everyday
vitamins we lack
2016.03.07
/ Dr Graham
Simpson
http://www.esquireme.com/sports/health-and-fitness/5-common-vitamins-lack
If we want to understand why we modern humans
struggle to keep our vitamin levels in check, we need look no further than the
highly popular Western diet. We are no longer just eating a diet rich in
natural foods such as meats, fish, eggs, nuts, vegetables, healthy oils,
and so on. Sure, we are eating lots of those foods still, but it’s the “what
else” we are eating that is unfortunately making up the majority of our diet,
and that “what else” includes grains, sugars, and processed foods. Those wreak
havoc on our bodies and our proper nutritional balance.
Vitamin deficiency affects tens-of-millions
of people around the world to a very significant degree, and most people are
unaware that many of the problems they are facing are in fact down to those
vitamin deficiencies. Symptoms and serious medical conditions can include
fatigue, weakness, irregular heartbeat, mood imbalance, anaemia, nerve damage
and much more.
While there are many potential vitamin
deficiencies and imbalances to contend with, let’s take a look at the most
common ones:
Iodine
I have seen many patients in my clinics over the years who are completely
unaware of the need for iodine as part of a healthy diet. It is perhaps
unsurprising then that iodine deficiency is one of the most common in the
world, affecting up to 40% of the population .
I really cannot stress enough just how
important iodine is to a healthy body. It is the essential mineral for thyroid
function, meaning it has a direct impact on our body’s ability to regulate
energy levels, mood, temperature, metabolism and a litany of other vital functions.
Many countries – including the UAE –
responded to the need for more iodine in our diets by adding it to our
table salt. However, the white table salt in use in
most homes is in itself not healthy, and even if you switch to a healthy type
of salt, such as Himalayan salt, it’s still not going to be a sufficient
source of iodine.
In nature, iodine is most commonly found in
soil and the sea. and there are some easy ways to top up for those in the know.
Just one gram of seaweed – or kelp – for example, is thought to contain
anywhere from 460-1,000% of our recommended daily intake of
iodine. For those that don’t fancy tucking into seaweed every day, once again,
iodine supplements are readily available (12.5 mg of iodine per day is a good
dose).
Vitamin D
This is a particular deficiency that we in the UAE know all about. Yes, despite
living in one of the world’s most sun-drenched regions, almost 80% of us here
in the UAE are vitamin D deficient. Why? One main reasons is, ironically, that
we don’t get enough sun. Or rather we don’t “take in” enough sun.
Around 90% of our vitamin D intake typically
comes from direct exposure to UV rays, and out here in the UAE – due to a
combination of the heat, social modesty and indoor working – many of us simply
don’t catch enough rays.
The symptoms of vitamin D deficiency range
from the serious, such as muscle weakness, bone and joint pain and fatigue; to
the rather severe, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease
and some cancers.
But if our lifestyles dictate that we can’t
get the amount of sunlight that our bodies need, then what can we do? Well, if
sensible sun exposure is really not an option then supplements are the answer,
as it is impossible to get the amount of vitamin D you need from food alone.