Here's a compilation of symptoms of nutritional distress. Diagnosing deficiencies are best done by tests. But there are useful clinical pointers. Eye, hair, nail, mouth and skin symptoms are among the early outward warning signs of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The following compilations may help in diagnosing and treating these deficiencies. However, increased metabolic requirements for indicated deficiencies may persist for a long time after the outward symptoms have disappeared. Many listed symptoms may also be caused or aggravated by allergies and problems with the blood sugar and fat metabolism. If you child has numerous symptoms, you may want to look into a multivitamin. If your child is on a multivitamin, you may want to look into reasons why s/he may not be absorbing the nutrients. Perhaps adding enzymes or probiotics would help. The hyperlinks take you to a blog post on that particular nutrient or topic.
Hands and nails
White spots on nails - almost any mineral deficiency but typically zinc
Ridges on nails - poor blood supply, zinc deficiency, vitamin A or a protein deficiency or it may be due to kidney
disorder
Soft or brittle nails - mineral deficiency especially magnesium
Splitting, peeling or brittle nails- deficiency of vitamin A or D,it could also be due to poor circulation of blood or may be due to some thyroid problem. Sometimes iron, calcium or protein deficiencies also have this symptoms.
Splitting, peeling or brittle nails- deficiency of vitamin A or D,it could also be due to poor circulation of blood or may be due to some thyroid problem. Sometimes iron, calcium or protein deficiencies also have this symptoms.
Bitten nails - general mineral deficiency
Hang nails - Vitamin C, Folinic Acid, proteins
Nails curved upwards- iron or zinc deficiency
Nails curves downwards passing down the fingers- vitamin B12 deficiency. This may be also due to some disorder in the heart and liver or any kind of respiratory disorder.
Dark and spoon shaped nails- vitamin B12 deficiency or it may be due to anemia.
Flat nails- protein or iron deficiency or may be due to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Wide and square nails- hormonal imbalances.
Poor growth in nails- deficiency of zinc.
Nails curved upwards- iron or zinc deficiency
Nails curves downwards passing down the fingers- vitamin B12 deficiency. This may be also due to some disorder in the heart and liver or any kind of respiratory disorder.
Dark and spoon shaped nails- vitamin B12 deficiency or it may be due to anemia.
Flat nails- protein or iron deficiency or may be due to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Wide and square nails- hormonal imbalances.
Poor growth in nails- deficiency of zinc.
So often people comment that nails get tough when they start taking Nutritional Supplements - what everybody should be taking all the time even if nothing is wrong. Many of the raw materials for nails are the same for bone and connective tissue - so nail health reflects bone and connective tissue health!
Skin
Tickling, itchy - (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Follicular hyperkeratosis (rough skin, especially on the heels)- Vitamin A deficiency
Dry scaly skin with hair follicles plugged with coiled distorted hairs and a red halo - Vitamin C deficiency
Yellow palms - excessive beta carotene intake. But can be due to eating lots of colored vegetables!
Pimply rough skin at the back of the upper arms (chicken flesh) - essential fatty acid deficiency
Greasy red scaly skin of face and sides of nose - vitamin B2 deficiency
Seborrhoeic dermatitis around nose and an acne like forehead rash - Vitamin B6 deficiency
White spots, especially on forearms - Vitamin D3 deficiency
Stretch marks indicate zinc deficiency. They are common in pregnancy not because the skin is stretched, but because demands for zinc are high!
Mouth and gums
Pale fissured tongue - Iron (Fe) deficiency
Sore painful fissured tongue - vitamin B3 deficiency
Sore burning tongue and lips and peeling of lips - vitamin B2 deficiency
Swollen tongue with lateral teeth indentations - food intolerance. Also myxoedema - see Hypothyroidism.
Painful sore tongue with a smooth appearance - Folinic Acid deficiency
Angular cheilosis (splits in lips) - vitamin B2 deficiency, thrush
Gum disease and pyorrhoea - Co Q 10 deficiency, Folinic Acid deficiency.
