Read Time:3 Minute, 3 Second
Vitamin B deficiency
- What is vitamin B deficiency?
- Vitamin B deficiency happens when your body doesn’t have enough vitamin B. This happens if you don’t eat food with vitamin B or because of a health condition. Your body needs a certain amount of each type of vitamin B to function well. The different types of vitamin B are all water-soluble (dissolves in water), which means that they cannot be stored in the body and must be consumed regularly to avoid deficiency.
- Every day, the average adult needs:
- 1.1-1.2mg of thiamine (B1)
- 1.1-1.6mg of riboflavin (B2)
- 14-16mg of niacin (B3)
- 4-6mg of pantothenic acid (B5)
- 1.3-1.7mg of pyridoxine (B6)
- 25-30µg (micrograms) of biotin (B7)
- 400µg of folate (B9)
- 2.4µg of cyanocobalamin (B12)
- Go here for information on foods high in vitamin B, or here for information on vitamin B and your health, including supplements.
- What are the symptoms of vitamin B deficiency?
- People with vitamin B deficiency may experience:
- fatigue, weakness or a general lack of energy
- numbness or tingling in their hands and feet
- weakened muscles and slow reflexes
- ‘shakiness’ when walking or difficulty keeping balance
- More severe symptoms include confusion, a loss of memory, depression and dementia.
- Am I at risk of vitamin B deficiency?
- You may be at risk of vitamin B deficiency if you don’t include vitamin B in your diet or if you are malnourished.
- Changes to your gastrointestinal tract (due to surgery in your abdomen or disease in your gastrointestinal tract) can also put you at greater risk of vitamin B deficiency. This happens because changes to your gastrointestinal tract can make it harder to absorb vitamins from foods and drinks.
- Vitamin B deficiency can also be caused by alcoholism, since the liver needs more vitamin B to metabolise (break down) the excess alcohol.
- The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend people with a vegan diet to take a B12 supplement. Deficiency is more common in this group of people.
- In some cases, deficiency in one type of vitamin B can cause a deficiency of another type because they rely on each other to function properly.
- If you think you might be at risk of vitamin B deficiency, speak with your doctor or an accredited dietician. Ask for nutrition advice and whether you need a supplement.
- What are the impacts of vitamin B deficiency?
- Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency differ, depending on which type of vitamin B you don’t have enough of. However, symptoms are usually mild and can be treated by having more food rich in B vitamins. In more severe cases, vitamin B deficiency can have more serious consequences. For example, a deficiency in B1 can cause beriberi disease. This can affect the cardiovascular system or the nervous system. A B3 deficiency can cause pellagra, a disease that mainly affects the skin but can also cause dementia. B12 deficiency can cause anaemia and neurological damage.
- If you are planning pregnancy, you should take a vitamin B9 (folate) supplement at least 1 month before conception and for the first trimester of pregnancy to help prevent foetal neural tube defects.
- What happens if I have too much vitamin B?
- Vitamin B12, like other B-group vitamins, is water-soluble. This means that in most cases, the extra vitamin B in your body will pass naturally out of your body. However, overdose poisoning can occur. For example, if you take too much B6, it can result in nerve damage.
- If you are concerned that you have taken too much of a vitamin B supplement, call the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) immediately.
![](https://medicine-21.com/ru/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/WhatsApp-Image-2023-11-18-at-7.12.10-PM.jpeg)