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Gone are the days of sailors taking lemons on board long voyages to prevent scurvy, a severe long-term shortage of vitamin C, and children developing rickets, caused by vitamin D deficiency. Even in the land of plenty, however, people may experience vitamin and mineral deficiencies in their diets.

Some conditions caused by insufficient nutrition easily can be reversed by a balanced diet and supplements, while other conditions may be symptoms of more serious diseases. Please consult your physician before taking any dietary supplements.

Dry Skin

Prevention magazine's Healthy

Ideas suggests that the oil in salmon, herring and other cold-water fish, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, can help replace moisture in dry skin and hair.

Fatigue

Iron deficiency, the most common cause of anemia, leads to a reduction in oxygen-carrying hemoglobin, causing anemic people to appear pale and weak. Good sources of iron include lean red meat, fish, chicken, dark-green leafy vegetables and legumes. Low intake of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, folic acid and B-12 also may be causes of fatigue.

Broken Bones

According to the New England Journal of Medicine's Health News, calcium and vitamin D supplements may help prevent bone loss and lower the risk of fractures in the elderly. A well-balanced diet with enough protein, magnesium and zinc helps your body use the calcium efficiently.

Hair Loss

In some cases, iron deficiency can contribute to hair loss. To treat hair loss due to anemia, one can increase consumption of iron-containing foods or take iron supplements. Severe malnutrition sometimes due to anorexia can trigger telogen effluvium hair loss. Again, normal hair growth resumes with adequate nutrition.

Poor Immune System

A 1996 study suggests that sufficient levels of cobalamin, or vitamin B-12, play a vital role in the health of elderly persons. The study found a close association between low B-12 blood levels and a poor response by the body's natural defense system. Although not a vitamin or mineral, positive emotions also play an important part in strengthening the immune system.

Leg Aches

Restless legs syndrome -- "crawling, aching or jittery sensations in the legs," especially at night -- is more prevalent in people with iron or folic acid deficiency.

Gallstones

Losing weight can cause gallstones to form, but science still doesn't know why. One theory is that the gallbladder can't contract as often as it needs to every day if there is not enough fat in the diet -- allowing cholesterol to collect and crystallize inside the gallbladder.

Insomnia

Healthy Ideas suggests too little copper, iron and magnesium and too much aluminum in your diet can prevent you from getting your beauty rest. To get your full two milligrams -- yes, that's all you need -- of copper, crack open some lobster and cooked oysters. The recommended dietary allowance of iron is 15 milligrams for menstruating women and 10 milligrams for men and nonmenstruating women. Certain medications, such as diuretics (water pills) prescribed for high blood pressure, can keep your body from absorbing the mineral efficiently. On the other hand, too much aluminum, found in many brands of antacids, can keep the sandman away.