Bleeding gums - Vitamin C deficiency
Eyes
Bags under eyes - thyroid, allergies or food intolerances
Bitot's spots, foamy patches on conjunctiva - vitamin A
Bloodshot eyes - treatment: boric acid for fungus infection, blue light
Blurred vision - vitamins B2, B6, pantothenic acid
Bulging eyes - vitamin E, nicotinamide, iodine
Cataracts (lens becomes opaque) - vitamins B2, C, E, antioxidants (avoid lactose), chronium deficiency or excess free radicals
Blue eyes and blond hair are often seen in hyperactive male children -zinc , magnesium, Vitamin B6 and essential fatty acids deficiencies
Color-blindness - vitamin A
Cross-eyes - vitamins E, C, B1, (allergy testing & look into heavy metals)
Dark spots in front of the eyes - vitamins B6, C, zinc (liver problems)
Dim vision (amblyopia) - vitamins B1, B2, C, B12 (allergy testing)
Dark rings under eyes - low iron
Dry, hard eyeballs (xerophthalmia) - vitamin A
Farsightedness (hyperopia) - magnesium, potassium, MSM
Hemorrhaging in the back of the eye (retinitis) - vitamin B6, zinc, bioflavonoids (also magnesium, Vitamin C, B2, B12, E, pantothenate)
Infected, ulcerating eyes (keratomalacia) - vitamin A (Vitamin C, B2, B6, zinc, blue light, boric acid)
Itching, burning, watery, sandy eyes - vitamin B2
Macular degeneration - vitamins A, B2, B6, magnesium, zinc, antioxidants, bioflavonoids, esp. lutein & zeaxanthin, ginkgo biloba, bilberry, eyebright, MSM, EFA
Near-sightedness (myopia) - chromium, Vitamin C, E, D, calcium (proteins, avoid sugars)
Night blindness (nyctalopia) - vitamins A, (B2, B6, zinc)
Red blood vessels in the sclera - vitamin B2
Sensitive eyes, fear of strong light (photophobia) - vitamins B2, A
Poor eye growth and refractive development - (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Poor retina development - ginkgo
Poor retina development - ginkgo
Neck
Goiter, thyroid swelling - iodine deficiency (check thyroid)
Legs
Tender calf muscles - magnesium deficiency
Brisk knee reflexes - magnesium deficiency
Restless legs - mineral deficiency, tendency to be acidic - see Acid-Alkali balance
Central Nervous system (Brain) -- sleepiness, drowsiness, sedative (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Airway Epithelium -- Produces mucous; decreases smooth muscle tone (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Stomach -- can cause stomach upset (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Small intestine -- control NO-related spontaneous relaxations of the antrum and duodenal circular muscle (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Large intestine -- numerous functions including autocrine, paracrine, excitatory and inhibitory (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Bladder -- inhibitions of urination with increases in bladder capacity (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Pancreas -- insulin secretion possibly effected, can inhibit secretion of the blood-glucose-elevating hormore glucagon (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Liver -- acts as an inhibitory signal for hepatic cell proliferation (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Lungs -- shortness of breath (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Esophagus -- Reflux (acid and nonacid) (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Laryngeal motorneurons -- decreases laryngeal moror neurons, inhibits adductor and abductor (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Type II Alveolar Epithelium (Lung) -- accelerates fetal lung development, likely through an enhanced cell proliferation and/or fluid secretion. (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Muscle -- decreases muscle tone (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Sleep -- increase NREM/ Decrease REM (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Airway Epithelium -- Produces mucous; decreases smooth muscle tone (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Stomach -- can cause stomach upset (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Small intestine -- control NO-related spontaneous relaxations of the antrum and duodenal circular muscle (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Large intestine -- numerous functions including autocrine, paracrine, excitatory and inhibitory (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Bladder -- inhibitions of urination with increases in bladder capacity (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Pancreas -- insulin secretion possibly effected, can inhibit secretion of the blood-glucose-elevating hormore glucagon (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Liver -- acts as an inhibitory signal for hepatic cell proliferation (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Lungs -- shortness of breath (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Esophagus -- Reflux (acid and nonacid) (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Laryngeal motorneurons -- decreases laryngeal moror neurons, inhibits adductor and abductor (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Type II Alveolar Epithelium (Lung) -- accelerates fetal lung development, likely through an enhanced cell proliferation and/or fluid secretion. (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Muscle -- decreases muscle tone (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Sleep -- increase NREM/ Decrease REM (in DS, overexpression of GABA) ginkgo
Clinical histories of nutritional relevance
Nasal polyps - salicylate sensitivity, catarrh, sinusitis, history of removal of Ts and As for good clinical reasons, milk intolerance
Poor healing - zinc deficiency
Poor dream recall - Vitamin B6 deficiency
Blood sugar swings with obvious low blood sugar episodes - chronium deficiency
Glandular fever - inadequate liver detoxification mechanisms
Mental symptoms - B12 deficiency
Parkinsonism/Multiple sclerosis - glutathione deficiency
Cervical dysplasia - Vitamin B6 and Folinic Acid deficiency, papilloma/wart virus. Heals well with DMSO on the end of a tampax
Arthritis - Boron and sulphur (MSM) deficiency
Measles - Vitamin A deficiency
Persistent diarrhoea leading to fatigue - magnesium and potassium deficiencies
Many diuretics cause magnesium and potassium deficiencies
Muscle cramps - magnesium deficiency
Shaking hands - magnesiumand vitamin B1 deficiencies
Hypertension - magnesium deficiency
Dysphagia - magnesium deficiency
Sensitivity to light - magnesium deficiency
Osteoporosis - don't forget to think about magnesium
PET - magnesium deficiency
Hair loss - thyroid, Iron (Fe), biotin, zinc and essential fatty acid deficiencies (must measure serum ferritin to check iron stores)
Infertility, miscarriages and premature labor - zinc deficiency
Poor sense of smell and taste - zinc deficiency
Dry eyes - Vitamin A deficiency
The contraceptive pill and HRT can cause an increase in copper levels and zinc, magnesium and Vitamin B6 deficiencies
Blocked nose with red wine - molybdenum deficiency
Bowel cancer - selenium deficiency
Mercury amalgams in teeth - selenium and glutathione deficiencies
Cardiomyopathies (Keshan Disease) - selenium deficiency
Heart attacks - vitamin E deficiency (Shute brothers)
Hair loss, dandruff, eczema, excessive ear wax production, poor wound healing, excessive thirst (especially in hyperactive children), pre-menstrual symptoms of any sort - essential fatty acid deficiency
Carpal tunnel syndrome - Vitamin B6 deficiency
Gastrectomy - vitamin B12 and HCI (stomach acid) deficiencies
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy - vitamin B12 deficiency
Elderly - low everything, especially vitamin Bs and HCI deficiencies
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2 comments:
Thanks so much for sharing. Great information!
Great post. Love all of this quick reference information in one place. And I'm sure there can be a lot of reasons for a lot of these things, but it at least gives you something to check first.
I would note that white spots on arms is actually vitaligo - more people have it than anyone realizes - and that can be caused by hypothyroidism.
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