Numerous vitamin deficiencies can cause anxiety symptoms. According to the National institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, for most people, anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. For other people, however, anxiety is a disabling condition that can lead to an excessive and irrational fear of everyday situations. If you are experiencing anxiety, you may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency secondary to a poor diet or a condition that impairs your body's ability to absorb nutrients from your food.
Vitamin B1 Deficiency
Vitamin B1 deficiency, also known as thiamine deficiency or beriberi, can cause anxiety. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, vitamin B1 deficiency is a condition in which your body does not possess adequate stores of thiamine, or vitamin B1. Common signs and symptoms associated with vitamin B1 deficiency include anxiety, mental confusion, speech difficulties, difficulty walking, loss of sensation in your hands and feet, loss of muscle function or paralysis of your lower legs, pain throughout your body, abnormal eye movements, tingling, vomiting, shortness of breath, elevated heart rate and swelling of your lower legs. The UMMC states that the goal of treatment for vitamin B1 deficiency is to replace the thiamine your body is lacking. In most cases, thiamine supplements -- taken orally or by injection -- are used for this purpose.
Vitamin B3 Deficiency
Vitamin B3 deficiency, also known as niacin deficiency or pellagra, can cause anxiety. The MedlinePlus website states that vitamin B3 deficiency develops when you do not get enough niacin, or vitamin B3, or tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid. The most common cause of vitamin B3 deficiency is too little niacin or tryptophan in your diet. Vitamin B3 deficiency may also be caused by your body's inability to absorb niacin and tryptophan, or it may be caused by certain gastrointestinal diseases or long-term alcohol abuse. Vitamin B3 deficiency is commonly seen in people whose diet is comprised largely or corn or maize. Common signs and symptoms associated with vitamin B3 deficiency include anxiety, aggression, insomnia, weakness, delusions, diarrhea, inflamed mucus membranes, mental confusion and skin sores that are scaly in appearance.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency, also known as cobalamin deficiency, can cause anxiety. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, or AAFP, vitamin B12 deficiency is a common cause of anemia, or decreased healthy red blood cells, and a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. The AAFP states that the true prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in the general population is unknown. Common signs and symptoms associated with vitamin B12 deficiency include anxiety, irritability, mood changes, impaired memory, dementia, depression, psychosis, abnormal sensations throughout your body, peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage in your extremities and other locations throughout your body and anemia. According to the AAFP, if you are an elderly individual, an alcoholic or a person following a strict vegan diet, you may have a greater likelihood of developing vitamin B12 deficiency.
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