Your body needs a variety of nutrients to operate at its best, including the eight B vitamins, each of which your body needs regularly. If you develop a deficiency in some of these, you may experience side effects that include skin rashes, though a skin rash is not associated with all B-vitamin deficiencies. Talk to a physician if you're concerned about persistent skin rashes or vitamin deficiencies.
B Vitamins
The B vitamins are: B1 (thiamine); B2 (riboflavin); B3 (niacin); B5 (pantothenic acid); B6; B7 (biotin); B12; and folic acid, each of which your body needs in different amounts. These vitamins perform a wide range of tasks, ranging from helping your body produce red blood cells to allowing your body to obtain energy from the foods you eat every day.
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is a nutrient found in foods such as liver, fish, poultry, meats, nuts and whole grains. A niacin deficiency can cause a range of problems that include weakness, confusion, irritability and a skin disorder known as pellagra. Pellagra symptoms include skin problems such as itchy, flaky skin patches as well as red, swollen or glossy rash areas on the body.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is typically found in foods including grains, poultry and fruits, and vegetables such as oranges, tomatoes and bananas. If you develop a B6 deficiency, you can experience symptoms that include neuropathy, or nerve damage, as well as depression, irritability and pellagra-like skin rashes, according to Washington University's Neuromuscular Disease Center.
B2
Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is commonly found in foods such as liver, mushrooms and green leafy vegetables such as spinach or asparagus, as well as some dairy products. A B2 deficiency results in a medical condition known as ariboflavinosis. This condition has symptoms that include tongue inflammation, cracking of the skin surrounding the mouth and skin rashes.
References
- Medline Plus: B Vitamins
- Colorado State University Extension: Water-Soluble Vitamins; J. Anderson and L. Young; August 2008
- Medline Plus: Pellegra
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin B12
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln: The B-vitamins
- Washington University: Neuromuscular Disease Center: Vitamin and Nutrition Related Syndromes; July 2011
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