Warning Signs of a Nutrient Deficiency (And How We Can Help)

While we’re at a time in history when there’s more food than ever before, the quality of this food isn’t the best, leaving many people at risk for vitamin deficiencies. In fact, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, nearly one-third of the population in the United States is at risk for at least one vitamin deficiency or anemia.

Dr. Jonathan Singer at HealthFirst is an expert in diagnosing and treating vitamin deficiencies and has helped scores of patients to reestablish optimal health through intravenous (IV) nutrient infusions.

To help ensure that your body gets the nutrients it needs, we want to take a look at identifying a potential deficiency and how we can restore your health through our IV infusions.

Signs of a nutrient deficiency

Each cell and tissue in the human body relies on a number of different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to function well. When it comes to vitamins, there are 13 essential vitamins that your body needs — vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins, which include B6, B12, biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and thiamine.

Outside of vitamins, your body also relies on minerals, including iron, potassium, calcium, and zinc.

While a deficiency in any nutrient can lead to health-related side effects, we want to outline a few common signs, which include:

Poor hair and nail quality

If your hair breaks easily or your nails are brittle, this could indicate a lack of biotin.

Cracks around your lips or sores in your mouth

If your oral health is poor and you have ulcers in your mouth or cracks at the corners of your mouth, this could signal a problem with your B vitamin and/or iron levels.

Weak bones

Vitamin D plays a role in your bone health and affects many other aspects of wellness. If your vitamin D levels are low, your bones can soften. You may also feel fatigued, have muscle pain or hair loss, and even suffer from anxiety or depression.

Fatigue and numbness

If you’re more fatigued than usual or you’re experiencing numbness and tingling in your extremities, it may be due to a B12 deficiency.

Bleeding gums and bruising easily

Vitamin C plays a key role in the healing process. When levels are low, you may experience gums that bleed (and even tooth loss), fatigue, bruising easily, and slower-than-normal healing.

Restless legs syndrome

If you’re having trouble sleeping at night because of restless legs, this might point toward an iron deficiency.

This list of signs of a nutrient deficiency is by no means comprehensive. Our feeling is that anytime you experience a shift in your health or energy levels for no apparent reason, it’s worth having us evaluate whether a nutrient deficiency is to blame.

Restoring your nutrients

After evaluating your health, we identify any nutrient levels that can use a boost and provide them through our customized IV nutrient infusions. We deliver these infusions straight into your bloodstream in order to bypass any absorption issues with your digestive system.

If you want to determine whether you’re at risk for a vitamin or mineral deficiency, or you’d like to schedule an IV infusion to boost your health, contact one of our offices in Greenwood Village, Colorado, or Cheyenne, Wyoming, to set up an appointment.