According to a 2020 study, 80% of people with hair loss are found to have Vitamin D deficiency.
It is alarming to see how our generation has begun to develop ailments that previous generations ran into much later in their lifetimes. Health conditions like hair loss, chronic fatigue, low bone density, and other vitamin-deficiency-related diseases have started plaguing the youth. This is primarily the result of an unhealthy lifestyle and concerning levels of stress.
There can be many reasons why your body runs into a vitamin deficiency. The most common of them all is diet. But, the less obvious of the evils is also the lifestyle. Habits like excessive alcohol intake and disturbed sleep patterns can hamper the absorption of nutrients in the body. What other factors can cause vitamin deficiencies? How do they harm our bodies? What are some of the major diseases that are caused by insufficient nutrition and how can you cure them? Let’s find out.
Why does Vitamin Deficiency Occur?
Quite obviously, Vitamin-deficiency is a result of dietary deficiencies. But lifestyle habits can also impact our diet directly or indirectly.
Inconsistent sleeping patterns may hamper the number of meals you consume daily, ultimately leading to a deficient dietary intake. Besides external influences like alcohol and stress are known to impact gut health. These lifestyle habits might as well lead to chronic diseases that eventually result in nutrient deficiency.
In a nutshell, our lifestyle has a huge role in our holistic health. The modern ways of living are impacting our generation and causing them to develop deficiencies.
10 Signs That You Have Vitamin Deficiency
Though vitamin deficient-related diseases develop over a course of time, you might be able to spot some signs of early onset. When detected on time, the condition can be prevented from turning into a chronic disease. Below are some signs you might have Vitamin deficiency:
Mouth ulcers
Cracking corners of the mouth
Bleeding in the Gums
Weak Nails
Brittle Hair
Deteriorating night vision
White growths in the eye
Dandruff
Scaly patches on the skin
Fatigue
Vitamin Deficiency Diseases List
Below is a list of some of the most commonly found Vitamin deficiencies and the diseases they might cause:
Vitamin A
Night Blindness
Vitamin B1
Beriberi
Vitamin B2
Ariboflavinosis
Vitamin B3
Pellagra
Vitamin B5
Paresthesia
Vitamin B6
Anemia
Vitamin B7
Dermatitis
Enteritis
Vitamin B9 & B12
Megaloblastic anemia
Vitamin C
Scurvy
Swelling of Gums
Vitamin D
Rickets
Osteomalacia
Vitamin E
Less Fertility
Vitamin K
Non-Clotting of Blood
Most Common Vitamin Deficiency and Symptoms: FAQs
It can be life-saving to be a keen observer of bodily symptoms. Most diseases come with signs of onset, and if predicted in time, these diseases can be stopped from becoming a permanent part of your life. Below are some of the Vitamin deficiency symptoms you should look for, and the deficiencies they might indicate.
Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?
Out of the 8 vitamin substances in the Vitamin B complex, riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 have been associated with Hair. Their deficiency causes hair loss.
What Vitamin Deficiency Causes you to Feel Cold?
A person might feel cold because of Anemia. Iron and Vitamin B12 deficiency are known to cause Anemia, and hence these deficiencies might also cause you to feel cold.
What Vitamin Deficiency Causes White Spots on Skin?
A deficiency of Vitamin D and Vitamin E, and also nutrients like Calcium, causes white spots on the skin. Although these spots are harmless, they indicate that a dietary change is required.
What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Muscle Cramps?
Muscle cramps are known to be caused by Vitamin B12, which is also known as Cobalamin. The deficiency of this vitamin can cause muscle cramps all over the body.
Vitamin Deficiency for White Hair
Although mostly considered genetic or induced due to environmental factors, pre-mature hair greying can also be caused by a deficiency of nutrients like Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, and Calcium.
Vitamin Deficiency for Dark Circles
Vitamin K is known to be associated with Dark circles. That is why this vitamin is extensively used in skincare products.
Vitamin Deficiency with Alcoholism
The deficiency of Vitamin B6, Folate, thiamine, and Vitamin A is associated with alcoholism. Chronic alcoholic patients are commonly found to have one or more of these deficiencies.
Vitamin Deficiency Yellow Teeth
Vitamin C deficiency is known to cause yellowing of the teeth. Vitamin D deficiency might also manifest as yellow teeth.
Vitamin Deficiency Yellow Eyes
Vitamin B12 influences red blood cell production, and hence, when a person is deficient in Vitamin B12, it might manifest as yellow eyes.
Vitamin Deficiency Yellow Toe Nails
Vitamin E deficiency may lead to the yellowing of nails.
How to Test Vitamin Deficiencies?
It is important to keep a regular tab on the nutrition available to your body. We must not just monitor the diet we consume, but must also get ourselves regularly checked for any vitamin deficiencies.
You can easily find laboratories that offer a Vitamin deficiency test or other nutrition evaluations. The assessment can be done using a blood sample.
How to Treat Vitamin Deficiencies?
There can be two ways in which you address Vitamin deficiencies. One way is to rely on supplements that are either focused on the specific vitamin that is deficient in you, or you might go for multivitamins to ensure replenishment of all essential vitamins.
The other way, which is also debated to be the better way, is to rely on natural dietary sources of important vitamins. The most notable vitamin-rich foods involve eggs, carrots, leafy greens, etc.
Globally, up to 500 million children lose their vision to Vitamin A deficiency every year.
How Changing Your Lifestyle Can Save You?
Vitamin deficiency and related diseases can cause serious discomfort and come with dire
consequences if ignored over a long period of time. You can save yourself a lot of trouble if you build a lifestyle that focuses on holistic health and a nutritive diet.
There are so many chronic diseases that can stem from a deficient diet and faulty habits. Just a few mindful fixes, and you can save yourself a ton of hospital bills and inconvenience.
Final thoughts,
In a nutshell, it is possible to avoid a lot of diseases by making simple changes to your routine. There are many resources available online that can help you create the right lifestyle for yourself. You can also take the help of dieticians, fitness trainers, and coaches. Prevention is always better than cure, and in this case, prevention is also easier.
Never neglect your body’s signals, and as a Medical Negligence Lawyer myself i would say, never let anyone else do that either.
The Author :
Dr. Sunil Khattri
sunilkhattri@gmail.com
+91 9811618704
Dr Sunil Khattri MBBS, MS(General Surgery), LLB, is a Medical doctor and is a practicing Advocate in the Supreme Court of India and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi.