Your immune system is a complex machine. It can’t function properly without the right fuel. That being said, a nutrient deficiency could throw your health off track. One of the most common nutrient deficiency symptoms is your immune system going haywire. 

Your immune system could attack your body’s own tissues and lead you down what I call the Autoimmune Spectrum®. This could range from experiencing uncomfortable symptoms to developing a full-blown autoimmune disease. 

Restoring optimal levels of these nutrients, whether with food or a supplement such as my multivitamin, is an important step in reversing autoimmune disease. What’s more, it may also prevent another autoimmune condition from creeping up on you. 

In this article, you’ll learn about the six key nutrient deficiencies that can lead to autoimmune disease and what you can do about it. Let’s dive in!

Nutrient Deficiencies & Autoimmunity

As I mentioned before, a nutrient deficiency could lead to unfortunate health outcomes. Don’t worry. You’re going to learn exactly what you need to do. Here are the six nutrient deficiencies that research has linked to autoimmune disease and that I most commonly saw in my autoimmune patients.

1. Vitamin D and Autoimmune Disorders

Even if you live in a warm climate and get plenty of sunlight, your vitamin D levels could be less than optimal. This is particularly problematic for autoimmune patients. The reason why? Vitamin D plays a critical role in your immune system. 

Vitamin D helps balance your immune system by activating special cells called regulatory T cells. These T cells are like the “bouncer” for your immune system. They decide who gets in and who stays out. They do this by deciding if the cells are dangerous invaders or “self” cells. Furthermore, vitamin D also supports the immune system against viral and bacterial infections that can trigger or worsen autoimmune conditions.

2. Omega 3s

Our modern diet tends to contain more polyunsaturated vegetable oils instead of the healthy oils found in fatty fish. Consequently, many Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that Omega-3 oils can support an appropriate inflammatory response and your immune system. (1) So, stock up on salmon and sardines! If that’s too “fishy” for you, an omega 3 supplement will do the trick. 

3. B vitamins

B vitamins do more than just provide energy for our cells. They also impact immune function, hormones, mood, sleep, nerves, circulation, and digestion. 

For example, vitamin B12 supports the production of white blood cells. These cells are essential components of the immune system. One of the nutrient deficiency symptoms associated with inadequate B12 is a lowered white blood cell count. This negatively impacts your immune system and could lead you to autoimmunity. 

4. Selenium

You don’t usually hear too many people talking about selenium. However, did you know research shows selenium is key to keeping your immune system and inflammation in check? (2) It’s also a vital nutrient for supporting thyroid function. I talk more about this in my book, The Thyroid Connection. 

5. Zinc

Zinc affects multiple aspects of your immune system, from your skin barrier to gene regulation within lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In fact, zinc is essential for the production of white blood cells. People with zinc deficiencies may need additional support to modulate their immune system response. (3)

6. Magnesium

Magnesium is important for immune function and heart health. Unfortunately, most people are chronically lacking in it due to high stress levels and high-sugar diets (sugar impacts magnesium levels). 

An increased production of proinflammatory cytokines — messenger proteins that help cells communicate — is one of the nutrient deficiency symptoms associated with low magnesium. This can negatively impact the immune system because it leads to chronic inflammation and immune system overactivity. (4) 

As if that wasn’t enough, magnesium also helps with sleep! So, support your magnesium levels with supplementation or food — your body will thank you!

What Causes Nutrient Deficiencies in Autoimmune Patients?

Now that we know which nutrients play a critical role in the immune system, let’s look at why autoimmune patients are often low in them.

A Nutrient-Poor Diet and Inflammatory Foods

This one is pretty obvious. If you aren’t eating these nutrients, your body won’t have enough of them. If you haven’t started following any of The Myers Way® protocols, you’re likely eating lots of white flour products, refined sugars, and processed foods. 

While these foods may taste good, they are completely devoid of nutrients. In addition, what little vitamins they offer are typically added synthetically. Your body doesn’t like that!

In addition to nutrient-poor, processed foods, a diet high in inflammatory foods can also cause nutrient deficiencies. To illustrate, these inflammatory foods not only stimulate an immune response, they also lead to a leaky gut. Here are some inflammatory foods to watch out for:

• gluten 

• dairy 

• grains 

• legumes 

• nuts and seeds

• nightshades

• eggs 

• sugar

• caffeine

We know from Dr. Alessio Fasano’s research the role leaky gut plays in autoimmune conditions. What you may not know is that when your gut is leaky, the junctions in the intestinal walls that keep your GI lining tight become “loose.” This allows food proteins, bacteria, yeast, and viruses to enter the bloodstream. It’s all downhill from there! The good news is this situation can be fixed.

Additionally, some people have blunted villi—the small hair-like projections that absorb nutrients. As a result, they can’t absorb foods properly. So, even if they’re getting plenty of vitamins and minerals in their diet, they may still become deficient in them. Consequently, this can lead to a wave of inflammation that triggers or worsens autoimmunity.

Gene Mutations

Certain gene mutations inhibit your body’s ability to properly use nutrients, thus leading to nutrient deficiency symptoms. Common gene mutations such as MTHFR significantly reduce your ability to convert certain nutrients that contribute to methylation. These nutrients include B vitamins, choline, folate, and more. In a similar fashion, VDR mutations can cause low vitamin D. Mutations that control sulfation — a liver detoxification pathway — can cause zinc deficiency. 

