Vitamin E Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is required by the body to keep the immune system strong, fight against bacteria and viruses, enhance brain health, protect overall heart health and to relieve pain and cramps.

A deficiency of vitamin E can cause alterations in the body functions and may have a negative effect on the health. Therefore, it is important to make vitamin E-rich food sources a part of your regular diet.
Vitamin E Deficiency Symptoms include the increase in risk of visual problems, muscular weakness or muscle pain, difficulty with coordination and walking, heart diseases, poor skin health, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin E

Let’s get down to the details of deficiency symptoms of vitamin E:

Increases the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Oxidative stress is crucial in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Being an antioxidant, vitamin E has the ability to fight against free radical attack and to slow down further deterioration.
But during insufficiency of vitamin E, the body is not able to counteract the negative reactions of free radicals and thus, they damage the brain cells.
This further leads to death of the brain cells and causes cognitive decline, forgetfulness, low concentration levels and impairment in learning and thought process.
Getting enough vitamin E increases memory retention, lowers the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and prevents further destruction.

Increases the Risk of Heart Diseases

Insufficiency of vitamin E causes formation of plaques or clots in the arteries that hinder smooth blood flow. This puts a pressure on the heart and weakens it.

Such a deficiency further causes a rise in the inflammatory compounds that have a negative impact on the function as well as structure of the heart.
Many lines of evidence have revealed that eating vitamin E rich food sources is associated with lower risk of heart diseases and death due to it.

Affects Fertility

Clinical studies have revealed that vitamin E fights against infertility in males. Reactive oxygen species have a negative impact on the sperm quality. Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant suppresses the production of free radicals and protects the sperm quality.
In absence of vitamin E, reactive oxygen species increase sperm DNA damage, decrease sperm motility and lower the efficacy of egg-sperm union. It further causes injury to the sperm cells and negatively affects the sperm function and quality.

Therefore, it is important to add vitamin E-rich food sources in your regular diet.

Muscular Weakness

Muscle pain or weakness is an important sign of vitamin E insufficiency. Free radical attack and an increase in the inflammation can cause muscle cramps. Vitamin E combats free radicals, reduces inflammation and helps in relieving muscle pain and cramps.

Poor Skin Health

Vitamin E protects the skin against the harmful effect of ultra-violet (UV) rays of the sun. If you have a vitamin E deficiency, your skin is more prone to damage.
Vitamin E Deficiency Symptoms include the increase in the risk of acne, blemishes and pigmentation. Lack of vitamin E further induces the possibility of free radical attack, which makes the skin look dull and older.
Eating vitamin E-rich foods such as nuts and oil seeds and green leafy vegetables fights signs of premature skin aging and gives you a flawless skin.

May Cause High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension may increase your chances of having heart diseases or stroke. Vitamin E enhances the production of nitric oxide, a vasodilator that helps in widening and relaxation of the arteries and ensures smooth blood flow throughout the body.

An absence of this fat-soluble vitamin may negatively affect vasodilation and raise the blood pressure. Getting adequate vitamin E may be beneficial for individuals with hypertension.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency Symptoms

Leading to the concept of vitamins, the first vitamin to be discovered was thiamine or vitamin B1. High concentration of thiamine is found in the liver, kidneys, brain, heart and skeletal muscles.

Thiamine deficiency is common among individuals with high consumption of alcohol and increased intake of refined grains.
This B-complex vitamin is important for the production of energy, protection of the heart, enhancement of the brain activities and for the regulation of mood and overall well-being.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency Symptoms include decreased food intake (anorexia), muscle cramps, muscle atrophy, poor memory, sleeplessness, irritability, tachycardia, hypotension, chest pain, dysphagia, constipation, fatigue, etc.

Below mentioned are the symptoms of thiamine deficiency:

Decreases Food Intake

Low thiamine nutritional status is associated with reduced food intake and increased energy expenditure, which results in weight loss. Insufficiency of thiamine inhibits the action of a compound that regulates food intake and energy metabolism.
Such an insufficiency affects a part of the brain, which in turn alters hormones linked to hunger and energy balance. Eating foods rich in thiamine can restore appetite and reverse thiamine deficiency-induced weight loss.
Hence, it is important to correct thiamine levels in order to improve the overall health status of such individuals.

Impaired Cognition

Getting adequate thiamine from the diet is essential to support healthy brain function. It energizes the brain and improves memory, learning and thought process. It protects the outer covering of the nerve cells and prevents their destruction.

Furthermore, the human brain requires thiamine to use glucose for energy. Without thiamine, brain cells do not get energy and they die. This important vitamin is also needed to produce brain chemicals that send signals to other cells.
Individuals with thiamine deficiency are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Eating enough food sources of thiamine can reverse or prevent cognitive decline and reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Increases the Risk of Heart Diseases

Clinical studies have observed that not getting enough thiamine could increase the risk of heart diseases. Thiamin supplementation improves the ability of the heart to pump the blood effectively. It enhances relaxation and contraction of heart muscles and thus, it improves overall functioning of the heart.
Lack of thiamine makes the heart energy deficient and reduces the ability of the heart to function efficiently. Moreover, it increases the risk of heart diseases and heart failure.

