5 Signs of Nutrient Deficiency and How to Manage

It’s time to get well and stay well. For many of us, health is the last thing we think of in our day-to-day lives. We’ve got errands to run, people, and jobs to attend to, and on top of that, we have to eat and sleep which can take up to a third of our day. Needless to say, we’re busy! With our schedules jam-packed with to-do’s, it can be difficult to think about what we’re eating or if a nutritional deficiency is on the horizon.

Nutritional deficiencies can creep up on us because of diet and lifestyle choices. If we’re eating high-energy but low-nutrient foods like fast food, processed food, or snacks, we could be filling our bodies with empty calories but not enough vitamins and minerals to help us healthy. Unless you’re constantly eating fruits, veggies, protein, and whole grains every day in ample amounts, you may be missing essential vitamins and minerals and never know it. Here are some common signs you can look for to know if your diet and lifestyle are leaving you vitamin and mineral-deficient.

1. You constantly feel fatigued or tired

Feeling tired doesn’t necessarily mean you’re deficient in vitamins or minerals, but being endlessly fatigued from morning to night, even after several cups of coffee or tea, could be a sign that something is missing in the nutrition department.

Before starting a new supplement, drink water first. Sometimes you’re feeling fatigued because you haven’t had enough water. Drink 8 ounces and then see how you’re feeling in 10-15 minutes. Our herbal formula, Your Wildest Greens™ is a delicious addition to a glass of water. Simply put 2 droppers into 8 ounces and feel instantly energized by its rich vitamin and mineral content.

In addition, examine your sleep. If you’re getting less than 6-8 hours of good quality sleep per night, you could be fatigued from a lack of sleep. Try putting away your phone 8 hours before wake-up time, dim your lights, drink a calming cup of tea, and read a book before bed. If you don’t wake up feeling better after a good night’s rest, you could be deficient in some essential nutrients like:

B Vitamins

Vitamin B1 and B12 play huge roles in supporting energy in the cells¹. Without getting enough B vitamins in your diet, you could be leaving your energy stores depleted.

Iron

Iron plays a big role, too, in energy production and circulation. It can be especially depleted in those who menstruate because the loss of blood during the menstrual cycle (particularly if one’s cycle is very heavy) can cause a rapid loss of iron and cause seemingly endless feelings of fatigue².

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a role in bone and muscle strength as well as energy synthesis. So without it, it can make you feel winded and fatigued throughout the day³. The lack of adequate sun exposure and eating less than nutritious food like fast food and snacks can contribute to vitamin D deficiency⁴. Although vitamin D is found mostly in animal-based foods, vegans and vegetarians can supplement it or find it in foods like mushrooms, fortified plant milk, and tofu.

2. You have very dry skin

Dry skin, by definition, is any time the skin loses too much water and begins to dry out. Dry skin can happen to anyone at any time, but, if you find yourself with severely dry skin with no relief in sight, you could have a deficiency in one of these vitamins:

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is rich in retinoic acid. That sounds familiar, right? That’s because retinoic acid is related to “retinol”, the over-the-counter active ingredient in many skincare products designed for anti-aging purposes as well as stimulating collagen synthesis and calming skin conditions⁵. By consuming more vitamin A in your diet, you’re helping the body increase its stem cell creation and support the body’s natural wound-healing processes which contribute to more hydrated and healthy skin⁶.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is widely known to help stimulate collagen synthesis and provide antioxidants that fend off UV damage from the sun⁷. With vitamin C on your side (and in your body), your skin is more equipped to regenerate itself and fend off viral and microbial invaders that could contribute to dry skin.

Vitamin D

As mentioned earlier, vitamin D is most commonly synthesized through the skin meaning the skin and Vitamin D have a long-lasting relationship and need to work together to provide you with adequate amounts of the vitamin. Whether you get your Vitamin D from the sun or supplementation, recent studies have shown promise for vitamin D’s role in easing common skin issues like redness and dryness⁸.

3. You have unexplained mood changes

We all have our moods. Some days are good and some days are bad. As a consequence, we might go through bouts of sadness, irritability, or intense feelings of stress and worry. Those emotions are normal and feeling them for brief amounts of time is part of the human experience.

However, if you’re experiencing long bouts of sadness, apathy, irritability, or frequent feelings of stress and worry (we’re talking weeks and months), then you could be experiencing a deficiency in:

B vitamins

Vitamin B1, B3, B6, B9, and B12. B vitamins are essential for healthy functioning of the brain and deficiencies have been associated with feelings of sadness and apathy⁹. Without a full spectrum of B vitamins, you leave your body’s ability to regulate its emotions vulnerable to life’s ebbs and flows.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega 3s may play a role in mood regulation. Since these essential fatty acids are critical for normal brain function and communication between the brain cells, it is thought that they contribute to maintaining a balanced mood and healthy memory¹⁰.

4. You’re experiencing extreme hair loss

Losing hair throughout the day is totally normal. Did you know humans can shed between 50-100 hairs a day¹¹? However, anything more than that is considered excessive hair loss. If you’re losing clumps of hair on a weekly basis or extreme hair thinning has become a norm, you could be deficient in two essential minerals:

Iron

Due to iron’s role in blood circulation, having low iron stores can impact blood circulation which can have a negative effect on hair growth and scalp health¹².

Zinc

This mineral often gets viewed as an immune system-supporting mineral, but it turns out, zinc also plays a role in hair growth. Studies have shown where there’s a lack of the mineral in one’s body, there’s been an association with a lack of hair growth¹³.

5. You get frequent colds

Depending on the time of the year, colds could be something everyone gets and somehow can’t get rid of. But if you find yourself getting sick on a weekly basis, regardless of changes in the season, diet, or lifestyle, you could be experiencing a deficiency in:

Zinc

As mentioned earlier, zinc has been hailed as an immunity-supporting mineral, and for good reason. Zinc has been shown to play a critical role in immune function and has shown promise to help shorten the duration of the common cold¹⁴.

Vitamin C

Perhaps the most popular immune vitamin of all, Vitamin C plays an important role in immunity as it’s been shown to improve the immune system’s ability to defend itself from microbes and viruses¹⁵. Without this essential vitamin, the immune system is in a much more vulnerable state which can lead to more frequent colds and bouts of sickness.

Support your daily nutrition in 2 easy droppers

If getting your daily dose of vitamins and minerals has been a struggle, consider picking up our powerful daily greens tincture, Your Wildest Greens™. This daily greens tincture was crafted by Clinical Herbalists and contains five of the world’s most nutrient-dense herbs: moringa, spirulina, nettle leaf, dandelion leaf, and chlorella. In combination, these nutritious herbs provide vitamins A-K, amino acids, polyphenols, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Perfect for helping support the body’s defenses against lifestyle and diet-related deficiencies.

Plus, just two droppers of Your Wildest Greens™ provide 100% of your daily recommended value of vitamin B12 and zinc. Two essential nutrients for immune function, energy, and hair growth. Your Wildest Greens™ is a great supplement to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Simply put two full droppers directly onto the tongue on an empty stomach or put them into water first thing in the morning and move through your day with confidence knowing you got your daily dose of vitamins and minerals with ease. What are you waiting for? Grab Your Wildest Greens™ today and get well—for good.