When the human body does not contain enough of a particular vitamin, deficiency symptoms can appear. Most of these symptoms disappear as soon as the deficiency is corrected but some deficiencies have long-term effects.
Vitamins |
Deficiency symptoms |
A: |
Night blindness, dry scaly skin, frequent fatigue |
B1: |
Heart irregularity, fatigue, nerve disorders, mental confusion. |
B2: |
Cracks in corners of mouth, skin rash, anaemia. |
B3 (niacin): |
Skin disorders, diarrhoea, indigestion, general fatigue. |
B5 (panto-thenic acid): |
Fatigue, vomiting, stomach stress, infections, muscle cramps. |
B6: |
Convulsions, dermatitis, muscular weakness, skin cracks, anaemia. |
B8 (biotin): |
Nausea, vomiting, depression, hair loss, dry, scaly skin. |
B9 (folate): |
Gastrointestinal disorders, anaemia, cracks on lips. |
B12: |
Anaemia, nervousness, fatigue, and, in some cases, neuritis and brain degeneration. |
C: |
Swollen or bleeding gums, slow wound healing, fatigue, scurvy, depression, poor digestion. |
D: |
In children: rickets and other bone deformities. In adults: calcium loss from bones. |
E: |
Muscular wasting, nerve damage, reproductive failure, anaemia. |
K: |
Bleeding disorders in newborn infants and people on blood-thinning medications. |