Our body needs all micro and macronutrients in adequate amounts to ensure the body's healthy functioning. Each compound and mineral is of great importance for maintaining normal body physiology. A deficiency of even a single micronutrient adversely alters the body's ability to maintain homeostasis. You can take the example of iron deficiency, which can be a potent reason for causing anemia in patients. Calcium deficiency leads to bone weakness. Likewise, each nutrient deficiency is associated with a certain disorder in the body. Here, we’ll find out some common deficient nutrients among people, including:
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Magnesium
Let’s find out the effect of these deficiencies and how to recover from them in detail.
What Are The Effects Of Nutrient Deficiency On The Health?
Below are mentioned the health effects caused due to the deficiency of a certain nutrient in the body.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
It can occur if you are not getting enough vitamin B12 from your diet. Other causes for this deficiency include the body’s inability to absorb vitamin B12 and certain health conditions such as gastric bypass and gastric bypass. Excessive alcohol consumption can also be the reason.
A sufficient amount of vitamin B12 is needed to produce red blood cells and genetic material and maintain nerve function in the body. Its deficiency can lead to psychological, physical, and neurological dysfunction in the body. Patients with this deficiency can experience the mentioned symptoms below.
- Tiredness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, sour mouth, lack of appetite, and yellowish skin.
- Weak visual abilities, memory loss, loss of cognitive behavior, numbness in your hands and feet.
- Depression, stress, anxiety, and changes in social behavior can also occur.
Vitamin D Deficiency
It occurs when your body cannot receive an adequate amount of vitamin D due to any reason, such as a nutrient-deficient diet, less exposure to sunlight, and the inability of the body to absorb vitamin D properly. This nutrient is mainly needed for the body's growth and maintenance of the skeleton system (bones and muscles).
Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium in the bones, thus strengthening the bones. It also plays an important role in maintaining immunity and neurological functions in the body. Patients with this deficiency can experience any of the below-mentioned symptoms.
- Rickets in children
- Muscle weakness
- Joint deformities
- Bone pain
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
Calcium Deficiency
It occurs when your blood calcium level becomes too low. Calcium is needed for the maintenance of bone and muscle growth and maintenance. Besides bone, blood also needs a sufficient amount of calcium for the healthy functioning of the nerves. It is also required to deal with bleeding by helping in blood clotting.
Besides a nutrient-deficient diet, several factors can be involved in calcium deficiency. Vitamin D and parathyroid hormone deficiency in the blood can lead to hypocalcemia. Vitamin D is needed for the absorption of calcium in the bones. Parathyroid hormone, or PTH, is responsible for regulating the calcium in the blood. Kidney malfunctioning can also lead to decreased calcium levels in the body. Patients with calcium deficiency can experience any of the below-mentioned symptoms.
- Muscular cramps, brittle skin, dry skin, and coarse hair.
- Memory loss, loss of cognitive behavior, hallucination, depression, and hallucination.
If this deficiency persists for longer, it can result in chronic and severe health disorders, including seizures, muscular spasms, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, and even cognitive heart failure.
Magnesium Deficiency
Although it is a micronutrient, magnesium is needed for various vital functions, including maintenance of cellular functions and nerve conduction. It is required to maintain the level of other minerals, such as sodium and potassium, in the body. By accomplishing all of these vital functions, the brain ensures the healthy functioning of the brain, muscles, and heart.
It occurs when you are on a nutrient-deficient diet, kidney malfunctioning, leading to excessive loss of magnesium, and gastrointestinal disorders causing the loss of magnesium through feces. In most cases, magnesium deficiency does not appear with any symptoms. In comparison, some patients with this deficiency can experience the below-mentioned symptoms.
- Fatigue and weakness
- Tremors
- Tetany
- Uncontrolled eye movement
How To Diagnose These Nutritional Deficiencies In The Body?
You must undergo some laboratory tests to determine the level of nutrients in your blood. The easiest way to diagnose these deficiencies is to seek help from online laboratories. LabMe is a trustworthy online laboratory that allows you to diagnose your nutritional deficiencies at home. You just have to collect your blood sample at home and send it to LabMe through these tests.
Now, the question is how to select the suitable test from LabMe. Many at-home tests are available at LabMe, which you can visit and select one that suits you best by analyzing the test findings. For example, vitamin D tests at home help you find vitamin D deficiency. Similarly, at home, heavy metal and essential elements tests can help diagnose the level of different elements, including magnesium.
Conclusion
A deficiency of even a single nutrient can result in mild to severe adverse health effects. Prolonged deficiency can result in chronic diseases, including heart problems. These deficiencies interfere with your daily activities by causing weakness and tiredness. Therefore, you must undergo proper testing to find the deficiency in your body. LabMe can help you determine the blood level of a specific nutrient, thus diagnosing nutrient deficiency.
