When you’ve taken your Allergy and Intolerance Test, it is possible to find that there are foods that you may need to eliminate from your diet, so you stop suffering from the symptoms of consuming them.
However, eliminating these foods is hard, and what’s even worse is suffering from nutrient deficiency. When you’re on an elimination diet, you need to know the vitamins you’re eliminating by removing a certain food from your diet and then adding food with similar vitamins to replace the lost ones.
While you can manage without thinking too much about which foods you’re eliminating from your diet, it’s important to know which vitamins easily cause your deficiency so you can be more mindful when eliminating them from your diet.
Learn about these vitamins and minerals and which foods are rich in them, and you can pick the food that doesn’t cause you symptoms upon eating to replace the one you’re eliminating.
How do I know what vitamins I am lacking?
The simplest way to know you have certain deficiencies in your body is by taking a Health Test. you can choose a specific test you’d like, such as a vitamin C or iron deficiency test. Whatever you’d like to check, the test will help you determine it.
However, you may also suffer from specific signs and symptoms that will lead you to believe you have a deficiency. So, your body could tell you something is amiss even before you get a blood test. However, the blood test will pinpoint exactly what is missing so you can find ways to boost it in your body.
Common nutrient deficiencies
Vitamin A
This essential fat-soluble vitamin helps maintain healthy bones, teeth, skin, and cell membranes. Vitamin A also produces eye pigments which are vital for vision. We can get two types of vitamin A from our diets; preformed and pro-vitamin A.
Preformed vitamin A is present in animal products like fish, dairy, meat, and poultry. Alternatively, pro-vitamin A is found in fruits and vegetables. The most common one is Beta carotene which the body converts to vitamin A.
A vitamin A deficiency can cause eye problems and even blindness. This deficiency is the leading cause of blindness in the world. A vitamin A deficiency can also increase mortality rates, especially among children and women who are breastfeeding or pregnant {1}.
You can get preformed vitamin A from organ meat like beef or fish liver oil. Pro-vitamin A sources include dark-green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, and carrots. When consuming preformed vitamin A, ensure you don’t overconsume it, as too much can cause toxicity. The same doesn’t apply to pro-vitamin consumption.
Vitamin B12
This water-soluble vitamin is also known as cobalamin. Its main purpose in the body is blood formation and brain and nerve function. Even though every cell in your body needs vitamin B12, the body doesn’t produce it, and you will have to get it from food or supplements.
Sufficient amounts of vitamin B12 are found in animal products. However, if you’re avoiding animals as a food source, you can get a small amount from seaweed. Because of this, it’s easy for those following a plant-based diet to be prone to vitamin B12 deficiency. Studies show that most vegans and vegetarians suffer from its deficiency {2}.
Older people, too, suffer from its deficiency because of the decreased level of absorption in their bodies that comes with age. Dietary sources of B12 include
- Shellfish (especially clams and oysters)
- Eggs
- Meat
- Liver
- Milk products
- Seaweed
You aren’t at risk of consuming too much vitamin B12 because very minimal amounts are absorbed and easily excreted.
Our Vitamin D Check
Vitamin D
This fat-soluble vitamin travels a lot in the bloodstream and has receptors in almost every cell. The function of vitamin D in the body is to communicate with cells asking them to turn genes on and off.
Cholesterol in your skin produces vitamin D when it comes into direct contact with sunlight. Those living far from the equator tend to suffer from this deficiency unless one has a sufficient dietary intake or is supplementing this vitamin.
Vitamin D deficiency symptoms aren’t obvious but rather subtle, developing over time, which could be decades or years. It reduces immune function, giving way to an increased risk of cancer.
Vitamin D dietary sources include:
- Fatty fish
- Cod liver
- Egg yolks
The simplest way to get vitamin D is by getting increased sun exposure, as it’s hard to find sufficient amounts in your diet alone.
Our Iron Deficiency Test
Iron
Iron deficiency is the most commonly known nutritional deficiency worldwide. Heme and non-heme iron are the two types of iron. Non-heme iron is found in animal and plant foods and is not easily absorbed into the body. Heme iron is found in animals and is especially abundant in red meat. It is very easily absorbed into the body.
Suppose you’re on a plant-based or vegetarian diet. In that case, you’re at an increased risk of suffering from iron deficiency because you’re consuming non-heme iron, which doesn’t absorb well into the body, unlike heme iron.
The best dietary sources for heme iron include:
- Red meat
- Liver
- Canned sardines
- Shellfish
Dietary sources of non-heme iron include:
- Seeds
- Beans
- Dark, leafy greens
Even though you can supplement iron, it’s advisable not to unless necessary. Too much iron is dangerous. Vitamin C helps absorb iron into the body, so pairing your iron-rich foods (especially those on plant-based and vegetarian diets) with oranges, bell peppers, and other vitamin C-rich foods will help you maximize iron absorption.
Calcium
Every cell in your body needs calcium. It mineralizes teeth and bone, especially when you’re undergoing rapid growth. Ensuring you have efficient calcium is important for bone maintenance.
The body only contains regulated calcium, and excess amounts are stored in the bones. Once you start having calcium deficiency, your bones start releasing calcium. That’s why the most common calcium deficiency symptom is fragile bones.
Dietary sources of calcium include:
- Dark green vegetables
- Dairy products
- Boned fish like sardines
Calcium supplements are still debated; you’re better off consuming calcium-rich foods.
Magnesium
Not only is this mineral important for teeth and bone structure, but it’s also involved in over 300 enzyme reactions. Low magnesium in the body can lead to illnesses like osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.
Common dietary sources of magnesium include:
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Dark chocolate
- Dark green, leafy vegetables
Potassium
This vitamin is important for your nerves, heart and muscles to work properly. Potassium also delivers nutrients to cells and removes waste. It’s important to balance blood pressure, often offset by sodium levels.
Dietary potassium sources include:
- Acorn squash
- Bananas
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Milk
- Other legumes
Final thoughts on replacing vitamins lost in an elimination diet
It is possible to have a deficiency of every vitamin and nutrient. However, a closer look at your diet can help restore balance in your internal ecosystem. If you want to check for nutrient deficiencies, we have Health Tests for you.
Before going on an elimination diet due to allergies and intolerances, we advise you to get your blood test done first through an Allergy and Intolerance Test. The results of this test will help you know which foods you need to eliminate from your diet so you can feel better. When eliminating foods from your diet, pay attention to these vitamins you’ll most likely lose and find alternatives to replace them.
References
- West K. P., Jr (2003). Vitamin A deficiency disorders in children and women. Food and nutrition bulletin, 24(4 Suppl), S78–S90. https://doi.org/10.1177/15648265030244S204
- Pawlak, R., Lester, S. E., & Babatunde, T. (2014). The prevalence of cobalamin deficiency among vegetarians assessed by serum vitamin B12: a review of literature. European journal of clinical nutrition, 68(5), 541–548. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.46
