1. Magnesium 

46% are deficient

Magnesium is an essential nutrient, meaning we must get it from our diets or supplements. Magnesium is best known for bone health and energy, but this mineral can also:

• Calm the nervous system and reduce stress

• Ease sleep problems

• Regulate muscle and nerve function

• Balance blood sugar levels

• Make protein, bone and even DNA

2. Vitamin D  

74% are deficient

Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium, which is important for bone health. Not getting enough Vitamin D can increase:

• Your likelihood of getting sick

• Your chances of bone and back pain

• Bone and hair loss

One can acquire an adequate amount of Vitamin D from diet and just 15 minutes of sunlight - but the reality remains that over 40% of Americans don't even get those 15 minutes, and its lack of prevalence in food exacerbates the issue.

3. Vitamin C  

31% are deficient

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning your body cannot produce it and we must get Vitamin C from outside sources like diet or supplementation. The benefits of an adequate amount of Vitamin C may include:

• May reduce your risk of chronic disease

• May help manage high blood pressure

• May lower your risk of heart disease

• Helps prevent iron deficiency

• Boosts immunity

• Protects your memory and thinking as you age

4. Zinc  

~16% are deficient

Zinc tends to be lower in people who are older or are under high stress. Zinc supports the immune system and helps you process carbs, proteins and fats for energy.

The American diet is not rich in Zinc and the body cannot store Zinc, so Zinc remains high on our list of supplements everyone should take daily.

5. B Vitamins  

~5% are deficient

The B-vitamin complex is made up of eight vitamins who work together to create and sustain our body’s energy supply by breaking down the micronutrients we consume (fats, proteins, carbs).

Each has a specialized role, too. For example, Vitamin B-12 works to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vegan or vegetarians are prone to vitamin B-12 deficiency because most food sources are animal-based like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.

6. Probiotics 

Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when ingested, provide a health benefit.

The complex community of microorganisms in your gut is called the gut flora, gut microbiota, or gut microbiome.

Surprisingly, the metabolic activities of your gut flora resemble those of an organ. For this reason, some scientists refer to the gut flora as the “forgotten organ”.

Your gut flora performs many important health functions:

• It manufactures vitamins, including vitamin K and some of the B vitamins.

• It turns fibers into short-chain fats like butyrate, propionate, and acetate, which feed your gut wall and perform many metabolic functions.

• These fats also stimulate your immune system and strengthen your gut wall. This can help prevent unwanted substances from entering your body and provoking an immune response.

Your gut flora is highly sensitive to your diet, and studies show that an unbalanced gut flora is linked to numerous diseases.

These diseases are thought to include obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression.

7. Choline  

92% are deficient

Choline is our final essential nutrient, meaning we also must get choline from outside sources like diet or supplementation. Choline plays important roles in the human body, including:

• Cell structure: It is needed to make fats that support the structural integrity of cell membranes.

• Cell messaging: It is involved in the production of compounds that act as cell messengers.

• Fat transport and metabolism: It is essential for making a substance required for removing cholesterol from your liver. Inadequate choline may result in fat and cholesterol buildup in your liver.

• DNA synthesis: Choline and other vitamins, such as B12 and folate, help with a process that’s important for DNA synthesis.

• A healthy nervous system: This nutrient is required to make acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter. It’s involved in memory, muscle movement, regulating heartbeat and other basic functions.