4 Signs of Nutritional Deficiencies

Zunaira Fawad
HealthZone
Published in
2 min readSep 13, 2019

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Human body is just like a machine which needs appropriate amount of fuel in order to work to its maximum potential. Similarly the human body also requires food for its nutritional needs but the amount of food is not the only thing that humans have to worry about, the quality of food also matters. If a person does not consume all the dietary nutrients then it is highly likely that he/she will suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

Nutritionists consider dietary deficiencies very dangerous when they reach an extreme and can damage the immune system as well. In this article, we are listing down four signs of nutritional deficiencies so that you can seek treatment in time.

1.Hair loss

Hair, skin and nails are the peripheral organs of the body. What this essentially means is that all the nutrition that we consume, first goes to the main organs and then it reaches the peripheral organs.

So, whenever there is a nutrient missing in our diet, the peripheral organs experience an immediate cut in their supply and they present symptoms before any other medical condition develops. Excessive hair loss is thus the first symptom of a nutritional deficiency. Especially if you are iron deficient, you are likely to experience heavy hair loss.

2.Slow healing

Slow healing of the wounds is another main sign of nutritional deficiencies. The reason is that nutritional deficiency impacts the immune system and thus the ratio of white blood cells and platelets gets disturbed. These two types of blood cells are important in the clotting of blood when a wound is healing. Thus if you are experiencing runny wounds for a prolonged period of time, it is likely that there is a nutritional deficiency behind it.

3.Burning sensations

Burning sensations in the tongue and feet is also a classic sign of nutritional deficiency. It is also a symptom of severe deficiency and thus requires urgent consultation with a general physician. The doctor is likely to order a vitamin B12 test.

4. Bone pain

Another common symptom of nutritional deficiency is bone pain without physical activity. If your bones are hurting without any over exertion, there is a chance that you are experiencing calcium and vitamin D deficiency. You should thus get some sunlight and enhance intake of milk.

If you have been experiencing any of the symptoms described above, you should improve your diet and consult a nutritionist to get on the right track if need be.

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