Lead a healthy lifestyle – diet, exercise, sleep 8 hours, but still catch colds often, get tired quickly and get a lot of nervous? One of the reasons may be an imbalance of vitamins and minerals.
Physiologically, the human body is tuned to high energy expenditures, to which our ancestors were accustomed. However, with the development of civilization, the energy consumption of a modern person has decreased by 2-2.5 times, but there are no less people. In a stressful world, food is an easy way to enjoy yourself. To maintain health, the number of calories burned must equal the number of calories received. If this rule does not apply, extra pounds inevitably accumulate, provoking obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, in order not to gain weight, you need to eat less.
But, by reducing the portions of food, we inevitably reduce the amount of nutrients entering the body. These are not only vitamins, but also amino acids, and polyphenolic compounds, and bioflavonoids.
Even the most correct diet (2500 kcal per day) will lag behind the vitamin norm by 20-30%!
What does the deficit lead to?
Most often, an imbalance of vitamins and minerals occurs due to nutritional disorders – “hard” diets or unbalanced nutrition. For example, a low-carb diet excludes cereals and bread, which are the main sources of B vitamins. Their deficiency can lead to serious disorders of the nervous, digestive, cardiovascular systems. First of all, cognitive functions suffer: memory decreases, the ability to analyze information deteriorates, and constant fatigue appears. The mood deteriorates, even after an 8-hour sleep a person still wakes up “broken”, irritated and restless. The reason is vitamin B1 (thiamine) hypovitaminosis. The physiological need for vitamin B1 for an adult is 1.5 mg / day. And those who are under constant stress, drink too much coffee and tea, and there are most of them today, thiamine is needed first of all.
50-70% of the population of Russia also has a deficiency of vitamin C and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which in the form of a coenzyme takes part in maintaining the immune response, and also participates in lipid metabolism, the formation of red blood cells – erythrocytes. An insufficient amount of vitamin B6 and vitamin C can lead to anemia, frequent “colds”, a decrease in the body’s defenses, and gingivitis. On average, a person needs 2.1-2.4 mg of pyridoxine per day.
Another representative of the B vitamins is pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). Insufficient amounts of B5 often result in dizziness, headache, and skin problems.
If we talk about a deficiency of folic acid, then it may not be enough due to the low content of protein in the diet, vitamin C, other B vitamins (B6 and B12), antibiotics and contraception. Adults need 400 mcg of folate per day. The decrease in the amount of folic acid in the body occurs gradually and is manifested by various disorders in the work of the digestive system.
How to detect a problem using lab tests
To find out whether there are enough vitamins and minerals in the body, CITILAB doctors have developed a special profile. It is included in the “Ecology of Life” series.
The studies included in this profile can simultaneously identify deficiency and / or excess of vitamins and minerals. This will help to promptly correct violations and prevent health problems. In addition, the profile includes a comprehensive blood test for the presence of heavy metals and microelements, the “overdose” of which can lead to a deterioration in health. The interpretation of the research results is provided by a qualified doctor.