May2014_GET TO KNOW YOUR HEALTH

Vitamins and Minerals (2)

I’m impressed!  If you are reading this article and you also read last months article, that means that you somehow didn’t die of boredom while reading it.  It was long and arduous however it needed to be coved to understand the important issues about vitamins and minerals, which is what happens when we don’t get enough.

 

So, that begs the question, do you know what the risks of vitamin deficiency are? And would you be able to spot the symptoms before it becomes a health risk?

The populations of people who are at higher risk include pregnant/breast feeding women, alcoholics, smokers, dieters, the elderly, some people with specific diets, and people with some specific medical condition or taking specific medications. One BIG bonus though, is the risks associated with vitamin deficiency aren’t anywhere near as bad as they used to be.  If you were to fall short on thiamine (B1), you could expect to see weight loss, weakness, pain, arrhythmias, brain damage and eventually death.  Thiamine deficiency is now mostly only a concern to people suffering from alcoholism as this impairs thiamine’s absorption.  Another deficiency that would have sent you six feet under a few centuries ago is called scurvy.  Scurvy is a deficiency in vitamin C and causes tiredness, bleeding gums, loss of teeth, fever and eventually death.  It ran rampant on sailing boats back in the 18th century as they mostly ate dried grains and salted meats.  Luckily today, six-month sea voyages without refrigeration and fresh fruit aren’t too common.  There are a whole host of other deficiencies that can have severe effects on us; however in Australia it is rare to see these very serious cases.

While vitamin and mineral deficiency like the two mentioned above are very uncommon, there are lots of deficiencies in people today that cause minor symptoms or don’t cause any symptoms as all.  These could be even more serious as they may be symptom free however they still have an effect on your body that can lead to serious issues as we age.

Calcium and vitamin D kinda go hand in hand.  As covered last month, they both affect bones however Vitamin D also has a whole host of other actions on the body.  A 1995 Australian study found that 90% of adult women did not meet the recommended daily intake of calcium and a 2012 Australian study found 33% of all adults deficient in vitamin D.  The reason this issue is so serious is that in most cases deficiencies are silent, which is they do not provide noticeable symptoms.  This means that the deficiency can continue untreated over a long period of time, and since these substances help keep healthy bones, heart heath and even reduce some types of cancer, its important to have the right amounts in your body. 

The next few are also close friends.  Iron, Folate and Vitamin B12 are all involved in the process of making red blood cells.  Having a deficiency in any of these 3 can cause some forms of anaemia (low red blood cell count), which will make you feel fatigued and tired.  Deficiency in any of these will also have other effects including decreased immunity (iron), decreased appetite and weight loss (B12, folate) and nerve problems (B12).  Folate is also important to supplement during pregnancy to reduce the chance of neural tube defects.  In these cases, if you think you may be deficient, see the Dr for a blood test, as unnecessary or over supplementation can be dangerous. 

Vitamin and mineral deficiency is possible for all the nutrients we require, however in Australia today, our diet and nutritional intake make it difficult to suffer from most of these, especially to a dangerous level.  That being said, junk food and fast life styles can increase these occurrences.  What is most important, is that if you don’t ‘feel right’ or are otherwise concerned, GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!  Don’t let the ‘she’ll be right attitude’ go on for long, a simple blood test is all that is needed and if it picks up something, you could be feeling right as rain in no time.

That covers a very small amount of this topic, however to cover the whole thing would require a book (yes books have been written).  So as usual, if you are interested in anything above or any of the other vitmains or minerals, don’t hesitate to drop into the pharmacy for a chat or see another local healthcare professional. 

Written by Andrew Harvey

(Your local pharmacist) 

Dayboro Pharmacy  Phone 3425 1435

Mon – Fri 8.30am – 5.30pm  Sat 8.30am – 12.30pm