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Vitamin Deficiencies

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oldschool
(@oldschool)
Noble Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1962
Topic starter  

This is a site showing and explaining the top 10 vitamin deficiencies. This is not for the faint of heart to view:
http://listverse.com/2012/03/16/top-10-vitamin-deficiencies/

Here are a few that I put together.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency

A deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. A mild deficiency may cause only mild, if any, symptoms. But as the anemia worsens it may causes symptoms such as:
• weakness, tiredness or light-headedness
• rapid heartbeat and breathing
• pale skin
• sore tongue
• easy bruising or bleeding, including bleeding gums
• stomach upset and weight loss
• diarrhea or constipation
If the deficiency is not corrected, it can damage the nerve cells. If this happens, vitamin B12 deficiency effects may include:
• tingling or numbness in fingers and toes
• difficulty walking
• mood changes or depression
• memory loss, disorientation, and dementia
B12 deficiency in infants, if not detected and treated, can lead to severe and permanent damage to the nervous system. New mothers who follow a vegetarian diet should have their babies' B12 levels checked by a doctor.

Vitamin C Deficiency
Too little vitamin C can lead to signs and symptoms of deficiency, including:
• Anemia
• Bleeding gums
• Decreased ability to fight infection
• Decreased wound-healing rate
• Dry and splitting hair
• Easy bruising
• Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)
• Nosebleeds
• Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism
• Rough, dry, scaly skin
• Swollen and painful joints
• Weakened tooth enamel
A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy, which mainly affects older, malnourished adults. Early symptoms are malaise and lethargy. After 1–3 months, patients develop shortness of breath and bone pain. Myalgias may occur because of reduced carnitine production. Other symptoms include skin changes with roughness, easy bruising and petechiae, gum disease, loosening of teeth, poor wound healing, and emotional changes. Dry mouth and dry eyes similar to Sjögren's syndrome may occur. In the late stages, jaundice, generalized edema, oliguria, neuropathy, fever, convulsions, and eventual death are frequently seen.

Vitamin E Deficiency

Vitamin E deficiency is technically a disorder that may be inherited. Being deficient in it means that the body is impaired in absorbing fats that usually carry these fat-loving compounds.
Anemia
Anemia is a blood disorder wherein there is a low amount of red blood cells present in the blood. Red blood cells (RBCs) are important element of the blood because through hemoglobin, RBCs transport oxygen to other parts of the body. Oxygen is needed for cellular respiration. Hemolytic anemia is an anemia where red blood cells are abnormally broken down.
In research findings, there was a link with infants who have pronounced low birth weight and vitamin E deficient. This deficiency leads to hemolytic anemia, which, in turn, triggers the degradation of the red blood cells.
Poor Balance
Vitamin E works as an antioxidant, thus deficiency in this vitamin will result to a series of great oxidative stress by many cells or tissues. This could lead to damage in many parts of the body. This could be observed in people who have vitamin E deficiencies and are suffering from certain neurologic effects of their case. Vitamin E deficiency affects the central nervous system. Thus, a person greatly lacking vitamin E will experience nerve degeneration of the hands and feet, poor reflexes, impaired coordination, and loss of balance.
Muscle Weakness
Another symptom of vitamin E deficiency is myopathy, wherein the muscular fibers do not function well or are weakened. There was even a study involving guinea pigs wherein the combined deficiency in selenium and vitamin E levels resulted to fatal myopathy and increased lipid peroxidation.
Sight Problems
Vitamin E deficiency may also lead to vision problems. One of the symptoms is retinal thinning or degeneration, where the inner lining of the eye is damaged and begins to become thinner. People with an vitamin E deficiency may also experience blurred vision and difficulty seeing at night.

Vitamin K Deficiency

Vitamin K is essential for healthy, dense bones. Its deficiency shows up as bone-related problems like loss of bone (osteopenia), decrease in bone mineral density (osteoporosis), and fractures including hip fractures.

