But if you're feeling these symptoms more often than not, your body may be telling you it is running low on certain nutrients. These borderline deficiencies, usually the result of a less than perfect diet, can weaken the immune system, and sometimes lead to chronic diseases, depending on the nutrient that is lacking. Lewis says that these deficiencies affect a fair number of people in the United States and can be combated with diet and lifestyle modification.
Nutrients enter our body in the form of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
Many vitamins and minerals regulate metabolism and assist the processes that release energy from digested food. So, when you are lacking in certain essential vitamins and minerals, this system is broken down. Because this synergistic relationship is required to keep the body running, more than 50 years ago the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board determined the daily amount of each vitamin and mineral needed by the body to prevent disease. There are a number of deficiencies Americans should be concerned with. For example, vitamins A and C, found in fruits and vegetables, are key players in keeping the immune system healthy, according to Lewis.