure and insulin resistance.

Methods To Manage Magnesium Deficiency

To prevent magnesium deficiency, you need to include a balanced diet. A healthy diet with magnesium-rich foods will help manage one of the top nutritional deficiencies. Here are some of the foods you can consider including in your diet:

• Spinach
• Nuts (peanuts, cashews, and almonds)
• Edamame
• Black beans
• Peanut butter
• Avocado
• Whole wheat bread

Apart from including a diet rich in magnesium, you must also address other issues preventing the absorption of the mineral. Certain conditions and nutrients affect the amount of magnesium a person absorbs. To increase the absorption levels of magnesium, you can follow the tips such as:

• Quit smoking
• Reducing the quantity of calcium-rich foods at least two hours before or after eating foods rich in magnesium
• Avoiding zinc supplements of high dose
• Addressing Vitamin D deficiency
• Eat raw vegetables

Magnesium deficiency has become common in people, especially in Western countries. But, including a diet rich in this mineral can help avoid several health conditions.

Protein Deficiency

Protein deficiency is one of the top nutritional deficiencies affecting people. The common problem is associated with your calorie intake. Protein is necessary for several vital functions of the body such as:

• Boosting immunity
• Stabilizing blood sugar
• Promote wound healing
• Building muscle mass

A diet deficient in calories but high in protein will provide the necessary energy to the body. Protein also acts as the building block needed for stronger muscles. When your calories intake remains adequate, protein can perform its function. Like other deficiencies, you can avoid this problem by including a diet containing all the vital nutrients. A diet consisting of a wide variety of healthy foods can help maintain good health.

Symptoms Of Protein Deficiency

Lack of protein can trigger several health ailments.

• Weak muscle tone
• Skin lesions
• Swelling due to fluid retention
• Thin and brittle hair
• weak muscle tone
• Delayed wound healing

In children, the lack of protein can result in simple to severe problems. It includes the following

• Hormonal imbalances
• Growth deficits

A serious deficiency of protein results in malnutrition that can trigger marasmus and kwashiorkor.

People At Risk Of Developing Protein Deficiency

Some people are more at risk of developing one of the top nutritional deficiencies, protein deficiency compared to others. It includes:

People suffering from eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia

• Advanced stages of cancer
• Certain genetic conditions
• Suffering from conditions such as gastric bypass surgery or irritable bowel syndrome that makes it difficult to absorb nutrients.

Methods To Manage Protein Deficiency

Eating a healthy diet with foods containing protein will help you avoid such conditions. You can include plant and animal foods containing protein in your diet. You can eat the following to get the necessary protein from your diet:

• Eggs
• Seafood
• lean meats and poultry
• eggs
• legumes (beans and peas)
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Soy products

Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, also contain protein. Whole grains and vegetables contain some protein, but generally less than other sources.

Animal products tend to contain higher amounts of protein than plant foods, so people following a vegetarian diet or a vegan diet may need to plan their meals to ensure they meet their protein needs.

Conclusion

We need vitamins and minerals for proper functioning. It is possible to suffer from a deficiency in almost every nutrient. But, these are the top nutritional deficiencies that you must become aware of. Small children, teenagers, older people, people following specific dietary restrictions can face the risk of suffering from such deficiencies. To prevent such deficiencies, you need to eat a balanced diet. The diet must include whole and nutrient-rich foods. If you cannot include a balanced diet, try to take supplements after consulting the doctor for enhanced wellness.