Could you be low in essential vitamins and minerals? Learn how to spot nutrient shortfalls in your diet based on chronic symptoms. Symptom: Symmetric low-back pain. Possible deficiency: Vitamin D. Sun exposure generates less vitamin D in darker-skinned people and the elderly. Obesity increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency, too. What to eat: Salmon, egg yolks, vitamin D-fortified milk, and vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms. Supplement with: 6,000 IU vitamin D3 daily for eight weeks for deficiency, then 1,500−2,000 IU daily to maintain levels.   Symptom: Swollen and/or bleeding gums. Possible deficiency: Vitamin C. About 6 percent of U.S. adults are […]