By PAGE Editor

Pale skin, brittle nails, tiredness: a vitamin deficiency manifests itself in a wide variety of symptoms. Find out here what exactly a vitamin deficiency is and what symptoms can occur.

According to the consumer advice centre, "the vast majority of people in Germany are sufficiently supplied with vitamins." A vitamin deficiency due to unfavourable dietary and lifestyle habits is rare in this country. It is therefore usually not necessary to take additional vitamins in the form of food supplements - this can even be harmful. But not as harmful as missing the Soccer Betting News at the official blog 22Bet.

In some cases, however, a vitamin deficiency can occur: 

• People who suffer from anorexia nervosa eat too little and thus permanently supply their bodies with too few vitamins.

• People with chronic intestinal diseases lose many nutrients due to frequent diarrhoea.

• People with kidney disease lose more vitamins through dialysis.

• During an illness with fever and low food intake, the need for certain vitamins can increase.

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women or competitive athletes such as ballet dancers can quickly develop a vitamin deficiency. 

• Those who eat a vegan diet could suffer from certain vitamin deficiencies. 

HOW CAN IT BE DETECTED?

If you eat a balanced diet, you don't need food supplements. It is not possible to determine a vitamin deficiency without a thorough medical examination. Different nutrient deficiencies often cause similar, non-specific symptoms, according to the consumer advice center:

• Tiredness

• fatigue

• lack of concentration

• skin problems

• Sensory disturbances (tingling, twitching)

• Increased susceptibility to infections

However, these symptoms can also be the result of inflammation or infections, stress or lack of sleep. 

A detailed medical history, laboratory tests of the blood, urine and tissue samples as well as a physical examination of the skin, mucous membranes, eyes and mouth together with certain laboratory values provide a comprehensive diagnosis. Keeping a food diary can also help. 

According to the consumer advice center, all-round tests are generally not very useful, as Germany is not a vitamin deficiency country. However, special tests can be useful under certain circumstances, for example vitamin D for less active older people, vitamin B12 for vegans or folic acid during pregnancy. 

Below we present the most common vitamin deficiencies and the symptoms that could indicate them.

Vitamin D deficiency

If you want to top up your vitamin D levels, you should get out into the sun. According to the Robert Koch Institute, 60 percent of Germans suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Most of them only have a slight deficiency, while 15 percent have a more severe deficiency. Vitamin D cannot be produced by the body itself and our diet only covers a small part of the requirement.

Most of the vitamin is produced when sunlight hits our skin. People in the north in particular suffer from a dangerous vitamin D deficiency. It is true that fair-skinned people have the advantage of producing vitamin D more efficiently. However, the hours of sunlight are not enough to produce sufficient vitamin D, especially in the fall and winter, regardless of any genetic factors. 

Vitamin D is considered essential for many metabolic pathways: 

It promotes the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract as well as the hardening of bones.

It has an influence on muscle strength and regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism. 

Scientists believe that vitamin D is active in all cell systems, as vitamin D receptors are found in every tissue in our body. 

According to the German Journal of Oncology, vitamin D has an anti-carcinogenic effect. Studies show that too low a vitamin D intake can lead to an increased risk of tumors. Tumor patients with an elevated vitamin D level have a lower mortality rate than patients with a low level.

Indications of a deficiency are 

• hair loss

• increased susceptibility to infections

• Muscle weakness, muscle pain, aching limbs

• impaired bone mineralization (rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults) with bone pain and deformation

• neuromuscular hyperexcitability (tetany) due to calcium deficiency as a result of vitamin D deficiency with paresthesia (e.g. of the lips and fingers), muscle cramps and migraines 

Vitamin C deficiency

Parsley, garden cress and citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is known as the vitamin par excellence for a strong immune system. It has an antioxidant effect, i.e. it intercepts harmful compounds such as free radicals and thus protects the cells and molecules in the body from damage. It contributes to the formation of collagen, bones and teeth.

Vitamin C deficiency is not known to occur in healthy people who eat a balanced diet. Such a deficiency only occurs in some developing countries. From the 16th to the 19th century, vitamin C deficiency was particularly common among seafarers, in the form of scurvy.

However, if you belong to one of the risk groups mentioned above, the following symptoms could indicate a vitamin C deficiency:

Scurvy initially manifests itself in relatively unspecific symptoms such as tiredness, weakness, muscle pain and immune deficiency. Typical symptoms of advanced vitamin C deficiency are

• bleeding

• inflamed and bleeding gums (often resulting in loosened teeth and tooth loss)

• Delayed wound healing

• Water retention in the tissue (oedema)

• joint pain

• Reduced ability to form collagen

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vegans do not have to suffer from a B12 deficiency. A vitamin B12 deficiency is often discussed in connection with a vegan diet, but intestinal diseases and medication can also be the cause. Fortunately, the deficiency can be easily compensated for. Find out here how you can treat your B-12 deficiency: Vitamin B12: deficiency, foods and supplements

Vitamin B12 is a collective term for a group of vitamins called "cobalamins". B12 is particularly important for our nervous system. It helps to regenerate and rebuild the sheaths of nerve fibers and thus maintain the functions of the nervous system. It is also involved in cell division and blood formation. Those whose B12 stores are well replenished are less likely to feel tired and listless.

Indications of a vitamin B12 deficiency:

• Tiredness

• Feeling dizzy

• Poor performance, fatigue

• Paleness 

• hair loss

• palpitations

• Shortness of breath, especially under stress

• Torn corners of the mouth

Additional neurological symptoms may be

• Numbness, especially in the feet

• Impaired sense of balance and unsteady gait 

• muscle weakness

• Reduced sensory functions, such as a reduced sense of smell 

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