Effects of Mineral Deficiencies on Your Health

Today I want to talk to you about the effects of mineral deficiency.

Minerals are one of many nutrients your body needs to prevent disease and to really operate at its most efficient state.

But the thing about minerals is your body does not produce minerals at all, so you have to get them through your diet.

Your body really only needs a small number of minerals. But if you have inadequate amount of certain minerals, you can have very serious and sometimes even life-threatening effects on your health.

A lack of minerals can lead to low energy levels and productivity problems. You really cannot underestimate the importance of minerals.

What are some of the causes of mineral deficiencies? Well, the most common cause, you are just not

So common causes or risk factors would be, your diet is really junk based. If ever, you are really not eating healthy foods. Another risk is, if you are on a low-calorie diet, so if you do a weight loss plan or something like that. Or if you have an eating disorder, that puts you at risk.

As we get older, we often have a decrease in our appetite.

So older people are more at risk of nutrient deficiencies since they eat less. Various kinds of diets are vegetarian or vegan, or if you have particular food allergies. You may be inefficient and uncertain of your mineral levels, just because you are not eating items that are required.

Then if you have digestion or absorption problems, it also increased the risk of mineral deficiencies, like alcoholism. If you have had digestive tract surgery switches, part of your small bowel removed, certain medications, diuretics, laxatives, antacids, antibiotics, all effective absorption.

Then diseases dealing with Kidney, pancreas, and gallbladder. That is also going to affect your absorption.

Then you may have an increased requirement for certain minerals.

For instance, women need more iron when they are pregnant administratively. It is also what kind of state you are living in, what minerals are needed, and how much should we do.

What are some common types of mineral deficiencies? The health effects are going to be dependent on really what is missing in the mineral or what mineral is missing, let us begin with calcium, so calcium deficiency.

Calcium plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of strong bones and teeth. Also plays a vital role in the proper function of the heart, muscles, and nerves.

Most adults need around 1000 milligrams of calcium, women over 50 and men over 70 actually be more around 1200 milligrams of calcium.

Calcium is obtained through bonefish, plants, dairy products, dark leafy vegetables, and calcium byproducts like cereal fixes.

Now, the amount of calcium in your blood is very well controlled. Your body stores any excess calcium in your bone, so if you become calcium deficient. Your bones are going to release this calcium.

You are not going to really see a lot of symptoms because the calcium level, is maintained by the bones. However, long-term deficiency, means your calcium in the bones will be low, leading to softer, brittle bones.

This is why the most common symptom of calcium deficiency is something called rickets in children, and osteoporosis in adults really increased the risk of fractures because we weakened the bones.

Other symptoms of severe calcium deficiency are muscle cramps, numbness, tingling, fatigue, poor appetite, irregular heart, and brilliant, Gaussian is very important.

The next mineral is Iron.

Dietary iron is essential for hemoglobin production. Hemoglobin is a protein that delivers oxygen to your tissues. So, iron is also a part of the proteins and enzymes your body needs to be healthy.

There's kind of two types of dietary iron there is what is called Heme iron. This is very well absorbed by the body and is really only found in animals. Type foods are foods that are based on animals. So red meat is especially rich in this type of iron. Other excellent source in organ meat like liver. Or Fish like clams and oysters and then can salvage lawsuit the source of the Heme iron.

Now the other type of iron is non-Heme iron. This is more comment, found in both animal and plant food, plant-based food, but it is not easily absorbed as much as they are. Also, good sources of nonheme iron beans, and seeds, like pumpkin, and sesame, then dark.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common mineral deficiencies. It really affects over 25% of the world's population. The deficiency usually develops slowly, and starts to make you tired and out of breath. You know, minimal exertion.

However, there are certain groups of people that are more prone. This includes children, which will impair their social cognitive development.

Woman it affects about 30% of menstruating women because of blood loss.

It also affects up to about 42% of young pregnant women. That is their requirement increase.

Another risk group is that parents are vegans because a predominant non-Heme iron, which I said is important. Adult men and women over 50 need 8 mg of iron daily, and adult women below 50 need 18 mg daily. Iron deficiency can produce symptoms like weakness, impaired immunity, and decreased brain function.

Interestingly, Vitamin C actually improves iron function.

So, eating vitamin C-rich foods with other iron-rich foods helps maximize your work.

Here is a little bit of a word of caution as we talk about these, both of these minerals are not all, you can find the supplement form. I will talk a little bit more about that.

For specific iron, you must be extremely cautious and really do not take supplements of iron unless you really need it.

That is because excessive iron can be detrimental, so just because it is something that is sold over the counter, we want you to know, it does not necessarily mean it is not with potentially harmful side effects.

The next thing I want to talk about is iodine deficiency.

Iodine is essential for normal thyroid function and the production of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones. are involved in vital processes like growth, bone maintenance, and brain development. Thyroid hormones also control your metabolic rate.