Depression & Anxiety

Human brain is sensitive to the disturbance of thiamine. Literature has found that low concentrations of thiamine are associated with depression and anxiety.
Thiamine is required for the production of brain chemicals that fight depression, uplift mood, improve social behavior and reduce depressive symptoms. Furthermore, thiamine protects the brain cells against oxidative stress, which otherwise lead to decrease in the population of brain cells.
Insufficiency of thiamine increases the risk of brain damage, which cause behavioral changes. Such a damage can be prevented by getting enough thiamin via diet and supplements.

Increases Muscle Pain

Pain, tenderness, weakness and stiffness of the muscles accompanied by inflammation has a negative impact on the overall quality of life. Such a condition can arise from deficiency of thiamine.
Correcting the nutritional status of thiamine improves energy metabolism and reduces muscle fatigue. Making thiamine rich food sources a part of the daily diet can be beneficial for individuals with muscle pain and weakness.

Causes Insomnia

A low level of thiamine in the body can affect the sleep cycle and lead to insomnia. Thiamine is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters that play a key role in the regulation of sleep and circadian cycle.

Moreover, thiamine is required for the production of sleep chemicals that promote sleep. That is why, a deficiency of thiamine disrupts sleep and causes insomnia.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Deficiency Symptoms

Riboflavin or vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin, which possesses strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property. It plays various important roles in the body, which include;

• Riboflavin improves energy levels
• It reduces inflammation and oxidative stress
• It promotes healthy skin
• It fights headaches
• It improves blood glucose levels

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Deficiency Symptoms include:

1. Anemia (interfere iron absorption)
2. Blurred vision
3. Itching in eyes
4. Watery eyes
5. Eye fatigue
6. Eye’s increased sensitivity toward light
7. Cataract
8. Dermatitis
9. Migraine
10. Night blindness
11. Peripheral neuropathy
12. cracked corners of the mouth
13. Skin cracking
14. Swollen tongue
15. Throat soreness
16. Weakness

Here is a details of major health effects and deficiency symptoms of riboflavin:

Increases Inflammation

A deficiency in riboflavin promotes the activity of pro-inflammatory compounds, which creates an environment favorable for the onset of diseases.

In the absence of this B-complex vitamin, the generation of reactive oxygen species goes high, which damages the healthy cells and increases the risk of various diseases and disorders.
Therefore, it is very important to get your daily dose of riboflavin, in order to suppress the production of inflammatory compounds and to keep diseases and disorders at bay.

A State of Exhaustion

Riboflavin plays a crucial role in the production of energy. Research has found that insufficiency of riboflavin significantly down regulates expression of enzymes involved in the break-down of carbohydrates, proteins and fat into energy. Hence, it becomes difficult to convert the food you eat into energy.
The capacity of energy generation is drastically decreased after deficiency of riboflavin. Such a person may end up feeling tired and weak all the time. Such low energy levels even affect the overall quality of life. Thus, it is important to load your diet with rich food sources of riboflavin.

Delayed Wound Healing

Riboflavin is required by the body for wound healing, but this action is delayed in the absence of riboflavin. Insufficiency of riboflavin slows down the rate of wound contraction and delays wound healing.

Research has found that riboflavin plays a vital role in maintaining the level of collagen, a skin protein. Collagen helps in tissue growth and hastens wound repair.
A low level of riboflavin also affects collagen production, which in turn has a negative impact on the wound repair process. Along with a high protein diet, a good intake of riboflavin rich foods is necessary during wound healing.

Impact on Diabetes Mellitus

A deficiency of riboflavin has been observed in children with type 2 diabetes as compared to healthy children. Oxidative stress plays a pathogenic role in the onset of diabetic complications.
In the absence of riboflavin, the level of natural antioxidants in the body goes down and thus, the body is unable to fight oxidative stress.

Correcting riboflavin deficiency can quickly restore natural antioxidants in the body, which can in turn protect the body and delay the onset of diabetic complications.

Increases the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease

Riboflavin has a neuro-protective potential, which prevents or delays Parkinson’s disease. Deficiency of riboflavin has a huge negative impact on neurological health. This B-complex vitamin protects the brain cells against free radical attack and inflammation and thus, it prevents death of brain cells.
As human brain is highly susceptible to oxidative damage, it requires natural antioxidants to fight against it.
Riboflavin enhances the production of antioxidants in the body that protect the brain. Moreover, riboflavin inhibits the release of inflammatory compounds and protects the brain cells against destruction.
An improvement in the motor capacity was observed in a study, when individuals with Parkinson’s disease consumed riboflavin supplements along with their usual treatment.

Migraine Attacks

It has been shown that riboflavin is beneficial for individuals with migraine headaches. Riboflavin reduces the severity, duration and intensity of migraine attacks.

A high level of homocysteine in the blood is associated with migraine headaches. Riboflavin reduces migraine attacks by lowering the level of homocysteine.
Individuals with riboflavin deficiency are unable to fight against migraine headaches. Such individuals must add rich sources of riboflavin to their diet regularly.