To function properly, your body must take in adequate amounts of several vitamins and minerals as well as of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. If you are not getting adequate amounts of some required nutrient, your body will develop symptoms of deficiency. For example, Vitamin D deficiency causes bone softening; potassium deficiency causes muscle cramps and sometimes more serious problems; and protein deficiency causes wasting of the muscles and when severe, can cause abdominal bloating.

Dietary needs are different depending on your gender, age, and activity level. To determine your daily dietary need of various nutrients, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.