Suffering from cracked lips, headaches, bad breath or low sex drive? Here’s what vitamin deficiency YOU have – and the food to eat to beat it
Persistent dandruff, itchy or dry skin, low mood and even stress could also be signs you need more of a certain vitamin or mineral in your diet
FROM cracked lips to headaches and bad breath, there could be a simple answer to a whole host of common health complaints.
A vitamin or mineral deficiency can cause all sorts of issues, including persistent dandruff, itchy or dry skin, low mood and even stress.
Other issues which could point to a deficiency include thinning hair, a low libido, white spots on your nails and tiredness.
The findings come after a survey by Healthspan to launch its new magnesium range, found 44 per cent of Brits admit they have no idea about the different vitamins and minerals they should be consuming.
One in twenty, of the 2,000 adults polled, believe they need to be eating krill oil and vegetable oil for a healthy body, while some even said they thought kryptonite and kerosene are essential vitamins and minerals.
And almost six in ten admit they are clueless about the signs which could show they are suffering from a mineral deficiency.
Worryingly, almost half of Brits are unaware that taking medications, antibiotics and even drinking tea and coffee can all affect how you absorb vitamins and minerals.
Healthspan’s head of nutrition Rob Hobson said: “Many of these symptoms are things people put up with every day, thinking they are just par for the course.
“But often, they could be a sign that you are suffering a vitamin or mineral deficiency and simply eating foods which contain the item you are lacking could ease your symptoms.
“For example, a headache could be an indicator that you need more magnesium, vitamin B12 and B6 – something you can get from eating pumpkin seeds, prunes, banana or fortified soy milk.
MOST READ IN NEWS
“And even bad breath, while a possible sign of poor oral hygiene, could also be linked to your gut health and an iron deficiency.
“It’s important to bear in mind that your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals can also be affected by medications you are taking, such as antibiotics or the oral contraceptive pill as well as aspects of your diet such as whether you drink tea or coffee.”
Cracking lips can be a sign of a vitamin C or iron deficiency, with eating more red meat, red peppers, kale and tofu a way of boosting levels of the vitamins and minerals in your diet.
Persistent dandruff could be an indicator you need more biotin or vitamin B7 while feeling stressed could be a sign you need to consume more magnesium, zinc or essential fatty acids.
A magnesium deficiency could also be indicated by insomnia, PMS or PMT and restless legs.
Thinning hair could be a result of a mild iron and vitamin C deficiency and white spots on the nails could signal a lack of zinc and iron.
The research found 36 per cent of people have made a conscious effort to boost their intake of certain vitamins and minerals because they felt they were lacking in them, while 28 per cent have even sought professional help.
And one in five have suffered from a symptom or health condition which was caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
It also emerged 41 per cent of Brits are currently taking a supplement, with 68 per cent of those saying they do so to improve their health.
But almost one in five have the supplement as an insurance policy and one in ten take it for a ‘quick boost.’
Healthspan’s Dr Sarah Brewer added: “An estimated forty per cent of UK adults take at least one dietary supplement, whether vitamins, minerals, fish oils, glucosamine, isoflavones or herbal remedies such as Devil’s Claw or Saw Palmetto.
“Many people taking a food supplement or herbal remedy are also taking at least one prescribed drug.
“In fact, the popularity of complementary medicine has now increased to the extent that 30% of people use them at the same time as conventional medications.
“Although the risk of serious interactions between vitamins, minerals and prescribed drugs is low, many drugs appear to deplete body stores of vitamins and minerals and, in these cases, a replenishing supplement is desirable – but are you taking the right one?
“Many popular dietary ingredients also deplete levels of certain vitamins and minerals and can interfere with the absorption of food supplements.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368