[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/essential-nutrients\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/essential-nutrients\/","headline":"Nutrition detective","name":"Nutrition detective","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest Our body is the most efficient manufacturing plant in the world. From some 40-odd essential nutrients (a handful of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, water, and air), our body produces more than 10,000 compounds. Not a bad return \u2014 10,000 from 40! Each of these 40-odd […]","datePublished":"2014-04-22","dateModified":"2026-04-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/image.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/image.jpeg","height":1109,"width":2120},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/essential-nutrients\/","about":["Bone Health Basics"],"wordCount":433,"keywords":["nutrition detective"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOur body is the most efficient manufacturing plant in the world. From some 40-odd essential nutrients (a handful of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, water, and air), our body produces more than 10,000 compounds. Not a bad return \u2014 10,000 from 40! Each of these 40-odd essential nutrients is really essential. Low levels of any one of them can raise havoc with our entire system.For example, more than 300 enzymes require magnesium for proper functioning. Numerous problems including muscle spasms, heart irregularities, osteoporosis and nerve malfunctioning can be caused by low magnesium levels. Daily medical journal headlines highlight the need for adequate nutrient intake. \u201cFolic Acid Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer\u201d; \u201cLow Vitamin Levels Linked to Higher Risk of Angina in Men\u201d; \u201cCancer Deaths Linked to Low Antioxidant Vitamin Levels\u201d; and \u201cChronic Fatigue Syndrome Linked to Magnesium Deficiency\u201d are some of the titles of medical articles sitting on my desk right now!How likely is it that you suffer from inadequate levels of one or more nutrients? If your diet is at all like the Standard American Diet (SAD) you are at risk. Government studies reveal widespread nutritional inadequacies:NutrientPercentage of people not meetingRDA for selected nutrientsVitamin A50.1%Thiamin (B1)45.0%Riboflavin (B2)34.0%Preformed niacin (B3)32.9%Pyridoxine (B6)80.2%Vitamin B1233.5%Vitamin C40.8%Calcium67.9%Iron57.3%Magnesium74.4%Phosphorus26.7%Nutrition Detective \u2014 SymptomsAre you a good Nutrition Detective? The following symptoms could be signs of nutrient deficiency. See if you know how nutrients affect your health picture. (Click here for answers.)Get black and blue easilyGums bleedSlow wound healingPoor night visionWhite spots on nails for no reasonCracked skin behind earsLoss of sense of tasteCracks in skin on fingertipsYellow cast to face and skinMuscle cramps or tremorsEnlarged thyroid glandBurning sensation on feetCrave sweetsAnemicPale tongue and inner eyelidBreak bones easilyNocturnal leg crampsReceding gumsPeriodontal diseaseEyes sensitive to lightCalluses on inner surface of heelVaricose veinsPoor dream recallTend to grind teethSlow growth (children)Vaginal yeast infectionsNails horizontally ridgedNails soft or brittleDry skin and\/or scalpExcessive ear waxBumpy skin on back of arms and\/or thighsStool that sinksSensitive to cold, easily chilledCracks or sores in corner of mouthElevated blood pressure(Click here for\u00a0answers.)Our full guide covers all of this and more \u2014 see our resource on the nutrients your bones depend on.We cover the role of acid-alkaline balance in detail in our guide to the alkaline approach to bone health."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bone Health Basics","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Nutrition detective","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-health-basics\/essential-nutrients\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]