Nutrient Deficiencies

Nutrient deficiencies are more common than people realize and if you’re thinking nutrient deficiencies are surely a 3rd world issue I’ve got news for you. Did you know that more than half of Americans are deficient in 1 to 2 key nutrients? Many of whom are often deficient in serval important nutrients that are needed for our bodies to function optimally. Additionally 9 out of 10 people, while not deficient in a key nutrient(s) are far from an optimal level. That’s right! Even in a modern western society nutrient deficiencies exist and they can cause a wide variety of health issues. You can read more about that here.

 

Here are 4 reasons why most people are not experiencing optimal nutrient levels and what you can do about it.

 

Nutrient Depletion Of Our SoIls

It’s becoming common knowledge that modern agricultural practices have wrecked our soils leaving them depleted of key nutrients. Studies have shown that produce today contains up to 50% fewer nutrients per serving than 100 years ago. We and the animals we consume are quite literally getting less nutrients from our food. 

 

Not all is lost however! There has been a growing movement of regenerative farming practices and back yard gardening that aims to grow food in nutrient rich soils. If you’re able to have even just a small garden and you avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides you can greatly increase the nutrient profile of your food. Look for local organic farms that practice regenerative farming for as much as your food as possible.

 

Processed Foods

Processed foods are another reason why so many people experience nutrient deficiencies. Let’s face it most processed food has little to no nutritional value and is more resemblant of food like substances than actual food. The average American eats 80-90lbs of sugar a year and foods that are ultra refined and highly processed make up the majority of their diets. In addition to these foods having little to no nutritional value they are full of toxins that our body treats as a foreign invader. This hinders the absorption and adequate use of what little nutrients there might be present.

Choosing whole food, even if conventionally grown and raised, will provide far more nutrients than that of processed food. If you diet is heavy in processed foods I highly encourage you to make 1 change a week so that you can little by little switch to a whole food diet.

 

Synthetic Supplements

One would think with the supplement industry being a multi billion dollar organization that fewer people would experience nutrient deficiencies. Unfortunately the vast majority of the supplements on the market are synthetic isolates full of toxic preservatives and fillers.

 

Synthetic supplements are hard on our body and difficult to absorb. Since they’re synthetic and not recognized by our body, they are treated as an invader and very little gets taken up and used by the body. In addition to being synthetic they’re often isolated forms, meaning you’re not even getting the whole nutrient, but rather part of it. Vitamins and minerals are much more bioavailable in their whole forms. You can read more about synthetic supplements here.

 

Mega Dosing

The final reason I’ll be discussing as to why people experience nutrient deficiencies is mega dosing. In addition to being synthetic, as discussed above, most supplements on the market are mega doses. These mega doses are much larger than what our body is able to process and most gets flushed out of our system.

Additionally, not a single vitamin or mineral works alone. Every nutrient has a buddy or 2 that aid in proper absorption. Iron is an excellent example, copper and vitamin c are essential for our bodies to adequately absorb and use iron. If you’re taking a synthetic iron supplement that doesn’t contain copper or vitamin C that supplement will do you little good. Conversely many nutrients have a competitor that can prevent it from being adequately absorbed. Magnesium and calcium are great examples here. If you supplement large doses of calcium you will undoubtedly leave yourself depleted in magnesium. 

Mega doses interrupt the balance between nutrients that is needed in order for us to have optimal levels and thrive.

This is why I so strongly recommend whole foods supplements. They are not synthetic, they are not isolates, and they are not mega doses. Even whole food supplement can have some not so good ingredients though, so it’s extremely important read labels and do your research.

 

What My Family Uses

Earthley Wellness and Perfect Supplements are 2 companies that I trust to provide my family with high quality, whole food supplements, that are free from fillers, preservatives, and other unnecessary ingredients. Remember though these are meant to supplement your diet. All the supplements in the world won’t out do a poor diet.

 

Here’s a list of my top 5 must haves from each company that me and my family use daily.

 

Earthley Wellness

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1. Nourish him/her/me naturally. This tincture is an herb packed multi vitamin that I won’t go without.
2. Good Night Lotion (magnesium lotion) magnesium is an essential mineral that most people just don’t get enough off. Making this magnesium lotion another must have. 
3. Cod Liver Oil vitamin D is another common nutrient that many people don’t seem to get enough off. Cod liver is a power packed supplement full of vitamin D, A, and other important nutrients. 
4. Energy Plus (herbal iron supplement) this tincture is full of iron, which is yet another common deficiency, B vitamins, and vitamin C. If you’re constantly feeling run down get your iron and B vitamins checked and give this gem a try. 
5. Oyster-min These magical little capsules are full of iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and more! And as an added bonus they can help rise progestogen levels and increase libido. Which is a topic for another post, but sadly something far too many women struggle with. I will not go out without this supplement! 

 

 Perfect Supplements

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1. Beef Liver AKA nature’s multi vitamin is full of vitamin A, B vitamins, copper, iron, zinc, selenium, and so much more. This paired with Earthley’s Nourish naturally line make for a dynamic multi vitamin duo. 
2. Multi Organ Blend Eating organ meat used to be a normal part of our diets and for good reason. Organ meat are some of the most nutrient dense foods and since like organs supports like, this supplement can help support your organs. 
3. Matchinga  a powdered blend of morninga and matcha these 2 supper foods are nutrient dense and energizing. I don’t drink coffee or soda any more thanks to this. 
4. Magnesium there are 2 whole food forms of magnesium that I recommend. Magnesium chloride which is what can be found in Earthley’s good night lotion mentioned above and magnesium citrate which is what these Perfect Supplement capsules contain. Both are beneficial for different reasons and we use both. 
5. Collagen is a great source of protein and has replaced our need of protein powder. It can help heal our gut lining, skin, joints, and muscles. 

 

Now that you know what can cause nutrient deficiencies it’s time to make those necessary changes for the betterment of your health and wellness. If you suspect severe nutrient depletion reach out to your naturally minded doctor for testing so you can be sure to choose the right supplements for you.

 

SOURCES

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18309763/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14653505/