After the summer fruit and vegetable boom, autumn fatigue and frequent illnesses baffle. They fed the body with vitamins, fed, but it “complains” ... The trouble is that most vitamins do not accumulate in the human body. Therefore, it is worth relaxing, not keeping track of the diet, skipping the symptoms of dysbacteriosis, as hypovitaminosis occurs.
Vitamin deficiencies are quite common. It is worth noting that vitamin deficiency and hypovitaminosis are different concepts. The first has gained popularity, but it is characterized by the complete absence of a vitamin or a group of vitamins in the body. The second concept describes a less serious condition and means a lack of vitamins. Pregnant women and children are at risk, that is, those whose developing body systems require additional intake of vital amino acids. Although, due to unfavorable environmental conditions and low-quality food, hypovitaminosis, especially in the autumn-winter period, occurs in almost every person. Depending on the specific group of missing substances, this condition can manifest itself with various symptoms. But they all have in common:
One of the vitamins that does not require constant replenishment is vitamin A. Having the ability to accumulate in the body, this vitamin rarely causes hypovitaminosis. But for the assimilation of beta-carotene, which after some chemical reactions turns into vitamin A, you need a sufficient intake of vegetable and animal fats in the body. With insufficient intake of this vitamin, one can speak of hypovitaminosis of the skin. Symptoms of hypovitaminosis of vitamin A are as follows:
To make up for the lack of vitamin A, it is worth including foods containing beta-carotene in the diet: carrots, pumpkin, parsley, peaches, apples, apricots, spinach, green onions, dairy products, liver, eggs.
The B group of vitamins is a wide range of vitamins that nevertheless live together in their natural state. These are water-soluble amino acids, they have no storage properties, with the exception of vitamin B12. Vitamins of this group are involved in the supply of cells with oxygen, as well as in the processes of neuro-cerebral activity. Symptoms of hypovitaminosis of B vitamins are very serious:
With hypovitaminosis B2, cutting pains in the eyes can occur, hypovitaminosis B12 leads to memory lapses, and hypovitaminosis B6 leads to seborrhea of the face and neck, diseases of the oral cavity.
You can eliminate the lack of B vitamins by including milk, rice, walnuts, buckwheat and oatmeal, liver, fish, meat, cottage cheese, and cheese in your diet.
Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium. Its lack provokes the following processes:
If you regularly eat foods high in calcium and spend more time in the sun, such problems are excluded. Although in some cases vitamin D hypovitaminosis is provoked by a violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism, diseases and pathologies of the body.
Vitamin E or tocopherol is a fat-soluble vitamin that affects the resistance of cell membranes to oxidation. Due to the lack of this substance in the body, the following occurs:
Vitamin E in the medical environment is known as tocopherol (translated from the Greek tocos - offspring, phero - I carry) or "reproduction vitamin". It was discovered in the first half of the 20th century by Evans, who managed to cure infertility in experimental rats by adding lettuce leaves, rich in a special substance that promotes the development of the embryo, to their diet. However, the role of this vitamin in the body is not limited to ensuring the normal functioning of the reproductive system, it is involved in many physiological processes.
Under the condition of normal nutrition and living in ecologically favorable areas, tocopherol deficiency in the body is a rare occurrence. But modern life with an unbalanced diet, diseases of the digestive system, environmental pollution contributes to the emergence of hypovitaminosis among the population.
Currently, science knows several chemical compounds that have the activity of vitamin E. These are α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols and tocotrienols. They are isolated from vegetable oils and have a similar structure. The most active among these substances is α-tocopherol. It should be noted that there are differences between natural and synthetic tocopherol. The former is designated as RRR-α-tocopherol and has one stereoisomer. Synthetic forms of the vitamin are represented by a mixture of 8 stereoisomers, most of which are not found in nature.
Once in the digestive system, the vitamin is absorbed into the bloodstream by simple diffusion. This requires mandatory participation:
In their absence, the absorption process is disturbed, which can lead to a lack of vitamin in the body.
From the small intestine, tocopherol in the composition of chylomicrons is transported to the lymphatic tract and bloodstream, binds to lipoproteins (LDL, VLDL) of the blood and spreads to organs and tissues. It accumulates as much as possible in adipose tissue, liver and muscles, being included in the structure of cell membranes. The products of its metabolism are excreted in the urine.
Tocopherol provides the stability of cell membranes and is considered the main natural fat-soluble antioxidant. Its functions in the human body are diverse:
Tocopherol plays an important role in the formation of sexual function, promotes intrauterine development of the fetus and child after birth.
The main source of vitamin E for humans is vegetable oils:
However, they must be fresh, cold-pressed. If they are obtained from seeds under the action of high temperature, subjected to various purification methods, then most of the tocopherol in them is destroyed. And the excess of such oils in the diet of a person with vitamin deficiency only strengthens it.
The following foods are also rich in vitamin E:
Much less of it is found in animal products. But the use of butter, egg yolk, lard, meat contributes to the replenishment of vitamin reserves in the body.
Table 1. The content of tocopherol in food.
Hypovitaminosis E can lead to chronic intestinal diseases, accompanied by a violation of its absorption processes. The daily requirement for the vitamin is small. It is 8-10 mg for an adult. A varied diet ensures sufficient intake of tocopherol in the body. Hypovitaminosis rarely occurs due to nutritional deficiency. More often it develops with sufficient intake of the vitamin. It contributes to:
Severe hypovitaminosis occurs in children born prematurely, and is manifested by hemolysis of erythrocytes and anemia.
