Avitaminosis – Take Care of a Balanced Diet

Eating a lot of processed food and not taking proper supplementation can lead to vitamin deficiencies, which are essential for the proper functioning of the body. How to eat to prevent avitaminosis? Should we do when we suspect vitamin deficiencies in ourselves or in our loved ones?

Vitamins are a very important component of the diet. Their source is primarily the food we eat. Thanks to the action of intestinal bacteria, which are active in the digestive tract, the body can assimilate them from food. However, when the food is not very varied or its quality is questionable, the synthesis of the appropriate amount of vitamins is impossible. In such situations, we often deal with avitaminosis.

It is a long-term deficiency of one or several vitamins that can manifest itself in many different ways, such as growth failure or developmental disorders. In the diagnosis of avitaminosis, the most important thing is to detect the source of the problem as soon as possible. In most cases, it is a poor diet, but it can also be associated with digestive disorders or taking medications.

The symptoms of avitaminosis can vary widely, and many of them also occur in other types of disorder. Therefore, this disease can be problematic in diagnosis. If we report the problem to our GP, it is very likely that we will receive a referral from him for laboratory tests that will not allow detecting a vitamin deficiency.

In order to diagnose avitaminosis, tests showing the concentration of specific vitamins in the urine or in the blood are necessary. Only they are able to tell us what their level is in the body and choose the appropriate treatment or diet. The same tests will also be useful in detecting hypervitaminosis, i.e. excessively high vitamin concentration, which can also cause a number of side effects.

There is no universal way to overcome avitaminosis. Its treatment must always be tailored to the individual condition and needs of the organism. In therapy, it is very important to find the causes of its occurrence. The level of deficiency is also crucial, as is the number of missing vitamins.

The first step in treating avitaminosis is to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Unfortunately, with more serious shortages, it is not sufficient. In such cases, supplementation is essential. Usually, the treatment consists of ingesting the appropriate doses of vitamins as indicated by a doctor or dietitian. Sometimes, however, intravenous or intramuscular administration is necessary.

Unhealthy lifestyle, fasting and unreasonable weight loss significantly increase the risk of avitaminosis. In order to avoid the disease, take care of the variety of meals consumed and their appropriate amounts. Avoid processed foods and choose foods that are healthy – vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, dairy. The method of thermal treatment of the ingredients we choose is also important. Raw vegetables and fruits have much more vitamins than, for example, boiled, fried, baked or heated in a microwave.

If maintaining a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and other vitamin sources is difficult for us, it is worth considering additional oral supplementation. There are many preparations available on the market that supplement our need for various vitamins. Supplementation and diet variety is important, especially in the case of a vegan and vegetarian diet. Vitamin B12, which is present in meat, is especially important here.

Prevention and treatment of avitaminosis is based mainly on healthy eating. If you lead an unhealthy lifestyle or eat unhealthy food, such as frequent fast food and unhealthy snacks, you are at risk and need to be motivated to modify your diet. The best solution may be to visit an experienced dietitian who will prepare a healthy and balanced menu for you, in line with the needs of your body.

If you suspect you have avitaminosis, a dietitian can help you solve the problem. During the first consultation, he will ask you a number of questions about your lifestyle and diet. Thanks to them, she will get to know your problem better and refer you to tests that will allow you to determine whether you suffer from vitamin deficiencies. If the results confirm your assumptions, together with the dietitian you will establish an action plan.

Many people give up visiting a dietician for fear that the diet they receive will be unpalatable or difficult to prepare. Fortunately, the popular belief that healthy cuisine cannot be tasty is a myth. The choice of valuable and rich in vitamins and minerals products in stores is wide, so we do not have to limit ourselves. On store shelves, we can more and more often find healthy snacks that are not only valuable for the body, but also tasty.

A good dietician will take into account not only vitamin deficiency, but also the dietary preferences of the patient when devising a diet. If you don’t like spending time in the kitchen, you will get dishes that are easy to prepare. Many of them will be based on fruit and vegetables in unprocessed form. The dietitian will also consider your nutritional purpose when compiling the menu. It can prepare a diet for weight loss, weight gain, etc.

Read more: Dietician Warsaw

The advantage of a diet prepared by a specialist is the precise list of the necessary products. Thanks to it, you can easily plan your shopping for several days, choosing exactly the amount of product you need. You don’t have to worry about food costs. A healthy diet with vitamin A does not have to be expensive. You will quickly find out that it is unhealthy snacks such as sweets, crisps and colorful drinks that generate the highest costs.