Is your diet making you a vita-rexic?

A recent study by a leading British pharmaceutical chain has revealed that a high percentage of people are not reaching the recommended levels of vitamins and minerals in their daily diet. The study done by Boots Health Club looked at men and women aged between 19-24, and found that an extremely high percentage of those involved in the study were suffering from vita-rexia or vitamin deficiency.

Have a look below at the list of vitamins and some symptoms that can occur if you are not getting enough in your diet. We also give examples of simple ways in which you can top up your vitamin intake.

Vitamin A
Low levels of vitamin A can result in poor night vision and a poor immune system. You can top up your levels of vitamin A by adding eggs and liver into your diet. Alternately your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A and all green leafy vegetables as well as orange/yellow vegetables are good sources of this. Avoid taking supplements if you are pregnant.

Vitamin B12
If you suffer from tiredness, weakness, constipation, poor memory or low moods then chances are you may not be getting enough vitamin B12. Ensure that your levels are high by eating a range of beef, fortified cereals, liver, asparagus and fresh salmon.

Folate
You never saw Popeye having to rush off to the toilet after saving Olive did you? That’s because spinach is high in folate and cut down his risk of suffering from diarrhoea. As well as digestive problems, not getting enough folate can lead to heart palpitations, increased risk of heart disease and even cause a sore tongue. Along with spinach make sure that you are getting enough asparagus, peas and fortified breakfast cereals in your diet.

Vitamin C
Mum’s are great at telling us to take our vitamin C tablets, especially when winter comes along and the common cold starts to strike. That’s because vitamin C boosts your immune system and will help in the healing process of everyday wounds. Great sources of vitamin C include red peppers, kiwi fruit, citrus fruit, strawberries, brussel sprouts and cauliflower.

Iron
Women suffer a lot more from iron deficiency than men and some of the symptoms include tiredness, pale skin, muscle cramps, irritability, shortness of breath, decreased appetite and headaches. Boost your iron levels by eating lean red meat, green leafy vegetables, milk and egg yolks.

Calcium
There are currently some very exciting studies being conducted that link calcium to weight loss and in the next 5 years there is sure to be a much greater push for regularly including calcium in the diet. For now though you can ensure that you are consuming enough calcium by increasing your intake of low fat milk and cheese, canned sardines, almonds, tofu, broccoli, fortified drinks and cereals. Otherwise you may have to put up with muscle cramping, eye twitching, brittle nails and headaches.

Magnesium
Suffering from nausea, heat palpitations, tiredness or anxiety disorders? Then perhaps you need to get more magnesium in your system. Do this by eating plenty of almonds, cashews, oats, rice and pulses such as kidney beans and lentils.

Zinc
Do your nails have those little white spots all over them? You can get rid of these by taking in enough Zinc in your diet. Oysters, red meat, poultry, seafood and wholegrain cereals will not only make your nails look much healthier but will also cut down your risk of suffering from low libido and a weak immune system.