A diet that is lacking in vital nutrients can cause a host of unpleasant symptoms. Your body communicates to you with symptoms, and recognizing them is important to your health. The average Western diet has been found to be low in a number of vitamins and minerals, and many people find themselves taking supplements to make up for this. Instead, it may be better to make a few simple changes to your diet.
Deficiency of vitamin A significantly affects the physical and mental development of your body. Lack of this vitamin can cause severe infections, particularly measles and diarrhea. Also, this vitamin helps in skin creation, so insufficiency might cause skin diseases like eczema. Besides, deficiency of vitamin A can also lead to dry eyes and even cause permanent blindness.
Vitamin D provides strength to the bones, helps in cell growth, regulates blood pressure, and also plays an important role in the smooth functioning of the immune system. Deficiency of vitamin D can cause bone loss, increasing the risk of fractures or brittle bones, along with high blood pressure, mood swings, and sleep deprivation. Low intake of foods containing the vitamin or lack of its absorption in the body can lead to a deficiency of vitamin D.
Dietary tips for vitamins A and D deficiency include the following:
1. Sweet potato
Deficiency of vitamin A can be reduced by including sweet potato in your diet. This low-calorie root vegetable is a great source of vitamin A, and it is also rich in antioxidants.
2. Carrots
The beta carotene found in carrots is converted into vitamin A by the body. Also great sources of vitamin B, C, and K, carrots help in improving vision and also help ward off certain diseases. This makes including them in your diet a very important dietary tip to prevent or overcome vitamin deficiency.
3. Cod liver oil
A great source of vitamins A and D, cod liver oil helps prevent respiratory infections and also maintains triglyceride levels and blood pressure levels. A multivitamin, cod liver oil also helps in reducing inflammatory bowel problems and treating ear infections in young children.
4. Egg yolk
Another helpful dietary tip to overcome vitamin deficiency is to include egg yolk in your diet, apart from whole eggs that also provide great nutritional value. The deficiency of vitamin D can be reduced by eating eggs from pasture-raised chickens that roam in sunlight as they have high vitamin D levels in comparison to eggs from chickens raised indoors.
5. Milk and dairy products
Including milk and dairy products in your diet will help reduce vitamin A and D deficiencies. A good source of calcium, milk helps maintain blood calcium levels and assists in calcium metabolism. Besides, the vitamin A in milk helps improve vision and aids in better functioning of the immune system.
6. Mushrooms
Mushrooms exposed to direct sunlight are a great source of vitamin D. One of the relevant dietary tips to follow for vitamin deficiency is to avoid mushrooms grown in the dark for commercial purposes as they have comparatively low levels of vitamin D.
7. Dry fruits
Rich sources of vitamin A, dry fruits should be included in your daily diet. Almonds, raisins, and walnuts are especially rich in vitamin A, and dry fruits are also rich in antioxidants and have zero cholesterol.