While clumsiness in general is not usually caused by a lack of vitamins, a deficiency in the B vitamins your nervous system needs can lead to numbness or tingling in your limbs. If you lose feeling in your extremities, like your hands and feet, you may feel clumsy and have trouble with large motor functions.
Vitamin B-6
According to the National Institutes of Health, your body needs vitamin B-6 for a variety of functions, from breaking down proteins into amino acids to building healthy red blood cells. Your nervous system also needs B-6 to function correctly, and a lack of B-6 can result in neurological symptoms or even peripheral neuropathy, which can result in numbness in your hands and feet. You can get vitamin B-6 from foods like breakfast cereal, legumes, meat, poultry and fish.
Vitamin B-12
Like vitamin B-6, your body uses B-12 in making healthy nerve and blood cells. You also need B-12 to help form DNA, which enables your cells to reproduce correctly. A vitamin B-12 deficiency is fairly common in elderly adults due to age-related absorption problems. A B-12 deficiency can lead to similar symptoms as a B-6 deficiency, and the numbness in your limbs can lead to clumsiness. You can get B-12 from fish, meat, poultry, milk and dairy products.
Thiamin
Thiamin, also known as vitamin B-1, is primarily used by your body to metabolize carbohydrates into energy, which your brain and nervous system need to function. Furthermore, you need thiamin for your heart, muscles and nerves to work efficiently. A lack of thiamin over long periods of time can lead to nerve damage, which can lead to an inability to sense where your limbs are, causing you to feel clumsy. You can get thiamin from eggs, lean meats, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Niacin
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, your nervous system needs niacin -- also called vitamin B-3 -- to function efficiently. A lack or deficiency in niacin can cause pellagra, which results in problems with the nervous system, in addition to gastrointestinal symptoms. Neurological symptoms can include fatigue, headaches and disorientation, which can make you feel clumsy. Good sources of niacin are yeast, cereals, legumes and seeds, as well as animal products, like meat, poultry and fish.
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