These mineral deficiencies are extremely common and affect people all over the world. Keep reading to know which ones you should look out for, if you are at risk and the consequences of having these deficiencies!
1. Iron Deficiency – Iron deficiency is mainly caused by people not getting enough iron from their foods. Iron deficiency often causes anemia due to blood loss. Anemia is when hemoglobin carries oxygen through your body. If you do not have enough iron, your body makes fewer and smaller red blood cells . Then your body has less hemoglobin, and you cannot get enough oxygen. Factors that contribute to a higher risk of iron deficiency is sex (females menstruate and lose blood every month) and people who are on a vegan diet (no meats are allowed). Foods that contain high sources of iron include red meats and spinach.
2. Iodine Deficiency – Iodine deficiency is caused by people not consuming enough iodine in their diet. This can affect your thyroid gland since iodine is needed for the production of thyroid hormones in our bodies. This deficiency is extremely common as iodine cannot be produced by our bodies. Foods that contain high amounts of iodine are seaweed and fish. If hypothyroidism occurs where the body does not produce enough thyroid, thyroid supplements are usually provided to suffice the loss of thyroid.
3. Calcium Deficiency – Calcium deficiency is caused by people not getting enough calcium from their foods. This can affect their bone growth and density. People who have calcium deficiencies are more prone to getting osteoporosis which softens the bones. People who are at risk for osteoporosis are women, people who have smaller body frames, people who are underweight and people who drink caffeine/alcohol. Sources that contain lots of calcium are dairy products and bony fish. If needed, calcium supplements can be used to treat calcium deficiencies.
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