How Vitamin Deficiency Affects Your Body

Vitamin Deficiencies can cause a number of health problems for you. One such problem is Vitamin Deficiency Anemia which causes a lack of healthy red blood cells. This is caused by a lower than normal amount of certain types of vitamins. Vitamins like Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Folate and Vitamin D are the most important nutrients. Red Blood Cells carry Oxygen from Lungs to other organs in your body.

Such Health problems can occur if your diet is not balanced and you don’t eat enough foods that contain essential vitamins. This can also occur if your body fails to absorb and further process these vitamins. Particular problems that can occur due to a lack of essential vitamins are:

• Shortness of Breath.
• Fatigue
• Pale or Yellowish Skin.
• Dizziness.
• Weight Loss.
• Irregular Heartbeats.
• Muscle Weakness.
• Numbness in Hands and Feet.
• Unsteady Movements.
• Personality Changes.
• Loss of Memory and Mental Confusion.

Folate Deficiency:

Folate or Vitamin B9 is a nutrient found in leafy greens and fruits. If your diet doesn’t consist of these then you can get a deficiency. Deficiency can also occur if your body fails to absorb proper folate from the food you eat. Small Intestine is responsible for absorbing folate or folic acid (Synthetic form of Folic Acid) from food. You can have difficulty in absorbing folate if you drink alcohol, a major part of your small intestine was removed, you take certain drugs such as anti-seizure medications or you have some disease related to the small intestine. This vitamin will help you fight against the disease.

Pregnant Women and those who are breastfeeding got an increased demand for folate and failure to meet such demand can cause deficiency.

Vitamin B12:

This essential nutrient is mainly found in Milk, Meat and eggs. Failure to include a proper amount of such food in diet can cause deficiency. However, the most common cause of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a lack of intrinsic factor which is a Substance in your body. Such Deficiency is caused when your Immunity system attacks cells in the stomach that produce this substance mistakenly. Such Anemia is called Pernicious Anemia.

B Vitamins like Vitamin B12 in your stomach are joined and moved through your intestine to be absorbed by your Bloodstream. This is done by a protein called intrinsic factor and without this protein, Vitamin B12 can’t be absorbed and leaves your body as waste. People with problems like diabetes or thyroid are at a greater risk of developing pernicious Anemia.

Your body may not be able to absorb the proper amount of Vitamin B12 if:

• You have Abnormal Bacterial growth in your small intestine.
• You had a surgery like the gastric bypass to your small intestine.
• You have accidentally ingested a tapeworm from eating contaminated fish. This worm steals nutrients from your body.
• You have Crohn’s disease or celiac disease or some other Intestinal disease that halts the absorption of this Vitamin.

Vitamin C Deficiency:

Such deficiency again occurs if our diet is not healthy and balanced. This can also happen if your body can’t absorb proper Vitamin C from the food you eat. Bad habits like Smoking impairs your body’s ability to absorb Vitamin C. Chronic diseases like that of kidneys and Cancers can also impair your ability to absorb the proper amount of Vitamin C.

Vitamin D deficiency:

Lack of Vitamin D can cause diseases such as Rickets. This is because the body is not able to absorb and deposit the proper amount of Calcium. Rickets can also be caused by a lack of phosphorus but Vitamin D is the main cause in most of the cases. The human body can generate its own Vitamin D but metabolic precursors need to be available.

When your skin is exposed to sunlight or other Ultraviolet rays, cholesterol in your skin reacts and forms Cholecalciferol. It is then processed by the liver and kidneys to get the active form of Vitamin D. If your Diet is nominally healthy and you don’t get enough Sunlight as well then your body can’t create enough Vitamin D precursors on its own.

This condition is emerging as a health concern particularly for indoor groups of people and is a type of hypovitaminosis condition that is not a disease of the past. Rickets is a problem of children as its effects are more severe in developing bones. However, deficiency of the same Vitamin can cause bone softening or osteomalacia in Adults.

The good news is that you can start consuming supplements or can get Cholecalciferol from meat and oils like cod liver oil if a deficiency has been found.

Deficiency of such Vitamins can cause Pregnancy Complications, Nervous system Breakdowns and Scurvy. The best prevention is to adopt a Healthy and Balanced Diet. This habit to eat healthily should be adopted right from childhood and should be given up when you are an adult. Below are the Top Foods that are rich in essential Nutrients.

Foods Rich in Folate are:

• Nuts.
• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables.
• Fruits and Fruit Juices.
• Bread, Cereals, Pasta and Rice.

Foods that are rich in Vitamin B12 are:

• Milk and Yogurt.
• Cheese.
• Meat and Shellfish.
• Eggs.

Foods Rich in Vitamin C are:

• Citrus Fruits and Juices.
• Broccoli.
• Green Peppers.
• Strawberries.
• Tomatoes.

Foods Rich in Vitamin D are:

• Fatty fish like Salmon, Tuna, and mackerel.
• Egg Yolks.
• Beef Liver.
• Cheese.
• Soy Milk, Cereals and other foods fortified with Vitamin D.

Dietary Requirements of these Vitamins for Adults are:

• Folate or Folic Acid: 400 mcg.
• Vitamin B12: 2.4 mcg.
• Vitamin C: 75 to 90 milligrams
• Vitamin D: 10 to 20 mcg.

Considering a Multivitamin:

Most people consume enough Vitamins from the food they eat. However, not everyone could get that required diet and if you are concerned about the diet you eat consider taking a Multivitamin Supplement. It is best to consult a doctor first because he or she can prescribe the best one for you.

For now, signing off until next post.

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Author bio: Laura Edward a graduate from San Diego State University, and currently a content contributor at Nano Hearing Aids and Apricot Power. In her spare time, she read books and writes a new blog post. Follow her on Twitter @lauraedward977.

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