Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist in California, took to TikTok earlier this month to share common signs that you may be deficient in essential nutrients
A Harvard-trained doctor has revealed subtle clues that you may need more vitamins.
Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist in California, highlighted five changes in your body that indicate you may be deficient in things like iron, vitamin C and calcium.
In a video viewed more than 1.6 million times, Dr. Sethi looks for small signs such as brittle nails, clicking on the joints and premature gray hair.
If left untreated, these deficiencies can lead to serious health problems such as headaches, broken bones and heart disease.
Dr.’s video Sethi follows one recent Lancet studywhich showed that half of the world does not get enough micronutrients, which the body needs in small amounts to prevent disease.
Brittle nails
Brittle nails can be a sign of iron and protein deficiency, Dr. Sethi said in his TikTok video
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Many of us are guilty of biting or picking our nails.
But if yours looks weak or breaks easily, it could be a sign of “a deficiency of protein and iron in the diet,” Dr. Sethi said.
Nails are mainly composed of keratin, a protein that also helps form the tissues of the hair and the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis.
If you don’t eat enough protein foods, such as eggs, lean meats and sweet potatoes, you deprive the body of keratin, causing the nails to lose their structure.
Federal health officials recommend getting 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person should consume about 54 grams of protein per day.
Iron, meanwhile, is an important part of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen from the lungs to other tissues in the body.
Not eating enough iron deprives the nails of oxygen, making them brittle.
This is evident from a study published last month in JAMA network openedAbout one in four Americans don’t get enough iron from foods such as red and lean meat, seafood, green leafy vegetables, lentils and whole grains.
If iron deficiency is left untreated, the heart can be deprived of oxygen, leading to irregular heartbeats and heart disease.
Men are advised to consume about eight milligrams of iron per day, while women should consume 18 milligrams between the ages of 19 and 50 and eight milligrams after the age of 51.
Experts suggest that women need more iron because they lose it during menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding.
However, consuming too much protein can lead to indigestion and fatigue, while too much iron can lead to liver disease and diabetes.
Eyelid twitching
Magnesium helps control nerve functions and muscle contractions, but if you don’t get enough, the nerves can become overexcited, leading to muscle twitches.
Dr. Sethi said twitching in the eyelids or limbs can be a sign of magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps with the growth and maintenance of bones, as well as nerve functions and muscle contractions.
But if you don’t get enough of the nutrient, too much calcium can enter the nerve cells, causing them to become overstimulated and cause muscle twitches.
Although magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, at least half of Americans don’t get enough of it, according to a 2020 study in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Experts recommend that men consume at least 420 milligrams of magnesium per day and women 320 milligrams. Magnesium-rich foods include spinach, avocados, nuts, bananas and peanut butter.
Extremely low levels of magnesium, called hypomagnesemia, can lead to seizures or abnormal heart rhythms.
However, too much magnesium has been linked to diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps.
Click together
While joint popping isn’t harmful in itself, it could be a sign that you’re not getting enough vitamin D or calcium
If you notice that your knees and other joints creak easily and regularly, Dr. Sethi warns that “this could be a sign of vitamin D3 or calcium deficiency.”
Vitamin D and calcium are both crucial for maintaining bone and muscle health.
Not getting enough of this can weaken bones and joints, causing inflammation and cracking sounds. However, joint popping in itself is not dangerous.
The National Institutes of Health estimates that one in four Americans does not get enough vitamin D, which for adults is a recommended amount of 800 international units (IU) per day. And 40 percent of American adults don’t get the recommended amount of calcium of 1,000 milligrams per day.
Egg yolks, oily fish and mushrooms are rich in vitamin D, while dairy and leafy vegetables are the most calcium-rich foods.
Getting too much vitamin D can cause calcium to build up in the blood, causing nausea, vomiting, weakness and frequent urination.
Premature gray hair
There are several reasons why someone may go gray at a younger age, but Dr. Sethi suggested that a deficiency of vitamin B12 or copper can disrupt oxygen and melanin production in the hair, causing it to turn gray.
Graying is inevitable. While there are a multitude of reasons why you might start as early as your 20s or 30s, Dr. Sethi that vitamin deficiencies may have something to do with it.
He said: ‘This could indicate a deficiency of vitamin B12, which is crucial for (red blood cell) production and oxygen transport at the hair follicles.’
This can lead to graying at a young age.
About one in 100 Americans has a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to extreme fatigue and weakness, along with weight loss, memory problems and nerve problems.
Adults need about 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day, which can be found in eggs, mussels, salmon and beef.
Dr. Sethi also noted that premature graying could be due to a copper deficiency. He said copper “is responsible for melanin production, which disrupts hair color.”
A National Health and Nutritional Survey found that up to one in four Americans may not be getting enough copper, which amounts to 900 micrograms per day from foods such as organ meats, shellfish, nuts and seeds, whole grains and legumes.
Excess vitamin B12 can lead to digestive problems, headaches, weakness and kidney damage, while too much copper has been linked to liver damage and cardiac arrhythmias.
Bruising easily
Not getting enough vitamin C deprives the body of collagen, leaving blood vessels less protected and more prone to bruising
If you often wake up with mysterious bruises, you may not be getting enough vitamin C.
In addition to helping boost immune cell function, Dr. Sethi said vitamin C is responsible for the formation of collagen, a protein that provides structure and support to the skin, bones, muscles, tendons and other connective tissues.
Without enough collagen, blood vessels lose the protective cushioning that protects them from injury, leaving the body susceptible to bruising.
About one in twenty Americans has a vitamin C deficiency, the most serious form of which is scurvy. Foods richest in vitamin C are citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli, pineapple, kiwi and leafy greens.
Dr. Sethi also said that bruising easily could indicate a deficiency of vitamin K1, which helps with blood clotting. Up to one in three Americans don’t get enough of the nutrient, which is found in leafy greens, dried herbs and soybeans.
Excess collagen has been shown to cause kidney stones, headaches and fatigue, while too much vitamin K1 can cause liver damage.