VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES

It’s not uncommon for blood work to show common vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as Vitamin D, B12, iron, etc… A consistent depletion of vitamins/minerals can have negative long-term effects on health and well-being.

Some common symptoms that can be linked to vitamin/mineral deficiency include:

• Fatigue
• Brittle hair and nails
• Mouth ulcers
• Bleeding and/or sore gums
• Vision problems
• Flaky and/or dull skin
• Hair loss, or dull, dry hair
• Restless leg syndrome, frequent muscle cramps

What Can Cause Vitamin/Mineral Deficiency?

Primary deficiency occurs when intake of the vitamin is insufficient. However, secondary deficiency occurs when there is malabsorption (the body isn’t able to absorb the vitamin/mineral) despite sufficient intake.

Some specific causes include:

• Diet lacking in animal protein and/or other essential nutrients
• Pernicious anemia
• Taking certain medications, such as some anti-seizure drugs and diuretics
• Excessive alcohol use
• History of gastric surgery
• Intestinal problems such as Crohn’s & celiac disease, or parasites like tapeworms

How Can We Help?

If you’ve recently had lab work that shows that you’re low in certain vitamins/minerals, our Naturopathic Doctors will review your lab results, conduct an assessment of your diet, overall health, and lifestyle habits and provide an individualized treatment plan to investigate and remediate nutritional deficiencies.

If you suspect that you have vitamin/mineral deficiencies, but aren’t sure, our Naturopathic Doctors can request testing (usually blood work) to investigate if that is the cause of your symptoms. Once the lab work is reviewed, they will provide an individualized treatment plan with recommendations to bring your vitamin/mineral levels back to normal.

Some ways to improve vitamin/mineral levels are through changes in diet, vitamin D and B12 injections, IV therapy, supplementation, or referral to specialists if the cause is found to be something more significant, requiring medical attention.

Contact us if you’re interested in learning more!