Most Common Nutritional Deficiencies

3. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is crucial for bone health. People who don’t have enough of it are at higher risk of bone density loss, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. People who are more likely to lack vitamin D are breastfed infants, older people, people with darker skin, and people with certain conditions such as kidney or liver disease. The body does not make vitamin D and can only get it from the sun, foods, or supplements. Good food sources of vitamin D include salmon, trout, swordfish, eggs, mushrooms, and some fortified foods such as milk.

4. Iodine

Iodine is crucial for the production of thyroid hormone, which is essential to many body processes such as regulating calorie burn, affecting heartbeat and body temperature, controlling skin turnover and brain health. The body cannot make iodine and can only get it through food or supplements. Common food sources of iodine include cheese, cow’s milk, eggs, iodized salt, and soy milk. People with the highest risk of lacking enough iodine in their blood are those living in areas where the soil is iodine deficient because it produces crops with low iodine levels. Such places include mountainous areas and river valleys prone to flooding.

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