Should You Take Vitamin and Mineral Supplements? 2 Signs of Deficiencies to Watch Out For

Nowadays, it is common for people to lack vitamins and minerals. Even if you eat healthily, our soils have been leached due to over-farming in the same area. That means that even foods we usually expect to be high in vitamins and minerals are often not giving us our nutritional requirements. 

This is where vitamins and minerals come in. If you aren’t feeling your best, it might be worth looking into some supplements to make sure you aren’t lacking in anything. 

Potential Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

There are many vague signs of magnesium deficiency that you might not notice right away, but overall might make you feel burned out throughout the day. Magnesium is often found in fish, beans, and root vegetables. 

• Muscle cramps. An above-average amount of twitches and cramps in your body can be an indicator of a magnesium deficiency. 
• Weight loss or gain. A lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting is all common. Despite a lack of appetite, you may still find yourself gaining weight as your body starts to reject insulin. 
• Weakness and numbness. Your body may feel weak, or you may experience numbness and tingling in parts of your body. 
• Fatigue. You may not be sleeping properly. Even if you do manage to get a good night’s rest, you may find yourself still tired and foggy. You may even start craving more caffeine and sugar as your body craves a burst of energy. 

Many of these symptoms can be a sign that something is wrong but don’t necessarily point to one problem over another. However, when you start to experience several of these signs, it is a good indicator that you might be deficient in magnesium. 

Potential Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is another major mineral we find ourselves lacking. It usually comes in green, leafy vegetables. However, with leaching issues, even if you eat a lot of these kinds of vegetables, you might not be ingesting the amounts of iron you would expect and may have an iron deficiency that is severely impacting your daily life. 

• Exhaustion. You may find yourself feeling tired, even when you have gotten good sleep. This is because your body is lacking in something known as hemoglobin, which carries oxygen through your body, so your cells have to work harder to carry around oxygen.
• Pale skin. Your face, gums, nails, and eyelids may be paler than usual. This is again due to the lack of hemoglobin, which also gives blood its red color.
• Difficulty breathing. Since your body is already struggling to carry enough oxygen throughout your body, you may find that you struggle to breathe. This is especially common when walking or running, but can occur while doing basic daily tasks as well. 
• Headaches. This is one scientist who is a little less unsure how it is related, but a lack of iron can frequently lead to headaches, especially in women.
• Heart Palpitations. This is again something we are not entirely sure of the connection, but a lack of iron can lead to heart palpitations, irregular heartbeats, or a racing heart. If you go too long without enough iron, you may also risk heart disease and failure. 
• Dry Skin. A lack of oxygen throughout your body causes weak nails, hair, and dry skin. If you find yourself losing large clumps of hair and have brittle nails, this may be a sign of iron deficiency. 

These are two major deficiencies we experience in our daily lives, but they aren’t the only ones. If you haven’t been feeling right, it may be time to look at some common deficiencies and get the proper nutrients you need.