Vitamin deficiencies: causes and symptoms

Most often the lack of vitamins is due to an unbalanced diet. For example, people who have adopted a vegetarian diet are prone to vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiencies. Many of the symptoms, which are attributed to other conditions, are determined by vitamin deficiencies. In the following, we present the causes of vitamin deficiency and the signs and symptoms of each type.

The most common causes of vitamin deficiency

Most often, the lack of certain vitamins is the result of an unbalanced diet. For instance, people who eat a vegetarian diet are prone to vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency. Similarly, women on a slimming diet face severe deficiencies in certain vitamins (notably vitamins B, C, D, and E) and require dietary supplements. The thermal cooking of food can destroy a significant amount of the vitamins found in some foods. Another common cause that can lead to chronic and overall vitamin deficiency is alcohol consumption. There are also a number of diseases that can be doubled by vitamin deficiencies, such as diseases affecting intestinal transit (biliary, pancreatic, and inflammatory bowel diseases). Among the categories of people most prone to the occurrence of vitamin deficiencies and their symptoms are people with low immunity, the elderly and pregnant women.

Signs and symptoms of vitamin deficiency

A - Decreased visual acuity in the dark, dry skin, fatigue. B1 - Fatigue, confusion, memory problems, asthenia, insomnia. B2 - Anemia, skin rashes, visual disturbances, decreased immunity. B3 - Skin disorders, gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhoea), fatigue, decreased appetite B5 - Chronic fatigue, nausea, vomiting, memory problems, muscle cramps B6 - Convulsions, eczema, muscle fatigue, dry skin, anaemia B8 - Nausea, vomiting, depression, dry skin, hair loss. B9 - Gastrointestinal disorders, anaemia, mouth ulcers. B12 - Anemia, anger, fatigue, neuritis. C - Gingival bleeding when brushing teeth, fatigue, depression. D - Rickets, bone deformities, decreased bone density. E - Fatigue and muscular dystrophies, infertility, anaemia K - Blood clotting disorders, heavy menstrual flow, gum bleeding, nasal haemorrhage, blood in the urine.

The best vitamin sources

To ensure that you receive the correct and necessary amount of vitamins, you should have a varied and balanced diet of nutritional principles. For example, your daily diet should include fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, an important source of both vitamin B and D is found in meat (preferably chicken, turkey, fish) and in dairy products. Wholegrain cereals should not be missing from your daily diet since they are an excellent source of B-complex vitamins and vitamin E.