The following are some of the signs of a deficiency of vitamin K:
1. Among the most common signs and symptoms of vitamin K deficiency are heavy menstrual bleeding, gum bleeding, nose bleeding, and easy bruising. Symptoms and signs of vitamin K deficiency further include bleeding within the digestive tract and blood in the urine.
2. A deficiency of vitamin K can affect a new-born baby or fetus as well. Vitamin K deficiency may result in internal bleeding (in the skull), malformed fingers, and under-developed facial features like ears, nose, and chin. Vitamin K helps in the overall development of the fetus. This explains why a pregnant woman is usually given vitamin K in the form of food supplements.
3. Defective blood coagulation and hemorrhages are also among the signs and symptoms of a vitamin K deficiency. Deficiency of vitamin K leads to a reduction in the prothrobin content of blood. If you are deficient in vitamin K, you will suffer from blood clotting. Deficiency of vitamin K can also lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Other prominent signs and symptoms of vitamin K deficiency are prolonged clotting times, hemorrhaging, and anemia.
5. Vitamin K deficiency-related symptoms lead to excessive deposition of calcium in soft tissues. Hardening of the arteries or calcium-related problems are the other common signs of vitamin K deficiency. So are biliary obstruction, malabsorption, cystic fibrosis, and resection of the small intestine.

Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and increases the risk of disease and death from severe infections. In pregnant women VAD causes night blindness and may increase the risk of maternal mortality

Iron Deficiency

Too little iron can impair body functions, but most physical signs and symptoms do not show up unless iron deficiency anemia occurs. Someone with early stages of iron deficiency may have no signs or symptoms. This is why it is important to screen for too little iron among high risk groups.
Signs of iron deficiency anemia include:
• Feeling tired and weak
• Decreased work and school performance
• Slow cognitive and social development during childhood
• Difficulty maintaining body temperature
• Decreased immune function, which increases susceptibility to infection
• Glossitis (an inflamed tongue)

Calcium Deficiency

Calcium deficiencies are wide spread in human society with only a third to a half of the necessary requirements, being consumed.
Tetany - One of the first signs of a deficiency is a nervous affliction called Tetany, which is characterised by muscle cramps, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs.
Osteoporosis - Another calcium deficiency ailment is Osteoporosis, in which the bones become porous and fragile because calcium is withdrawn from the bones and other areas faster than it is deposited in them.

Other symptoms - Moderate cases of calcium deficiency may lead to:
• Cramps
• Joint pains
• Heart palpitations
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Slow pulse rates
• Insomnia
• Impaired growth
• Excessive irritability or nerves
• Brittle nails,
• Eczema
• Numbness or tingling of the arms and/or legs.

Magnesium Deficiency
• agitation and anxiety
• restless leg syndrome (RLS)
• sleep disorders
• irritability
• nausea and vomiting
• abnormal heart rhythms
• low blood pressure
• confusion
• muscle spasm and weakness
• hyperventilation
• insomnia
• poor nail growth
• seizures



   
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(@martha)
Reputable Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 383
 

Thankyou very much for that important information oldschool. I'm looking up to find which deficiency causes spooning of the fingernails as that periodically happens to me.



   
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oldschool
(@oldschool)
Noble Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1962
Topic starter  

Thankyou very much for that important information oldschool. I'm looking up to find which deficiency causes spooning of the fingernails as that periodically happens to me.

You are welcome. I hadn't meant this to address any health issues. It was to point out that if you are buying seeds, or wild forging you need to know more then just what you can eat.

Not enough vitamin C can cause your teeth to fall out. In a short term SHFT it really won't make a difference but if it was long term it would. Most people don't think about that kind of thing when planning food store or gardens.



   
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(@livingpower)
Reputable Member
Joined: 13 years ago
Posts: 258
 

This is fascinating stuff and I too am interested in it and knowing how to find these things in the wild. BTW, one of the best sources of vitamin C in Canada is rosehips, so make a note of where you find those growing in the wild.



   
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