🔍 5 Most Common Vitamin Deficiencies in Men

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5 Most Common Vitamin Deficiencies in Men

Even with a balanced diet, it's possible to fall short on essential vitamins. Here are five of the most common vitamin deficiencies in men and why they matter.

1. Vitamin D

Why It's Important: Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, immune function, and muscle strength. It helps the body absorb calcium, maintaining strong bones and teeth.

Signs of Deficiency: Fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, and mood changes such as depression.

Sources: Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D. It can also be found in fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel) and fortified foods. It is important to note that there is a risk associated with excess Vitamin D, so always make sure to check your levels before supplementing.

2. Vitamin B12

Why It's Important: Vitamin B12 is essential for red blood cell formation, neurological function, and DNA synthesis. It also helps prevent anemia, which can cause fatigue and weakness.

Signs of Deficiency: Anemia, fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, and numbness or tingling in the hands and feet.

Sources: Animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. For vegetarians and vegans, fortified cereals and nutritional yeast are good sources.

3. Magnesium

Why It's Important: Magnesium plays a role in over 300 enzyme reactions in the body, including energy production, muscle and nerve function, and bone health.

Signs of Deficiency: Muscle cramps, mental disorders, osteoporosis, fatigue, and high blood pressure.

Sources: Leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.

4. Zinc

Why It's Important: Zinc is vital for immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division. It also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Signs of Deficiency: Weak immune function, hair loss, diarrhea, and delayed wound healing.

Sources: Meat, shellfish, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

5. Vitamin C

Why It's Important: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. It's also necessary for collagen production, which is important for skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

Signs of Deficiency: Fatigue, gum inflammation, slow wound healing, dry and splitting hair, and easy bruising.

Sources: Citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, kale, and broccoli.

Can I Follow the Keto Diet for the Rest of My Life?

Since we recommend the keto diet only for limited-time use, we get a lot of questions about whether one can follow it for the rest of their life.

Keto diet is very effective for fat loss and certain health conditions, such as controlling the blood glucose levels temporarily. But it’s essential to consider long-term sustainability and nutritional balance as well. The low requirement for carbohydrates can make it challenging to get enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

For long-term health, it's crucial to ensure you're getting a balanced intake of nutrients. Some people may find the keto diet sustainable, but it's often better to adopt a more flexible, balanced eating plan that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods.

If you are keen on sticking to keto long-term, make sure to consult your healthcare provider.

Breakfast Protein: A Key to Boosting Muscle Mass?

A scoping review by Inn-Kynn Khaing and colleagues sheds light on the impact of breakfast protein intake on muscle mass and strength in adults. The review, which adhered to rigorous systematic review protocols, aimed to consolidate existing research on how morning protein consumption influences muscle-related outcomes. Despite the common trend of lower protein intake at breakfast across all age groups, this review suggests that increasing protein intake during breakfast might offer significant benefits.

The researchers analyzed 15 studies out of an initial pool of 14,763 articles. They found that about 59% of studies indicated a positive association between high protein intake at breakfast and increased muscle mass. Additionally, 50% of studies exploring muscle strength noted improvements with higher breakfast protein consumption. Particularly, consuming more protein in the morning compared to the evening was linked to better skeletal muscle index and lean body mass. While the findings are promising for muscle mass, the effect on muscle strength remains less clear. The review concludes that more high-quality trials are needed to confirm whether increased breakfast protein can consistently support muscle health in adults.

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Publisher: Ryan Engel

Editor: John K.

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