Vitamin Deficiencies

What are vitamins?

Vitamins have a vital role to play in maintaining a good health. They assist in the proper functioning of the metabolism of your body. They also assist in other bodily functions like blood cells, hormones etc.

What is the role played by these vitamins?

Vitamins play a role of a catalyst as they are known to combine with the proteins in the body to create enzymes which are metabolically active.

Vitamin A - Helps in the proper functioning of your immune system. Deficiencies are found in children, pregnant women and also in lactating mothers. Deficiency leads to visual impairment, blindness, measles in children and in some severe cases can lead to deaths.

Vitamin B1 - Thiamin is used to help burn carbohydrates to generate energy for metabolic activities. Deficiency can lead to loss of appetite, chronic constipation, poor digestion, depression, weight loss, insomnia, cramps, decrease in the heartbeats, exhaustion etc. This deficiency can be due to alcohol, liver dysfunction, kidney dialysis etc.

Vitamin B2 - This is a water soluble vitamin which is used to activate vitamin B6 and folic acid; it is also used to process amino acids and fats in the body, helps burn carbohydrates into energy. Riboflavin deficiency is due to poor diet and can lead to abnormal sensitivity to sunlight, burning and itching in the eyes, mouth sores, cracked lips etc.

Vitamin B3 - Helps to release energy in the body by burning carbohydrates. Common ailments associated with niacin deficiency are disorders of the digestive system, skin ailments, nervous system and sometimes death. Deficiency is due to alcoholism and poor diet.

Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid is one of the most essential vitamins for the growth of the human body it helps in the proper functioning of the reproductive organs. Deficiency can lead to nutritional deficiency known as Kwashiorkor or marasmus. It can lead to insomnia, vomiting, stomach cramps, respiratory tract infections, depression etc.

Vitamin B6 - Helps in the proper functioning of the immune system, the central nervous system, protein metabolism etc. Deficiency is due to poor absorption of the nutrients in the intestine. This could be due to certain drug allergies, genetic disorders etc, lead to skin ailments, mental imbalance etc and in rare cases kidney failures.

Folic acid is required for the replication of the cell growth; there is an increase in folic acid during pregnancy, breastfeeding, cancerous growth etc. Deficiency can lead to premature graying of hairs, glossitis, ulcers or the mouth, peptic and diarrhea, in chronic cases it can lead to anemia.

Vitamin B12 - Helps maintain the platelets as well as the white and red blood cell count, metabolic activities of the body for proper cell growth. Deficiency leads to decrease in the level of blood production; there is an increase in the destruction of the cells, anemia, imbalance, dementia and loss of sensation.

Vitamin C an antioxidant helps in the growth and development of the connective tissues, biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters, healing power etc. Deficiency leads to scurvy in adults, under hydroxylation of proline and lysine which causes breakdown in the protein collagen which is essential for connective tissues etc.

Vitamin D - fat soluble vitamin helps maintain the calcium level in the blood along with phosphorus. Deficiency leads to osteomalacia in adults and in rickets in children.

Vitamin E - another antioxidant helpful in protecting cell membrane. Deficiency leads to prevention of absorption of soluble fats nutrients, proper functioning of the central nervous system, loss of body reflexes etc.

Vitamin K helps in the easy blood clotting and carboxylation of the osteocalcin. Deficiency leads to hemorrhagic diseases, epistaxis, gastrointestinal bleeding, hematuria, menorrhagia etc.