Doctor Shares 5 Signs Your Body May Be Lacking Essential Nutrients

A gastroenterologist has shared five key signs that might indicate a lack of certain nutrients in your body.

As the seasons change, it's easy to feel under the weather, but Saurabh Sethi, a specialist from California, has offered some helpful tips on how to keep yourself healthy.

The doctor, who focuses on digestive health, explained through TikTok how lacking certain nutrients could show up in your body, highlighting five specific signs you might notice.

Supplements are available to help boost nutrients Getty Stock Photo

Brittle nails

If you notice your nails breaking often, even right after a manicure, it could be a hint that your diet is missing two vital nutrients.

According to Sethi, brittle nails may point to a lack of protein and iron, nutrients found in foods like meat, tofu, and nuts.

Twitching eyelids or limbs

Small eyelid twitches are often linked to stress or tiredness, but Sethi explained that it might also mean you're low on magnesium.

Twitches in the limbs can be another sign that your magnesium levels are too low; you can get this nutrient from dark green leafy vegetables, brown rice, bananas, and even dark chocolate.

"[Magnesium] is critical for transmitting nerve impulses," Sethi mentioned.

Clicking joints

If you've recently noticed your knees making popping sounds when you stand up, don't worry about aging just yet.

Sethi explained that clicking joints could be a signal that your body needs more vitamin D3 or calcium, both of which are essential for strong bones.

Foods like egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms, and oily fish are great sources of vitamin D3, while calcium can be found in dairy, vegetables, and fish.

Grey hairs

Spotting grey hairs doesn’t always mean premature aging. It could actually be due to a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Sethi explained that B12 is crucial for producing red blood cells and transporting oxygen to hair follicles.

Grey hairs might also indicate a lack of copper, which affects melanin production—the pigment responsible for hair color.

Foods like shellfish, nuts, seeds, and chocolate are good sources of copper.

Going grey could be a sign of B12 or copper deficiency Getty Stock Photo

Bruising easily

If you often say you 'bruise like a peach' whenever someone touches you, it might be a sign of low vitamin C levels.

Vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables, helps in collagen formation, which supports skin health.

Sethi also noted that easy bruising could mean a deficiency in vitamin K1, which is essential for blood clotting.

What to do if you think you are nutrient deficient

Most essential nutrients can be obtained through a varied and balanced diet, but multivitamins are another way to fill in the gaps.

However, Dr. Helen Wall from the UK told The Telegraph that for most people, 'no supplement can beat a well-balanced varied diet'.

"There are various essential nutrients in food that even the most comprehensive supplement is unlikely to compensate for, such as phytochemicals (plant chemicals) and fibre," she added.

Taking too much of a vitamin can also be harmful, so it’s important to make sure you’re not doubling up on nutrients when taking supplements.