Your body relies upon both vitamins and minerals, which come from the foods you eat, to support everyday functions. Failing to consume the daily recommended intake of a specific vitamin, or the mineral iron, can result in a deficiency disease.In the early 1900s when the individual vitamins and minerals were first discovered, they were originally known in relation to the corresponding deficiency disease.
Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Iron, an essential mineral, plays a vital role in the formation of proteins and enzymes necessary to maintain bodily functions. Hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body, contains approximately two-thirds of all the iron in your body. An iron deficiency causes anemia, a condition characterized by a low number of functioning red blood cells. Iron-deficiency anemia causes fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, numbness and tingling and cold hands and feet.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A includes a group of related vitamin compounds including retinol, retinal and retinoic acid. Vitamin A supports a healthy immune system by supporting healthy skin and mucosal cells. Vitamin A also promotes good vision by producing pigments in the retina -- the thin, light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye. A vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness that may eventually lead to total blindness.
Vitamin C Deficiency
Vitamin C deficiency causes a medical condition known as scurvy. Although scurvy occurred frequently among sailors in the 15th century, once they discovered the condition could be cured by eating citrus fruits, it now only affects those suffering from malnutrition or a malabsorption syndrome, like Crohn's disease. Scurvy causes weakness, anemia and skin hemorrhages that appear as a rash. To prevent scurvy, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C.
Vitamin B Deficiency
Niacin, also known as vitamin B-3, helps the body break down carbohydrates and fats to use for energy. A niacin deficiency causes pellagra -- a condition characterized by a dark red rash on the hands, feet, calves and around the neck. Although a deficiency in vitamin B-2 -- riboflavin -- causes only cracks around the lips and nose, a deficiency in thiamin, B-1, causes beriberi a condition that affects the nerves, muscles, heart and brain. A folate, vitamin B-9, deficiency is dangerous for pregnant women as it can cause neural tube birth defects. A deficiency in vitamin B-12 and B-6, both important for the production of red blood cells, can cause anemia.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D supports the formation of strong bones and teeth by helping the body efficiently absorb calcium. A deficiency in vitamin D often leads to a deficiency in calcium and causes medical conditions affecting the bones. Adults with a vitamin D deficiency suffer from osteomalacia, a condition of weak and soft bones. Children with a vitamin D deficiency get rickets, a condition that causes bone deformities.
References
- Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board; Daily Recommended Intake; 2004
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Iron and Iron Deficiency; Dec. 3, 2008
- Council for Responsible Nutrition; Recommended Intakes of Vitamins and Essential Minerals; Annette Dickenson; June 2002
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin A; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; December 2003
- New Zealand Dermatological Society; Scurvy; Vanessa Ngan
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