Hey, you there. Yeah, I’m talking to you, girl! Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Do you find that you’re tired a lot? Or extra stressed? Are you irritable or feel headachy? If you said yes to any of those things, you could potentially be suffering from a common deficiency. “But wait!” you protest. “This list could be any collegiette out there!” Yeah, I know. THAT’S HOW COMMON DEFICIENCIES ARE!
So if you answered yes to any of the above questions (so…all of you?) read on to discover three common deficiencies and what to do if you think you might have one!
Number 1: Iron
Probably the most common, iron deficiencies are highly prevalent among collegiettes. Partially, it’s because many of us are vegetarians, but you can be iron deficient even if you’re a meat eater. Iron deficiencies usually develop from inadequate iron intake or malabsorption. This is why vegetarians tend to be more susceptible – it’s more difficult to ensure you’re getting enough protein, especially if you’re like me and think that eating Kraft Dinner for several days in a row is acceptable adult behaviour…
It’s important that you put in the effort to have healthy iron levels though, because iron deficiencies can have adverse effects on essential skills for student success, like learning capacity and cognitive function.
Common symptoms:
– These include fatigue, paleness, apathy, irritability, reduced attention span, psychomotor deficiencies. Like so:
Okay, I know you just read through that list and think I’m crazy. Seriously, who DOESN’T feel irritable and apathetic after poring over a boring textbook for 6+ hours? Sometimes it’s completely to normal to experience these symptoms, and this is what makes iron deficiencies so hard to diagnose: how short is an abnormal attention span? What degree of paleness is a symptom rather than simply a fading tan? How can you tell if you’re just tired from staying up late to finish your paper, or if its something more?
Given how prevalent iron deficiencies are, of you’re experiencing any of these symptoms to even the slightest degree of abnormal, there’s a strong probability you could be deficient.
Foods you should incorporate into your diet:
– Spinach, beans, tomato puree, asparagus, potato (with skin).
If you increase your iron intake, anemia symptoms should dissipate. But if your deficiency symptoms persist even with the help of these iron-rich foods (look here for a more complete list) it could be that you suffer from malabsorption. If this is the case, you should think about consulting a doctor, especially since anemia can be an indicator of another health issue.
Number 2: Vitamin B12
Oral contraceptives (yes, I mean your birth control pills) have the potential restrict your B12 receptors; as well, vegetarian or vegan diets have also shown evidence for decreased B12 levels because a primary source of B12 is animal products (meat, eggs, milk, etc). So what does this mean? If you’re on birth control, or a vegetarian/vegan, or both (jackpot!) you should keep a close eye for:
Common symptoms:
– Mood swings:
– Trouble sleeping:
… Along with the sister symptoms of depression, tingling in extremities/loss of feeling, migraines, fatigue, and anemia.
Any combination of these symptoms and more (check out this link for a complete list) could mean you’re suffering from B12 deficiencies. Just as we saw with iron, a lot of these symptoms seem standard for the young collegiette: mood swings and trouble sleeping in particular are easy to just chalk up to stress or it being ‘that time of the month’. The extra tricky thing about B12 deficiencies is that sometimes they don’t have very many symptoms at all, until suddenly it’s really hard to feel your hands. Like, all the time.
Foods you should incorporate into your diet:
– Fortified almond or soy beverages, yogurt (for vegetarians), salmon or tuna (for pescatarians).
B12 supplements are also available at your local pharmacy or drugstore. If you increase your B12 intake (here’s a more complete list of B12 rich foods for the interested parties) and are still are suffering from the symptoms of deficiency, speak with a doctor or naturopath – B12 deficiencies, if left untreated, can have lasting effects.
Number 3: Calcium
We see ads everywhere of peppy celebs proudly bearing a milk moustache and encouraging us to do the same and toss back a cool one (or at least get your daily 1300mg of calcium) everyday. Easier said than done. Also, easier when you’ve got a professional dietician at your beck and call.
Lauren Conrad’s ‘Got Milk?’ campaign
Calcium deficiency affects women more than men, and the health problems it causes are only magnified as soon as women age and hit menopause and it becomes more difficult to absorb calcium. A lack of calcium in your diet can lead to serious bone problems like osteoporosis later in life and that’s why it’s important to start getting enough calcium now.
Common symptoms:
– Muscle cramping (these generally occur at night, heart palpitations, increased PMS symptoms, insomnia, brittle hair or nails, eczema, numbness or tingling of the arms and/or legs
A lot of these symptoms may seem kind of vague and difficult to identify. But if you feel like you are affected by one or more of these symptoms, you might as well try to incorporate more calcium into your diet. More greens, nuts, and low fat dairy products never hurt.
Foods you should incorporate into your diet:
– Dark leafy green, low fat dairy products (like cheese, milk, and yogurt), fortified soy products, broccoli, almonds, canned fish
Obviously vegans and those who are lactose-intolerant can still add calcium-rich foods into their diets. We’ve been taught that milk is the #1 source for calcium, but there are so many other options, everyone can have healthy calcium levels.
So there you have it. If you’re freaking out about having a ton of these symptoms – don’t worry. With the right diet and medical attention, you should be able to incorporate new supplements easily into your lifestyle. But most importantly, as a collegiette, the number one priority should be not to neglect your eating habits – if you have the time to watch a Breaking Bad marathon, you definitely have the time to fry up some spinach!