The lack of vitamins, or avitaminosis, is the lack of vitamins in the body, caused by malabsorption of the body or lack of vitamin intake in the form of food or supplement. Vitamins are necessary for the proper functioning of the human body and are present in foods in general, but especially in fruits and vegetables.
The best way to consume all the vitamins needed for the proper functioning of the body is to make a healthy and varied diet, preferably including fresh and organic foods. But vitamin supplementation with pills is also an alternative to prevent vitamin deficiency (avitaminosis) and its consequences, or treat it, although the consumption of vitamin complexes should not replace good nutrition or be consumed without medical guidance and supervision .
Diseases caused by lack of vitamins
Some diseases that are caused by lack of vitamins and minerals can be:
- Night blindness
- Pellagra
- Rickets
- Obesity
- Metabolic Disorders
- Anemia
To combat these diseases, it is best to prevent them through a varied diet of meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and vegetables.
Symptoms of lack of vitamins
The symptoms of lack of vitamins in the body are very varied because they depend on the missing vitamin but also the intensity of the vitamin deficiency. Some of the most typical signs and symptoms of avitaminosis may be:
- Dry and rough skin with peeling
- Delayed growth in children
- Problems in cognitive and motor development in children
- Daytime sleep
- Tiredness
To diagnose diseases linked to avitaminosis, in addition to the symptoms and clinical history of the patient, there are clinical tests to determine exactly which vitamin is missing in the body that is causing the disease.
What causes lack of vitamins
The lack of vitamins can be caused by eating a little varied food, as in the case of people who do not like to eat many fruits or vegetables, which are the source food of vitamins, called regulating foods, which maintain the proper functioning of the body and prevent the development of some diseases that may be a consequence of avitaminosis.
Another of the possible causes of the lack of vitamin in the organism may be the deficiency in the absorption of the nutrients. In this case, although there is intake of food source of vitamins, the body is not able to absorb and the body goes into avitaminosis. For example in the case of people who consume many laxatives or who consume many fibers, they do not allow the bacteria in the intestine to properly fertilise the fecal cake and absorb the vitamins.
Sometimes digestive deficiency due to a lack of certain enzymes can also cause avitaminosis, so it is very important that a specialized health professional assess the origin of avitaminosis.
Treatment for lack of vitamins
The best treatment for lack of vitamins is missing vitamin supplementation in tablet or injection form, as in the case of pellagra or night blindness. However, often to reverse symptoms of mild avitaminosis, such as hair loss or dry skin, a more careful diet corrects this deficiency.
