According to healthcare specialists, your body needs thirteen essential vitamins to keep you healthy, and you can have these vitamin needs fulfilled by eating a variety of foods which is essential as all vitamins play a vital role in your body.
The most common type of vitamin deficiencies are of vitamin B12, vitamin B9, or vitamin D. Lack of these vitamins may cause adverse effects in your body as they play a vital role in the production of red blood cells or help in carrying out oxygen in the rest of your body.
The 13 most important vitamins are:
- Vitamin B9
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B7
- Vitamin E
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Complications due to Vitamin deficiency:
Prolonged vitamin deficiencies can cause severe problems in the future, which have lesser chances of improving even after treatment; these problems are:
- Reduced sensations in your hands and feet
- Weakness is toes and fingers
- Loss of vision
- Memory lapse
- Changes in regular behaviour
- Short breathiness
- High heart rate.
- Restless leg syndrome
- Insomnia
- Heart stroke risk
- Issues in your spine
It is important to prioritise your vitamin test via your local doctor to ensure early detection and further prevention.
Factors that contribute to vitamin deficiency:
Vitamin deficiency has a direct link to your diet. Vitamins are often included in fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, poultry and seafood. All these vitamins are found in more than one type of food, and many foods are more fortified with vitamins than others; for instance, milk has calcium (not a vitamin) and vitamin D.
Vitamin deficiency may occur if you’re not eating foods fortified with vitamins, like pasta, rice, cereals, etc.
Other causes of vitamin deficiency may include some medical conditions which have an adverse reaction when it comes to the absorption of vitamins; since our bodies don’t have the ability to vitamins, vitamin deficiency can occur within weeks. Therefore, visiting your healthcare professional regularly and getting vitamin tests done routinely is best.
Medical conditions that may cause vitamin deficiency may include:
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Liver failure
- Kidney disease
- Chronic diarrhea
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Gastric bypass
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Pernicious anaemia
Signs of vitamin deficiency:
Many vitamin deficiency symptoms go unnoticed, but you may see some signs; this is your body’s way of communicating that your body requires vitamins. Some of these signs may include the following:
- Tiredness, low on energy.
- Losing bone density
- Dry skin and hair
- Irritation
- Depression
- Getting bruised and starting bleeding easily.
- Wounds take more time than usual to heal.
- Predisposition to infections
- Changes in skin colour. Small, light or flat patches may become visible.
Conclusion
Vitamin deficiency can cause more than one symptom, and many symptoms, like insomnia, may be due to different vitamin deficiencies. Vitamin testing is the only way to determine which vitamin your body lacks.
Vitamin test results and their diagnosis may take some time. Since vitamin testing is not that common, your healthcare provider may perform a physical exam to examine symptoms like skin discoloration, bruises not healing and neuropathy and determine if vitamin tests are needed.
If your test results suggest that you have a vitamin deficiency, your doctor may prescribe some supplements to you to help you maintain vitamin levels in a few days, or you may have to take them long-term.
