Essential to Life

Are you inexplicably tired? Weak? Suffering from impained concentration, thinning hair, weakened immune system, chronic headaches, brittle nails, muscle fatigue, exhaustion, unexplained thyroid issues, impaired hearing or eyesight, insomnia, irritability, palpitations…? The list goes on, but you get the idea. 

92% of Americans have a mineral and/or vitamin deficiency.  

“94.3% of the US population do not meet the daily requirement for vitamin D, 88.5% for vitamin E, 52.2% for magnesium, 44.1% for calcium, 43.0% for vitamin A, and 38.9% for vitamin C. For the nutrients in which a requirement has not been set, 100% of the population had intakes lower than the AI for potassium, 91.7% for choline, and 66.9% for vitamin K. The prevalence of inadequacies was low for all of the B vitamins and several minerals, including copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, and zinc. Moreover, more than 97% of the population had excessive intakes of sodium, defined as daily intakes greater than the age-specific UL .”

Why is this? 

1. Diet

First, the majority of people do not eat a healthy, varied, whole-food, plant-based diet. Less than 25% of Americans meet the recommended fruit intake, and less than 20% consume the recommended vegetable intake. Refined, sugary carbs replaced their healthier, whole, unrefined grain relatives, and these nutrient-void carbs make up a huge portion of the Standard American Diet. An unhealthy diet not only lacks nutrients,, but strips nutrients from the body and affects its ability to process and absorb what it does consume.   

2. Soil quality 

Suppose the paragraph above doesn’t apply. You’re intentional about what you eat: at least 70%+ of your plate is colorful vegetables, prepared so the vitamins and minerals are not boiled away. You should be in the clear, but maybe your lab results or intuition say tell you that you’re low or deficient in some essential nutrients. Why?  

 In the 1940s, a change in farming techniques introduced fertilizers and pesticides to increase crop output. In doing so, they stripped the soil of a huge portion of its naturally occurring minerals. Some essential minerals have decreased more than 80% since the 1940s! If it’s available to you, organic or locally farmed produce tends to be more nutrient dense, although will still lack the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals they contained once upon a time. 

 3. Absorption 

A third reason you may be deficient is difficulty absorbing certain nutrients. Vitamins and minerals work together to optimize absorbability/availability. It’s important to recognize the connections between nutrients, as isolating specific nutrients through supplementation is ineffective when not done properly.

For example, nonheme iron (iron from any non-animal source) needs vitamin C to properly absorb. Legumes and grains, another iron source, contain phytate, a component which inhibits iron absorption. Zinc and iron compete for the same absorption pathways, so if you take your zinc supplement along with your iron, you reduce the efficacy of one. If you’re anemic and increase your iron intake, but lack proper vitamin C levels, your extra iron is wasted.

How do you know for sure?

Hair tissue mineral analysis tests are the most effective for identifying trace mineral levels. Talk to your primary care provider if you’re concerned (or just interested) about possible vitamin and mineral deficiencies. If you’d like to talk further, fill out your information below for a complimentary call. I would love to help you find the healthiest version of you!