Iodine is also essential in pregnancy, for healthy growth and cognitive development of children.

Most adults need about 150 micrograms per day. Some good sources include fish, dairy product,s and seaweed.

The most common symptom of Iodine deficiency is a boiler that is really just enlarged thyroid, or iodine deficiency can cause weight gain, shortness of breath, and increased heart rate. and severe deficiencies can also cause serious harm to children, and really result in intellectual disability or developmental abnormality.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common mineral deficiencies that affects nearly a third of the world's population.

Fortunately, there are many countries that have made fortified table salt with iodine mandatory. This has significantly reduced the incidence of iodine deficiency.

So according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 86% of households worldwide now are consuming, iodized salt.

Magnesium controls, many of your body's functions of the brain, muscle, and nerve function. Bone and teeth structure, blood pressure and glucose levels, protein production, and energy metabolism. In fact, there is over 300 enzymatic reactions that require magnesium function.

Adults typically made between, 310, and 420 milligrams daily.  Some magnesium-rich foods include nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and whole grains: dark green, leafy vegetables, and legumes.

Although magnesium deficiency is not common in healthy people, there are chronic diseases where really is prevalent. And there are certain medications that trigger them.

So low dietary intake and absorption problems can also dissolve magnesium deficiency.

So according to some studies, well magnesium levels are prevalent among high hospital patients and in fact, it can affect up to 65% of hospitalized patients. Mild deficiency can cause symptoms like poor appetite, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.

But in the severe forms of numbness, tingling extremity, migraines, restless leg syndrome, muscle cramps, seizures, and abnormal heart ratings for heart rhythm.

So long, long-term deficiency can cause serious symptoms that go unnoticed such as high blood pressure, type two diabetes, heart failure in osteoporosis.

A magnesium supplement is very important to us.

The next mineral I want to talk about is potassium and potassium deficiency.

Potassium is essential for proper muscle traction, heart function, and nerve transmission. Some enzymes also need to function such as the ones responsible for turning carbohydrates into energy. Adult men need 3400 mg daily, and women need 2600 mg.

Fruits and vegetables like bananas, plums, beets, green leafy vegetables, avocados, and potatoes are excellent sources of potassium. Orange juice and nuts are also rich in potassium.

Excessive fluid loss is actually the most common cause of potassium deficiency.

So, prolonged vomiting, kidney dysfunction, and medication like diuretics, all-cause, and potassium deficiency.

Some symptoms of potassium deficiency include weakness, muscle cramps, constipation, vomiting, and abdominal pain. A severe deficiency can cause muscle paralysis or irregular heart rhythms that actually can result in death.

The next item is zinc deficiency.

This mineral plays a role in many areas of the body's metabolism, including wound healing, protein, and DNA synthesis. It also supports proper growth of development during Pregnancy, Childhood adolescence.

Zinc has been shown to promote immune function, it can help you resist infectious diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia.

An adult man needs about 11 milligrams daily and women were required about 8 milligrams.

Good sources of zinc include clean, red meat, poultry, dairy products, whole grains, beans, nuts, seafood, and oysters.

Zinc deficiencies impair your immunity, which makes you more prone to infections, but also slows down the children's growth and can also cause loss of taste, smell, or appetite.

How do we manage mineral deficiencies? Well, it depends on where the mineral lives, and also the severity, but also the underlying causes.

Through diet modification, you are able to address most of this.

It is really just about eating the right foods sometimes you do have to supplement various forms of these.

It is minerals, I would advise you then talk to a healthcare professional to decide what the best course of action is if you are trying to manage underlying issues.

But again, keeping the right food in the right quantity is really the best way to address any minor deficiencies.

And that is understanding what foods are. So, you may seek the guidance of a nutritionist, in helping you identify what foods containing minerals need.

I said earlier, all these things are available in the supplement form, but again, just because they are available, does not mean that they do not have potentially harmful side effects.

Really, I would caution people trying to make sure they have an adequate intake of these different minerals through a regular diet, then, obviously, if illnesses form, there is something that is causing a deficiency then, then, you may need to take supplements.

Too much could be harmful.

Also, therefore, I advise seeking the counsel of your health care provider.

As I said, it is a really eaten balanced diet, and so you would have a good, healthy diet, should not have any deficiencies, but unfortunately, sometimes we are on medication or have other chronic effects.

That is a place where supplements, Again, it is not routine. The big part here is just to make sure you are a well-balanced diet. Again, highly processed foods should be avoided. Understanding what medicine you are on and how they impact your body is also essential.

But, at the end of the day, it is really about understanding yourself, adjusting whole foods, to get adequate nutrition.

We are all in our different areas on that journey, but it is up to us to make sure we are doing there.

The important thing to remember is that it is on you, which means you are empowered to be healthy, and that means that you get to choose this.

 Remember, when it comes to your health and wellness, you've got it.