A gastroenterologist – don’t worry, it’s just a type of doctor – has revealed five signs that you might be lacking certain nutrients.
It’s that time of year where a shift in wind direction is enough to make you feel under the weather, but Saurabh Sethi, from California, has shared his tips on how you can help keep yourself healthy.
The doctor, who specializes in conditions affecting your digestive system, took to TikTok to explain the ways that a lack of certain nutrients can impact your body, saying there are five main signs you can look out for.
Supplements are available to help boost nutrients (Getty Stock Photo)
Brittle nails
If you can barely go a couple of days after your manicure without breaking a nail, then it might be a sign that you’re lacking two major nutrients in your diet.
According to Sethi, brittle nails indicate a lack of protein and iron; nutrients that can come from eating foods such as meat, tofu, and nuts.
Twitching eyelids or limbs
Minor eyelid twitches can be an indicator of stress or tiredness, according to WebMD, but Sethi has explained that it could also be a sign that you’re lacking in magnesium.
Twitching limbs are also an indicator that you need more magnesium in your diet; you can get this from dark green, leafy vegetables; brown rice; bananas and dark chocolate.
“[Magnesium] is critical for transmitting nerve impulses,” Sethi explained.
5 Signs Your Body Needs More Nutrients ‼️🚨 Doctor Sethi #medical
♬ original sound – Doctor Sethi ⚡️
Clicking joints
If you’ve recently heard your knees pop while standing up and been met with an feeling of existential dread at the thought of growing old, you actually might not need to worry. At least, not yet.
Sethi explained that clicking sounds at the joints could be a warning sign that you need more vitamin D3 or calcium; two nutrients which are essential for bone health.
You can find vitamin D3 in foods like egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms and oily fish, while calcium can come from dairy, vegetables and fish.
Grey hairs
You heard me – you’re not greying prematurely! Well, you might be, but it’s possible that grey hairs are being caused by a lack of vitamin B12.
B12 is ‘crucial for red blood cell production’, Sethi explained, as well as ‘oxygen transport at the hair follicles’.
Grey hairs could also be a sign of copper deficiency, which would impact melanin production and the impartation of color to your hair. You can get copper from sources like shellfish, nuts, seeds and chocolate.
Going grey could be a sign of B12 or copper deficiency (Getty Stock Photo)
Bruising easily
If you find yourself insisting that you ‘bruise like a peach’ every time someone touches you, it might be an indicator that you need more vitamin C.
Vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables, is responsible for collagen formation.
Sethi also added that bruising easily could signify a lack of vitamin K1, which helps in blood clotting.
What to do if you think you are nutrient deficient
Most nutrients required to keep you healthy can come from a varied and balanced diet, though it is possible to gain additional nutrients by taking multivitamins.
However, Dr Helen Wall, from the UK, told The Telegraph that for most people, ‘no supplement can beat a well-balanced varied diet’.
“There are various essential nutrients in food that even the most comprehensive supplement is unlikely to compensate for, such as phytochemicals (plant chemicals) and fibre,” she explained.
Giving yourself too much of one vitamin can also be dangerous, so it’s important to make sure you’re not doubling up on vitamins if taking supplements.