DEFICIENCY OF VITAMINS
Vitamin A
• Sources: Green leafy vegetables, fruits, butter, egg yolk, carrots, and fish
• Function: Keeps eyes, hair, and skin healthy
• Deficiency disease: Night blindness
• Symptoms: Dryness of eyes; improper eye vision
Vitamin B1
• Sources: Eggs, whole grains, and sprouts
• Function: Aids in digestion; helps in proper functioning of nervous system
• Deficiency disease: Beriberi
• Symptoms: Inflammation of nerves; digestive problems and heart abnormalities
Vitamin B2
• Sources: Eggs, milk, and green leafy vegetables
• Function: Keeps skin and mouth healthy
• Deficiency disease: Skin disorders
• Symptoms: Irritation in eyes; skin and intestinal disorders; inflammation of the tongue
Vitamin B12
• Sources: Meat
• Function: Formation of red blood cells
• Deficiency disease: Anaemia
• Symptoms: Pale skin; lack of stamina and appetite; frequent headaches
Vitamin C
• Sources: Citrus fruits such as lime, orange, lemon, tomatoes and sprouts
• Function: Helps to resist infections and keeps teeth, gums, and joints healthy
• Deficiency disease: Scurvy
• Symptoms: Loosening of teeth; spongy and bleeding gums; increased susceptibility to diseases; slow healing of wounds; weakness; pain in the limbs
Vitamin D
• Sources: Milk, fish, and eggs; sunlight
• Function: Aids in the normal growth of bones in children
• Deficiency disease: Rickets
• Symptoms: Weak bones; joint and bone deformities such as bow legs , pigeon chest; softening of ribs; protruding abdomen
Vitamin K
• Sources: Spinach, cabbage, or any other green leafy vegetable
• Function: Helps in clotting of blood
• Deficiency disease: Haemorrhage (excessive bleeding)
• Symptoms: Affects clotting of blood
• Some vitamins are very sensitive to heat and light. For example, vitamin C is easily destroyed during cooking.
• Therefore, vitamin C rich foods should be eaten raw.
• Deficiency of vitamin C leads to scurvy.
