Vitamins are vital for your health and help your body perform a number of essential functions. Despite this many people do not consume enough of them on a daily basis which is largely down to poor dietary choices. In this article I am going to discuss this topic in greater detail by outlining four negative vitamin deficiency symptoms.
1) BLOOD PROBLEMS:- A lack of vitamin B9, B12 and E can cause various types of anemia to develop. A vitamin B9 deficiency can cause macrocytic anemia (a condition where your body produces fewer, larger red blood cells). Not getting enough vitamin B12 can lead to pernicious anemia (a type of anemia that has similar characteristics to macrocytic anemia). A lack of vitamin E causes hemolytic anemia (a condition where your blood cells become very delicate and are destroyed faster than your body can produce them).
2) BONE PROBLEMS:- Being deficient in vitamin D and K can lead to various bone related problems. A vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets and osteomalacia (two conditions which cause your bones to become soft and bend, swell and fracture more easily). Not getting enough vitamin K can lead to osteoporosis (a condition where your bones density is reduced meaning that they are more likely to fracture).
3) SKIN PROBLEMS:- Not getting enough vitamin B2, B6, B7 or E can cause a variety of skin problem. A vitamin B2 deficiency can make your skin become dry, greasy or scaly. A lack of vitamin B6 can make your lips crack. Not getting enough vitamin B7 can lead to the development of dry skin, rashes and even fungal infections. Not consuming enough vitamin E can cause age spots (brown pigmentations on the skin) to develop.
4) VISION PROBLEMS:- A vitamin A deficiency can cause damage to your eyes which ultimately leads to problems with your vision. In most cases night blindness (a condition that makes it very difficult to see in dim light) is the first symptom of vitamin A deficiency. However, if left untreated night blindness can develop into full blindness.
As you can see there are many unpleasant vitamin deficiency symptoms. Without vitamins your body cannot function properly and as a result cell production starts to suffer. This then affects your blood, your bones, your skin and more. To avoid this you need to make sure you are consuming enough of each of the thirteen vitamins. Take a look at your current diet and see which vitamins you are not consuming enough of. Then address the balance by incorporating some new foods into your diet. This will ensure that you avoid all the negative vitamin deficiency symptoms discussed this article whilst enjoying the full benefits that the thirteen vitamins can provide.
Posts Tagged ‘Hemolytic Anemia’
Dietary Deficiency: Is There a Connection?
What is anemia and what is the cause of anemia? There are various types of anemia, but in general, anemia is a blood disease. First, let me explain the function of the blood and how it works. The blood has several main functions: 1) to carry oxygen from our lungs to tissues in our body; 2) to carry waste products from the foods we eat; 3) to regulate the ability to clot; 4) to regulate our body temperature; 5) to regulate the amount of water and electrolytes in our body; and 6) to protect us from harmful organisms through antibodies and our white blood cells.
There are 3 kinds of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells fight off infection, and platelets clot our blood. Aplastic anemia is when your body stops producing enough blood cells. If your body stops producing enough blood cells, then you are at risk of bleeding to death (hemopheliacs suffer from this) or you are at risk of getting diseases (AIDS patients are susceptible to this).
So what does diet have to do with any this? Well, although a healthy diet is the foundation of all things, Aplastic anemia, studies show that it can come from the following factors:
a) Radiation during chemotherapy
b) Exposure to toxic substances
c) Auto immune disorders
d) Certain medications
e) Pregnancy
Although the above factors seem to have nothing to do with diet, they are all indirectly related to poor dietary practices.
How Does Loss of Iron Increase Your Risk?
There are various types of anemia and therefore, various causes of anemia. Hemolytic anemia occurs when the red blood cells are destroyed before new ones can be reproduced. Doctors always first look for iron deficiency as a risk factor in patients when they are presented with anemia. There are various symptoms displayed when one has anemia, but more often than not, the most common symptom is fatigue.
The Function of Bone Marrow and Depletion of Cell Count
Another cause of anemia lies in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is responsible for reproducing new blood cells, but when someone has hemolytic anemia, the marrow cannot keep up with its production of new red blood cells with the rate of the premature destruction of the red blood cells. The depletion of cells jeopardizes the patient’s health.
Sickle Cell – What’s the Correlation?
Sickle cell anemia is caused by genetics. The cause of this type of anemia is inheritance. African Americans are often susceptible to sickle cell as they are in contracting tuberculosis (tb). Researchers don’t know why this is.
Normally our blood cells are round and they flow through the vessels of our body easily. Sickle cells are bean shaped, which doesn’t allow them to flow through the vessels. As a result, they get stuck in the vessel and these cells block blood from freely flowing to other parts of the body. The result is pain, serious infections and/or damage to the organs.
In sum, all types of anemia are serious. Although some types of anemia are rarer than others, such as Aplastic anemia, anemia is still a disease of the blood. Given the importance of the function of the blood, it is important that people schedule routine check ups with their physician, get plenty of iron, eat a healthy diet which includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, and exercise.
Hemolysis is the premature destruction of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and it leads to hemolytic anemia, when bone marrow activity cannot compensate for the erythrocyte loss. This condition can be caused by a large number of hereditary and acquired disorders, which number more than 200. Symptoms include anemia, breathlessness, leg ulcers and in severe cases, angina and heart failure. Treatment consists of blood transfusions for severe acute anemia, and avoiding known causes. This includes drugs, chemicals and known offending food products. Folic acid, steroids, immunoglobin, and iron therapy are commonly used, while surgical splenectomy is required rarely.
Ayurvedic treatment is aimed at treating the cause of hemolysis, reducing the anemia and treating the associated symptoms. Medicines like Punarnavadi Mandur, Tapyadi Loh, Arogya Vardhini and Lohasav are used to increase the red blood cell count. Medicines which act on the “Rakta” and “Majja” dhatus (tissues) of the body are used for this condition. These medicines include Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Patol (Tricosanthe dioica), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Guduchi (Tinosporia cordifolia) and Amalaki (Emblica officinalis).
In addition, medicines which act on the bone marrow are given in an attempt to improve the production of healthy red blood cells and also to reduce the tendency for hemolysis. These medicines include Guduchi, Amalaki, Musta, Laxadi Guggulu, Suvarna-Malini-Vasant, Heerak Bhasma and Panch -Tikta -Ghrut -Guggulu.
Additional treatment needs to be given for associated symptoms. Triphala Guggulu and Mandukparni (Centella asiatica) are used for leg ulcers. Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) and Laxmi Vilas Ras are used for angina and heart disease.
The overall results of treatment in this condition depend upon the cause of hemolysis. However, in most of the conditions related to hemolytic anemia, the outcome is usually quite good. Acute or emergency cases need to be treated by a Hematologist.


