Are you irritable and stressed all the time? The reason is not just the brain, these 5 major deficiencies can be hidden inside the body.

In this fast-paced modern life, if you get irritated by every conversation, get angry on small things and your mind is constantly under stress, then most of the people consider it as work pressure, family discord or mental weakness. However, modern medical science and endocrinology experts do not consider this assumption to be completely correct. Doctors say that our brain and body are connected to each other through complex chemical and neurological wires. Many times, when the level of some essential nutrients in the body falls or the hormonal balance deteriorates, its first impact is on our mood and behavior.

If you are taking enough rest and still feel heaviness, irritability and nervousness without any concrete reason, then the root cause may not be in your mind, but in physical ailments or nutritional deficiencies hidden inside the body.

According to medical experts, the following physical problems are found to be most prominently responsible for persistent mood swings and chronic stress:

• 1. Severe deficiency of Vitamin D and B12:

  
  

  Vitamin D is important not only for strengthening bones but also for the production of dopamine and serotonin (called happy hormones) in the brain. Due to lack of sunlight, the level of Vitamin D in the body decreases and depression, lethargy and irritability start increasing. At the same time, Vitamin B12 is essential for the health of the nervous system and protection of the myelin sheath. Due to its deficiency, complaints of weak memory, extreme fatigue, anxiety and sudden bad mood become common.

• 2. Imbalance of thyroid hormone (Hypo/Hyperthyroidism):

  
  

  The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland present in the neck controls the body’s metabolism and mood. In hypothyroidism (deficiency of thyroid hormone), the person feels sad, tired and lethargic, while in hyperthyroidism (excess of hormone) symptoms like rapid heartbeat, extreme restlessness, sweating and excessive anger are seen.

• 3. Gut Health and ‘Gut-Brain Axis’:

  
  

  Gastroenterologists call the intestine the ‘second brain’. About 90 percent of the body’s serotonin is not made in the brain, but in our intestines. When the balance of the gut microbiome (healthy bacteria) gets disrupted due to bad eating habits or excessive use of antibiotics, a direct message is sent to the brain through the gut-brain axis, causing unnecessary restlessness, irritability and stress.

• 4. Magnesium Deficiency:

  
  

  Magnesium is considered nature’s ‘relaxation mineral’. It works to relax muscles and suppress cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the brain. Due to consumption of junk food and processed diet, magnesium in the body decreases, due to which muscles start stiffening, sleep gets disturbed and the mind remains alert and stressed all the time.

• 5. Chronic Dehydration and Blood Sugar Fluctuations:

  
  

  Mild dehydration in the body due to drinking less water throughout the day also reduces the energy level and causes irritability along with headache. Similarly, when blood sugar spikes rapidly and suddenly falls (Sugar Crash) after eating refined carbohydrates or sugary snacks, there is a wave of restlessness and sudden irritability in the brain.

If you too have been struggling with irritability, nervousness and lack of energy for weeks or months without any apparent reason, then instead of relying only on meditation or rest, visit your physician once and get these important tests done:

• Vitamin Profile: 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D and Serum Vitamin B12 Test.

• Thyroid Profile: Testing of T3, T4 and TSH.

• Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Serum Ferritin: Testing for hemoglobin or iron deficiency (anemia) in the body, which is a major cause of fatigue and irritability.

• Fasting Blood Sugar and HbA1c: To check for insulin resistance or sugar fluctuations.

Along with medicines, bring these basic lifestyle changes to stabilize your mood and make the body stress-free:

• Enjoy the morning sun: Sit in lukewarm sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes every morning, so that the skin can produce vitamin D naturally.

• Include nuts and seeds in your diet: Eat pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, green leafy vegetables and bananas, which are rich in magnesium and essential micronutrients.

• Consumption of probiotics: To improve intestinal health, make fresh curd, buttermilk or fermented foods a part of your plate daily.

• Control caffeine and packaged sugar: Excessive tea, coffee and energy drinks irritate the nerves by increasing adrenalin. Instead of these, give preference to plain water, coconut water or herbal tea.