Signs that your body is deficient in vitamin B.

Fatigue, chapped lips, brittle nails, easily broken hair... these could be signs that your body is deficient in vitamin B.

Depending on your physical condition, pay attention to your nutrition to ensure you get enough vitamins. Photo: Shutterstock

The human body cannot store B vitamins (except B12), so daily supplementation is necessary.

While vitamin D helps strengthen bones and boost the immune system, B vitamins play a key role in providing energy, improving mood, and maintaining brain sharpness. In total, the B vitamin group comprises eight subgroups: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9), and cobalamin (B12).

B1 - Thiamin

This vitamin helps extract energy from food. Humans also need it to maintain a healthy nervous system and prevent mood swings.

Signs of nutrient deficiency include: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, and constipation.

Recommended foods: asparagus, sunflower seeds, salmon, macadamia nuts, pistachios, and various types of beans.

B2 - Riboflavin

The health of the skin and eyes depends on vitamin B2, as does the function of the central nervous system and the metabolism of food into energy.

Signs of nutrient deficiency include: mouth ulcers, cracked and sore corners of the lips, fatigue, irritability, red eyes, sensitivity to light, sore throat and tongue, itchy and scaly skin resembling eczema on the nose and face, and insomnia.

Foods to include: various types of mushrooms, eggs, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, almonds, cheese, sardines, squid, sesame seeds.

B3 - Niacin

Niacin plays a crucial role in preventing miscarriage or birth defects, and is also essential for metabolizing food into energy, relieving fatigue, and maintaining emotional balance.

Signs of nutrient deficiency include: feeling weak, lethargic, loss of appetite, headache, and vomiting.

Recommended foods: tuna, chicken, turkey, various types of mushrooms, marine plants such as seaweed, peanuts, various types of beans, sunflower seeds, and avocado.

B5 - Pantothenic acid

This vitamin is essential for the production and metabolism of vitamin D, as well as for the conversion of energy from food.

Signs of nutrient deficiency include: fatigue, inability to cope with stress, indigestion, insomnia, and loss of appetite.

Recommended foods: animal liver, sunflower seeds, salmon, avocado, broccoli, mushrooms, oatmeal.

B6 - Pyridoxine

Pyridoxine helps the body produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin, allowing the body to increase its ability to cope with depression, stress, and anxiety.

Signs of nutrient deficiency include: oily skin on the forehead and around the nose, lack of interest in sex, restlessness, depression, anxiety, and headaches.

Foods to include: peppers, broccoli, bananas, celery, Brussels sprouts, tuna, garlic, sunflower seeds, pistachios, chicken, turkey, plums, avocado.

B7 - Biotin

Biotin is essential for fat breakdown and is an important nutrient for hair, nails, and skin.

Signs of nutrient deficiency: dry, scaly skin; itching around the eyes, nose, and mouth; brittle hair/nails; fatigue/lethargy; loss of taste.

Foods to include: eggs, cheese, dairy products, liver, butter, raspberries, bananas, peanut butter, salmon, sardines. It's important to note that while this vitamin is present in foods, the amount is very small.

B9 - folic acid

Folic acid is essential for pregnant women during the first three months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida. This form of vitamin B also helps break down an amino acid called homocysteine ​​in the blood, preventing the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

Signs of nutrient deficiency: red tongue, swelling, cracked corners of the mouth, fatigue/weakness, restlessness, forgetfulness/confusion, insomnia, anemia, cramps, depression, memory loss.

Foods to include: white beans, spinach, asparagus, lettuce, avocado, broccoli, mango, oranges.

B12 - cobalamin

This vitamin enables the production of healthy red blood cells and protects cells from free radical damage. Additionally, cobalamin is essential for maintaining the health of the nervous and immune systems.

Signs of nutrient deficiency: swollen tongue, fatigue/exhaustion, menstrual irregularities, decreased immunity, pernicious anemia.

Foods to include: shellfish (such as shrimp and crab), liver, sardines, tofu, red meat, milk, cheese, and eggs.

According to TNO