31 Aug Is Your Body Telling You Something?
How to recognize common nutrient deficiencies
The typical American diet often has big nutrition gaps. The following nutrients are commonly lacking in many adults. Read on for common signs and symptoms of deficiencies and food sources to fill these needs.
| NUTRIENT | COMMON SIGNS/SYMPTOMS | FOODS SOURCES |
| Calcium | Fatigue, muscle cramps, abnormal heart rhythms, poor appetite | Dairy products, calcium-fortified orange juice, dark/leafy greens |
| Potassium | Weight loss, muscle weakness, constipation, abnormal heart rhythm | Bananas, milk, vegetables, beans, peas, whole grains |
| Iron | Fatigue, pale skin, dull/thin hair, dizziness, chilly extremities, | Meat, poultry, fish, oysters, beans, lentils, spinach, iron-fortified cereals. Eating a vitamin C rich food at the same time increases absorption of iron from plant foods. |
| Vitamin B12 | Numbness in legs, hands, feet, anemia, memory loss, fatigue, weakness | Fish, chicken, dairy products, non-dairy milk, meat substitutes, breakfast cereals, clams, oysters, organ meats, eggs |
| Folate | Fatigue, grey hair, mouth ulcers, poor growth, swollen tongue | Fortified cereals, beans, lentils, leafy greens, oranges |
| Magnesium | Appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness | Spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals |
| Vitamin B6 | Rash, skin problems, dandruff, scaly patches, and red skin. At extreme deficiency-depression, confusion, seizures. | Fortified cereals, grains, beans, poultry, fish, dark leafy green vegetables, oranges, cantaloupe |
| Vitamin D | Bone pain, muscle weakness, increased infection | Cod liver oil, fortified dairy products, fortified orange juice, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, trout, egg yolks, sunshine |
| Vitamin C | Bleeding gums, easy bruising, wounds that heal slowly | Oranges, pineapples, lemons, limes, bell peppers, broccoli, guava, papaya, kiwi, strawberries |