If you have one or more of these gene mutations, then you might be getting plenty of nutrients from your diet or supplements. Nevertheless, your body isn’t able to optimally utilize them. It's like having all the right ingredients for a recipe but struggling to mix them together the way your body needs.

How to Prevent or Overcome Nutrient Deficiencies

Don’t worry — restoring optimal levels of these key nutrients can be done! By upping your dietary intake and addressing the underlying causes of your nutrient deficiency, you can replenish your levels and strengthen your immune system. You’ll be able to kiss those nutrient deficiency symptoms goodbye! Here’s what to remember:

Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet

Getting your nutrients through food is always the ideal route, so you’ll want to add plenty of these foods to your diet:

• Vitamin D: fatty fish, grass-fed or pasture-raised proteins, and organ meats

• Selenium: garlic, turkey, liver, and red meat

• Magnesium: dark leafy greens such as spinach and chard, figs, fish, avocado, and bananas

• Zinc: oysters and seafood, grass-fed beef and lamb

• Omega 3: grass-fed meats, fatty fish, flax and chia oil

• B vitamins: leafy greens, animal proteins, fresh and dried fruits, seafood, avocados

My new cookbook, The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, contains over 150 recipes featuring foods packed with the nutrients you need to overcome autoimmunity. From Omega 3-rich Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon to magnesium-dense Zucchini Noodles with Spinach-Kale Pesto, these recipes were specially designed to make autoimmune-friendly cooking easy and delicious! 

More than just a cookbook, it also lays out the four pillars of The Myers Way® to help you optimize your diet and lifestyle for preventing or reversing autoimmunity.

Repair Your Gut

Repairing your gut is one of the most important steps to take in your autoimmune journey. For example, it will not only improve your ability to absorb nutrients, it will also support your inflammatory response and your immune system. In addition, it will help to alleviate any uncomfortable nutrient deficiency symptoms. I recommend using the 4R approach to repair your gut:

1. Remove the bad — First, get rid of gut infections and toss all toxic and inflammatory foods.

2. Restore what’s missing — Next, add back in the essential ingredients for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. This can be done with a digestive enzyme supplement and hydrochloric acid (HCL).

3. Reinoculate with healthy bacteria —Then, reestablish a healthy gut flora using probiotics.

4. Repair your gut — Last, rebuild the mucosal lining of your gut with Leaky Gut Revive™.

You can learn more about the 4R Approach in this post.

Add High-Quality Supplements

Optimizing your diet and repairing your gut will go a long way toward addressing your nutrient deficiency symptoms. However, the unfortunate truth is that our nutrient-depleted soil, high-stress lifestyles, and toxic environments make it difficult to get all our nutrients from food alone. As a result, it’s no wonder that it’s common for some to have a nutrient deficiency! Fortunately, high-quality supplements can step in to fill the gap.

Here are the supplements I recommend everyone with autoimmunity take on a daily basis in order to prevent a nutrient deficiency:

• Multivitamin: A daily multivitamin to build a foundation of optimal health. The one I carry in my store contains the full recommended levels of selenium, magnesium, and zinc.

• Vitamin D: When supplementing with vitamin D, be sure to choose one that combines D3 (the active form of vitamin D) with vitamin K2. These nutrients are complementary and work together for proper immune, brain, hormone, and bone health. 

• Omega 3: My Complete Omega-3 Softgels are pharmaceutical grade, GMP certified, and 3rd-party tested. We do this to ensure it is the purest, highest-potency fish oil supplement available on the market today.

• B vitamins: The best source for this is my multivitamin. To demonstrate, it contains all eight B vitamins in a form that is easily absorbable. If you have one or two MTHFR mutations, my Methylation Support® includes pre-methylated B vitamins and other important nutrients needed for methylation.

• Magnesium: Magnesium is responsible for over 300 biochemical processes in your body. Magnesium citrate is one of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium. That’s why I incorporated it into my MagMove formula. Take this to support digestive health and promote a healthy metabolism.

With a few simple steps, you can drastically improve your nutrient intake and take back control of your health!

The Final Word

Your immune system is a finely tuned engine—it needs the right fuel to run smoothly. That being said, nutrient deficiencies can throw it off balance. The result? You may be on the road to autoimmunity. Yet, there’s good news! You have the power to change that. 

By eating nutrient-dense foods, repairing your gut, and filling in the gaps with high-quality supplements, you can give your body exactly what it needs to stay strong and resilient. What’s more, if you do start experiencing nutrient deficiency symptoms, nutrients such as omega 3s, B vitamins, and magnesium will give your immune system the support it needs. 

If you're ready to take charge of your immune health, start by adding these essential nutrients to your diet. If you want a simple, effective way to ensure you're getting everything your body needs, I’ve got you covered. Check out my carefully formulated Myers Way® Multivitamin, Vitamin D3/K2 Liquid, Methylation Support®, MagMove, and Complete Omega 3 Soft Gels. These supplements are easy to incorporate into your routine and can pay off in big ways for your health. 

Your immune system does so much for you—let’s give it the support it deserves!