common vitamin deficiencies
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What are the most common vitamin deficiencies seen across the general U.S. population?
1. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is less a vitamin and more a hormone in our body. It is fat-soluble and is activated by three different systems in the body with the help of sunlight. Upwards of 40% of Americans are relatively deficient. Vitamin D has such broad action (i.e. because it is a hormone), that deficiency can affect multiple systems including bone health and mineral metabolism, immune function, and surveillance. The definite best source of vitamin D is sunlight exposure. Food sources are less efficient but examples include:
-Cod liver oil: a single tablespoon (15 ml) packs 227% of the DV (daily value)
-Fatty fish: a few ounces of salmon, mackerel, sardines, and trout can provide up to 75% of the DV
-Egg yolks: one large egg yolk contains 7% of the DV
2. B12
Vitamin B12 or cobalamin, is a water soluble vitamin necessary for many functions for us including blood production, nerve and brain function. Every cell needs B12 for metabolism but we are unable to synthesize it ourselves so we must get it from our diet
3. Folic Acid
4. Magnesium
5. Iron
Is there anything in particular about the American diet that makes Americans more susceptible to certain vitamin deficiencies?
The ubiquity of processed food choices in the American diet is what sets most of us up for nutrient deficiencies. No amount of food science or “added” nutrition to a processed food will match what is inherent in whole and unprocessed forms of food that the body has evolved to recognizes easily for utilization. The greatest susceptibility we have is the scale, convenience and affordability of food-like substances that may be calorically dense but are often nutritionally void. It is difficult for our body to consistently moderate processed food metabolically, let alone get basic nutrition from it.
5. What are your biggest tips for making sure people consume adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals?
Simply eat real food that is minimally processed, in variety and local to your area as the vast majority of your dietary intake. Supplementation is always secondary to getting what you need from actual food. This is because isolated nutrients are not the same as nutrients in a whole food work together as an ensemble in the human body that can’t be replicated by themselves.
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