Identify and treat nutrient deficiencies

Many suffer from persistent fatigue, especially during the winter months. This may be an expression of nutrient deficiency. Chronic fatigue is the main symptom. Affected people feel exhausted and less productive, daily activity decreases, and the need for sleep increases.

What do supplements do?

According to the MenuCH nutrition survey and a study conducted in Lausanne, about 30 to 40 percent of all Swiss people use nutritional supplements. But how well do these supplements actually work? And how do you know if you really have a nutrient deficiency? David Fäh (48) is a doctor and nutritionist at the University of Applied Sciences in Bern, providing answers to the most important questions about nutrition.

“As studies on ethical reasons have not been performed, it is difficult to determine the intake at which deficiency symptoms occur,” says Fäh zu Blick. Different countries also have their own guidelines for the amount of nutrients required. This makes it even more difficult to set the limit for a deficiency.

High doses pose a risk

However, the nutritionist believes that the majority of the Swiss population is well supplied with essential nutrients and supplements are often unnecessary. “People often take nutritional supplements because, for example, they’ve heard that fatigue can be a sign of iron deficiency. It can be, but it doesn’t have to. There are often other problems behind such symptoms, not a nutrient deficiency,” Fäh explains.

Even with supplements, too much of a good thing can be harmful. “Some vitamins encourage fast-growing cells. Unfortunately, this includes cancer cells,” explains the doctor. For example, high doses of vitamin A can increase the risk of cancer in smokers, too much folic acid from supplements can increase the risk of prostate cancer, and vitamin E thins the blood, keeping you at bay. Therefore, it is important to discuss the use of supplements with a doctor, especially if they are high and prolonged.

Signs that you should see a doctor

According to Fäh, the most common symptoms that can indicate a nutrient deficiency are:

• Persistent and “persistent” fatigue
• chronically reduced mental/physical performance
• anemia, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath
• pale skin, poor circulation
• depressed mood and neurological symptoms
• Changes in nails, skin, hair, tongue, oral mucosa
• Children/adolescents: growth and development disorders

the most common nutrient deficiencies in Switzerland

David Fäh suspects that the following are the most common nutritional deficiencies in Switzerland:

• iron deficiency a potential problem in Switzerland as shortages often have nothing to do with supply. Women lose a lot of iron through menstruation. In old age, a gastrointestinal tract that is no longer as efficient can also make it difficult to absorb iron. Chronic blood loss through the digestive or urinary tract is also more common in old age.
• A Vitamin B12 deficiency it is rarer because vitamin B12 is stored by the liver for a relatively long time. However, vegans are at risk for B12 deficiency, as the vitamin is only found in animal products. Natural, vegan B12 sources such as algae may not always be used well by the body. Older people with stomach inflammation are also more likely to be affected by B12 deficiency.
• folic acid It is a B vitamin that is used very quickly by the body and is only stored for a short time. It mainly plays a central role in a child’s early developmental stage. Especially pregnant women should consume enough folic acid to avoid deformities such as spina bifida (open spine).
• In winter, the Swiss population is usually Vitamin D deficiency established. Food is produced by our body through sunlight. Fäh believes it’s normal to have relatively low vitamin D levels in the winter. Especially since the border varies from country to country from the time it is considered a defect. A good source of vitamin D is important for children, women who want to have children, and pregnant women. Vitamin D supports the incorporation of calcium into bones in adolescents.
• Iodine- and selenium deficiency It can happen in Switzerland because the soil, and therefore the food that grows on it, does not contain enough of these nutrients. Therefore, the federal government decided to iodize table salt and animal feed. In the case of selenium, this is not necessary at the moment, as pasta from Switzerland, for example, is made from naturally selenium-rich wheat from the USA, for example. A deficiency in these nutrients should be easy to prevent.

If a nutrient deficiency is suspected, Fäh recommends a blood test by a doctor. “Based on the number and appearance of blood cells, the doctor can assess whether the symptom is due to a nutrient deficiency and how best to correct the problem,” says the doctor.

Supplements are often not the answer

As Fäh explains, nutrient deficiencies cannot always be remedied with supplements: “Usually a nutrient deficiency problem lies not in intake but in absorption in the body.” The nutritionist gives the example of the gastrointestinal tract, which in old age is often no longer as efficient as it used to be. “If the body can’t absorb and process nutrients, supplementing nutrients alone is of little use.” It is important to eliminate the cause of the malfunction.

But sometimes, it’s the type of supply that’s wrong. Giving vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 as examples, the doctor says, “Some nutrients can only be used efficiently by the body in combination with something else.” “And sometimes certain nutrients, like iron or vitamin B12, need to be delivered through an IV or injection in order for them to enter the body.”