UBrittle nails and hair, excessive tiredness, paleness? Sometimes, there may be an underlying cause of these disorders a vitamin deficiencyessential nutrients for the health of the entire organism.
Discoveries in 1911 by the Polish doctor Kazimierz Funkwho extracted for the first time from bran a substance capable of treating beriberi, vitamins contribute in different ways to the well-being of the organism, so much so that one of them correct intake, through diet, can also have important effects for prevent various types of diseasesincluding various forms of anemia and nervous system disorders.
Vitamin deficiency: why it happens
But what happens when they are missing? Vitamin deficiency, defined hypovitaminosiscan cause different disorders depending on the vitamin or group of vitamins involved.
There lack may depend on insufficient intake of vitamin through diet but not only. The deficiency can also be linked to a increase in needas occurs, for example, in pregnancy. Or again, be caused by the presence of intestinal alterations that prevent its absorption. The good news? In most cases, just intervene with a correct dietor possibly, on medical advice, with specific supplements to eliminate disorders caused by vitamin deficiency.
Vitamin deficiency: how to recognize the signs
Pallor, headache, insomnia, dizziness, mental confusion, fatigue are common symptoms related to vitamin deficiency. «Clearly however, depending on the type of deficiency, a specific symptom may be felt more markedly» – explains the Dr. Maria Bravo, nutritional biologist of Humanitas San Pio
Vitamin B deficiency
The vitamins most often deficient are those of Group B, especially B6 and B12.
«B group vitamins they are water soluble and therefore it is easier to encounter a deficiency as they are not accumulated by our body e they are mainly taken in through the foods we ingest – explains the nutritionist. – Vitamin B 12 in particular is present in foods of animal origintherefore it is important to pay attention to any deficiency and integration especially if you follow one vegan diet».
Tachycardia may be a sign
Like all vitamins, those of group B are also fundamental for the health of the organism, because they ensure theenergy we need to carry out daily activitiesbut also why they protect skin, hair and teeth and prevent some pathologies, from those cardiovascular, neurological and skin pathologies.
Which signals can indicate a deficiency of B vitamins? «The symptoms can be multiple and vary depending on the type of vitamin – explains Dr. Bravo. – In general, the deficiency of these vitamins can result problems affecting the nervous and cardiovascular systemtherefore it is good to pay attention to symptoms such as tachycardia, mental confusion, asthenia. During pregnancy, supplementation with vitamin B9 (folic acid)as it has a fundamental role in the synthesis of proteins and DNA.
Brittle nails and hair: vitamin B8 deficiency
Happy young multiracial woman mixing bowl of fresh salad. Copy space.Healthy lifestyle concept.
However, when the deficiency concerns the vitamin B8 (biotin), the signals can be there fragility of nails and hair. «To prevent deficiency it is important to follow abalanced and balanced nutrition – underlines the expert. – Vitamin B8 is found mainly in the brewer’s yeast, peanuts, vegetables, mushrooms but also milk and cheese, egg yolk and liver».
Vitamin C deficiency: watch out for muscle and joint pain
Vitamin C deficiency is not very common but, in general, the symptoms of a deficiency can be tiredness, muscle and joint pain, brittle hair and anemia.
«In more serious cases, vitamin C deficiency can also cause a serious condition called scurvybut it is a very rare pathology, especially in industrialized countries” – explains Dr. Bravo.
Vitamin C: not just in citrus fruits
To stock up on vitamin C, it is best to prefer fresh foods, focusing above all on certain types of fruit and vegetables, in particular oranges, strawberries, mandarins, kiwis, lemons, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers.
But be careful, to fully enjoy the benefits of vitamin C, these Foods should be stored no longer than 3-4 days And consumed raw or in any case undercooked. Foods rich in vitamin C can then be combined to plant foods containing iron to increase it bioavailability and prevent deficiencies of this mineral.
Bone fragility and vitamin D deficiency
There vitamin D Instead belongs to the fat-soluble vitamins: as is known, it mostly comes synthesized by the body through the absorption of the sun’s rays from the skin and is accumulated in the liver. For this reason, during the winter, when exposure to the sun is less, it is good evaluate through blood tests if there is a deficiency, so as to adequately integrate it, if necessary.
«Vitamin D It has the main function of promoting the absorption of calcium and phosphorus taken in through food, therefore contributes to maintain strong bones and teeth – explains the nutritionist. – The deficiency of this vitamin is indeed linked to bone fragility problems. An insufficient intake of vitamin D can expose you to osteopenia and osteoporosis, i.e. a loss of bone tissue, and, consequently, a greater risk of fractures. Above all elderly and women after menopause must pay close attention to having an adequate intake of vitamin D, also through the right integration as vitamin D is poorly present in foods.”
Vitamins: even too many can be harmful
If a vitamin deficiency can cause various ailments, we must not forget that it can also their excessive consumption can lead to diseasessaid hypervitaminosiswhich they can have sometimes very serious consequences. As underlined by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, the most frequent hypervitaminosis occurs taking excess fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E or K. In fact, while some vitamins, such as C and B, are soluble in water and, if in excess, are rapidly eliminated in the urine, Vitamins A, D, E and K are stored in the liver and body fatand can be eliminated very slowly.
THE symptoms of hypervitaminosis? They are different and, even in this case, vary depending on the vitamin that accumulates. An excess of vitamin A, for example, can give headache, vomit and state of torpor. Menter a excess of vitamin D causes a increase in calcium levels in the bloodwith sete, abdominal pain and fatigue. Assume excessive doses of these vitamins through nutrition but it is practically impossible: most cases of hypervitaminosis Indeed are due to excessive consumption of supplements. Which is why it is good to remember that i Vitamin supplements should not be taken without a real needand that always is It is advisable to ask your doctor for advice before taking them.
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