Thorne - Basic Nutrients Multivitamin for Men & Women - 60 Count

Without proper nutrition, our bodies can't function at its best. Researchers, clinicians, and scientists have studied nutrient deficiencies in the United States for more than 50 years through organized national surveys, longitudinal studies, clinical trials, and population-based extrapolations; and the results are the same – we still see staggering numbers today.

It's important to be aware of possible nutrient deficiencies in your diet or caused by your unique physiology that can lead to inadequacies, with or without symptoms. Here we explore some of the most common deficiencies and who is at risk according to the research. 

Nutrient deficiencies in kids

Over the last couple of decades, researchers have found that while children’s basic diets have changed for the better, their diets still pose the biggest risk factor for having a nutrient deficiency beyond a medical or genetic condition. School-aged children tend to over-consume fat – especially saturated fats – and sweets, including sweetened beverages, and foods with hidden sugars, and they are doing so more now than in the past, and way above what is recommended for their daily intake. And on the other hand, kids tend to under-consume the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables and therefore lack fiber.¹ 

Parents take note: poor eating habits leave a child most vulnerable to deficiencies in fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin E. And even if you have a good eater, iron and vitamin D are the two most common deficiencies seen in generally healthy children, which can cause common symptoms like fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, frequent colds, and poor sleep. However, it’s worth noting these deficiencies can be related to uncommon symptoms too.¹

Any nutrient deficiency in these important growth years can lead to long-term health issues affecting bones and muscles, metabolism, neurocognitive development, cellular health, and immune function, putting a child at an increased risk of missing key developmental milestones. A chronic health condition at a young age is likely going to play a role in nutrient deficiency risk at an older age. 

Nutritional deficiencies in adults

Although dietary habits can still play a role in nutrient deficiencies through adulthood, we will also start to see new lifestyle, physiological, medical, and habitual factors emerge that increase the risk for nutrient deficiencies. Age is also a risk factor, because with passing years the structure and function of cells and organs begin to lose efficiency. 

Some of the most common modifiable risk factors and the most likely nutrient deficiencies are the following:

You might notice that many of the same nutrients keep popping up in the table above. That is because they are involved in so many metabolic pathways in the body. Symptoms of a deficiency in these common situations can present similarly to when they are present in children: reduced immune function, nagging injuries, weakness, shortness of breath, reduced healing capabilities, weight changes, irritability, and more. Therefore, sometimes it is hard to know by symptoms alone which nutrient or nutrients you could be deficient in without confirming through a test.

Overall risk of having a deficiency

Despite the awareness that nutrient deficiencies can occur with the use of medications, poor lifestyle habits, or inadequate diet, deficiencies are quite prevalent. One study looked at the risk of having multiple concurrent deficiencies and found that almost one in three people is at risk of at least one vitamin deficiency. When you consider sex, age, and life stage the numbers increase: 37 percent of women are at risk for a deficiency; 41 percent of women ages 19-50 and 47 percent of pregnant or breastfeeding women are at risk of having a nutrient deficiency.¹¹

What is extremely interesting is that 16 percent of the individuals who consume an adequate diet based on the Estimated Average Requirement of nutrients still have at least one nutrient deficiency, likely because of genetics, having multiple risk factors from the list above, or other less common situations.

Test yourself

Nutrient depletions or deficiencies can take weeks or months to show up in a blood test for the biomarker or surrogate marker and might or might not be accompanied by symptoms. It is important to note that, while the risk for a nutrient deficiency can be increased if you have multiple risk factors, it can be decreased with a properly formulated diet and a personalized supplementation regimen after nutrient status evaluation. 

The easiest, most effective way to identify a nutrient deficiency is through comprehensive testing on a consistent basis. Be sure to test if any of these risk situations apply to you because changes can appear in related biomarkers before a true deficiency becomes apparent.

If you are at risk for a nutrient deficiency, then look to Thorne’s in-lab and at-home tests for evaluations, education, and a personalized plan to support your health and wellness goals based on your current lifestyle.