How to Know If You Are Not Absorbing Your Vitamins & Minerals
Normally, your body does an amazing job of sorting through and pulling out all the nutrients it needs from the substances you eat or drink in a day. Sometimes, though, your system malfunctions, and the vitamins and minerals you need are flushed from your system as waste. Doctors call that malabsorption syndrome. Only your physician can determine if it’s happening, but there are a few symptoms that may alert you to a possible problem with malabsorption syndrome.
The Basics of Malabsorption Syndrome
Your small intestine is responsible for absorbing nutrients from the food you eat and sending them into your bloodstream, so they can be further processed and distributed to the structures throughout your body, including your bones, skin, hair and other organs. Malabsorption syndrome refers to several disorders that affect your small intestine’s ability to absorb enough of certain nutrients and fluids. This may include macronutrients, such as protein, carbs and fat, as well as micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals – or both.
How Malabsorption Affects Your Health
You need a daily combination of vitamins and minerals to maintain strong bones, healthy skin, heart and nerve function, and a wide variety of other vital bodily functions. Depending on the type of nutrient not being absorbed, you may have problems with your digestive system, low iron levels in your blood (anemia), numbness in your hands and feet, memory issues and more.
Symptoms may also include:
- Soft, bulky stools that are light-colored and foul-smelling.
- Dry hair or hair loss.
- Fluid retention (edema).
- Bloating and gas or explosive diarrhea.
- Low blood pressure, unexplained weight loss or muscle wasting.
Causes of Malabsorption Syndrome
It’s important to differentiate between nutrient deficiencies due to a poor diet and deficiencies caused by malabsorption, which has an underlying cause that may need treatment in addition to replacing the missing nutrients. Only a doctor can determine whether your symptoms are caused by malabsorption syndrome.
It could be, for instance, that your stomach can’t produce the enzymes it needs to digest certain foods or is having difficulty mixing the foods you eat with the enzymes and acid your stomach produces naturally. This information helps your doctor prescribe the correct diet and supplement regimen to keep you healthy
Causes of malabsorption include:
- Damage to your intestine by infection, inflammation, trauma or surgery.
- Long-term or frequent use of antibiotics.
- Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, chronic pancreatitis.
- Lactose intolerance.
- Gallbladder, liver or pancreatic disease.
- Parasitic infection.
- Medications or treatment that may injure the lining of your intestine, such as tetracycline or radiation therapy for certain cancers.
Testing for Malabsorption Syndrome
If your doctor suspects malabsorption syndrome, she’ll likely recommend starting with a few simple diagnostic tests, including:
- Blood tests to check your vitamin and mineral levels, such as B-12, calcium and iron.
- Tests to determine if fat is present in your stool, which is normally the case in malabsorption syndrome.
- Breath test to check for lactose intolerance.
For further information, your doctor may also recommend a CT scan or other imaging tests to check for structural abnormalities in your digestive system, such as thickening in the walls of your small intestine that may indicate Crohn’s disease.
Treating Malabsorption Syndrome
Treating malabsorption syndrome includes managing your symptoms, such as diarrhea, and replacing the nutrients your body needs to function. Depending on the cause of the malabsorption and your symptoms, treatment may include:
- Referral to a dietitian to design a nutrition plan that helps ensure you get the nutrients you’re missing.
- Medication to control diarrhea, which is a very common symptom of malabsorption syndrome.
- Enzyme supplements that help your body absorb nutrients.
- Changes in your diet.
- Vitamin supplements.
Treatment for malabsorption is very important. Deficiencies in necessary nutrients can have a negative impact on every system in your body, including your heart, skin, brain, muscles, blood and kidneys.
But it’s also vital to know which vitamins and minerals you lack, and the appropriate dietary changes and supplement amounts you need for effective treatment. Because high doses of vitamins and minerals can negatively affect your health, check with your doctor before beginning a regimen that recommends high doses of vitamins and minerals or a highly restrictive diet.
- Keeping a food diary can help you assess your daily diet to see if you are getting the right nutrition for your lifestyle.
- Low levels of iron can cause iron-deficiency anemia, while low levels of vitamin B12 cause pernicious anemia.
- Some vitamin and mineral deficiencies may be due to an illness or adverse reaction to prescription medication; your doctor can determine the cause and treatment.
- If you have any symptoms or signs of a nutrient deficiency or illness, see your doctor for a check-up. You doctor can recommend a blood test and other examinations to correctly diagnose if you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
- Do not self-diagnose or self-treat yourself with supplements.
Sandra King uses her life experience as a small business owner, single parent, community volunteer and obsessive traveler to write about a variety of topics. She holds degrees in communication and psychology and has earned certificates in medical writing, business management and landscape gardening. She uses her writing skills to inform her audience of the many interesting adventures available in life and provides tips for growing beyond the challenges you’ll meet along the way.