The depletion of vitamin reserves in the body occurs over a long period of time. In the initial stages, there are no clear symptoms of hypovitaminosis in humans. There is only general weakness, a tendency to frequent colds. Later, disorders appear in women, a decrease in sexual desire and potency in men.
With a pronounced lack of tocopherol, the function of muscle and nervous tissue, the immune system is disrupted, the cells of the sex glands and tissues of the embryo are damaged. Clinically, this may manifest itself:
The lack of tocopherol in the body provokes the development.
Sometimes associated with congenital diseases. These include:
With acanthosis, there are no chylomicrons and low-density lipoproteins in the blood plasma. This leads to impaired absorption and transport of vitamin E to organs and tissues. In such patients, the hemolytic resistance of erythrocytes is sharply reduced, retinitis pigmentosa and ataxic neuropathy may develop. Their condition is facilitated by the introduction of water-soluble forms of the vitamin.
In persons suffering from congenital dyserythropoietic anemia, the consumption of tocopherol increases to stabilize defective erythrocyte membranes and protect them from peroxidation.
In congenital muscular dystrophies, hypovitaminosis is caused by impaired absorption of tocopherol or its metabolism.
The main method for assessing the availability of tocopherol in the body is to determine its level in blood plasma. But such an assessment is not always objective. For example, with hyper-β-lipoproteinemia, the concentration of a vitamin in the blood does not reflect the saturation of organs and tissues with it. Additionally, functional tests are used to assess the depth of vitamin deficiency:
Treatment of hypovitaminosis is directed:
First of all, the patient's diet is reviewed and nutrition is corrected. He is prescribed a diet based on the daily intake of foods rich in vitamin E. To replenish the vitamin reserves as soon as possible, a course of treatment with oral α-tocopherol preparations is carried out. If hypovitaminosis is associated with malabsorption and pathology of the digestive system, then the vitamin is administered parenterally. The duration of such therapy is determined by the doctor. Usually, 1-2 months of treatment is enough to eliminate unpleasant symptoms. In the future, such persons may be prescribed preventive courses of therapy.
With hypovitaminosis E, first of all, it is necessary to enrich your diet with foods high in this substance. If you suspect a deficiency of vitamin E in the body, you need to contact a therapist or endocrinologist. After the initial examination, you may need to consult a gastroenterologist, nutritionist, hematologist, gynecologist, pediatrician.
This substance is highly soluble in fats and poorly, almost completely insoluble in water. It is mainly found in wheat and some other cereals, vegetables, vegetable oil, margarine.
In the human body, tocopherol is part of all the cell walls of the body, performing a very important function - protection against oxidation, thereby stabilizing cells.
The second most important function of the vitamin is participation in immune reactions, as it is able to activate the body's immune cells.
Signs of the disease
Vitamin E hypovitaminosis is especially dangerous in childhood, when it can lead to a number of adverse diseases: rickets, seborrheic dermatitis premature and newborn babies. The need for vitamin significantly increases in mothers during breastfeeding, in athletes and employees of enterprises with high physical exertion. In adulthood, a common cause is a lack of absorption of the vitamin in the intestine when part of the small intestine is surgically removed.
As a medicinal preparation, the vitamin is used for skin collagenoses, genodermatosis, seborrhea, the usual variety of acne, the dystrophic variety of epidermolysis bullosa, etc. Vitamin with therapeutic purposes can be used systemically or topically. For this or that case, there are its oil solutions. Outwardly on the area of lesions, it is used in the form of ointments. Contraindications for the appointment of the vitamin are increased thyroid function, cholecystitis, severe cardiovascular insufficiency, lack of vitamin K in the body.
In the body, all vitamins are absolutely irreplaceable substances. In the absence of them, it is impossible to carry out any of the normal functions of the body. At the same time, these substances cannot be independently synthesized in the body for the most part, but must constantly come from outside with food. It has been established that at present, residents of large cities are deprived of the opportunity to eat foods containing such important vitamins as C, E, A, B6, B12, B2. This is a big problem of modern health care and even threatens the preservation of a healthy gene pool of the entire nation. Most vitamins have the ability to inhibit and prevent many unfavorable mutations of the body and germ cells, and therefore their constant intake into the body is simply a necessary condition for the population employed in enterprises with harmful production factors, as well as living in areas with unfavorable environmental conditions, which there are a lot of them right now. In addition, after many years of research, a risk group of people with an increased need for vitamin substances and preparations was formed. These include those suffering from hereditary pathology, allergies, infectious diseases, constantly or periodically in contact with medicinal and other chemicals that are mutagens, suffering from chronic skin diseases and sexually transmitted diseases.
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- this is a lack in the body of one or a whole group of vitamins. The manifestations of the disease largely depend on the type of hypovitaminosis (on which vitamin is lacking), however, all types of vitamin deficiency are characterized by increased fatigue, drowsiness, irritability, and loss of appetite. Diagnosis is reduced to the correct assessment of the clinical picture, laboratory determination of the quantitative content of vitamins in the blood, hair, nails and urine. Treatment consists in introducing a sufficient amount of the missing vitamins into the diet or prescribing them in the form of tablets or injections.
Hypovitaminosis or vitamin deficiency is a formidable disease that can lead to serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. In developed countries, hypovitaminosis in recent years proceed quite easily, with minimal symptoms. However, without timely treatment, this condition can turn into beriberi - the complete absence of certain vitamins, which can lead to disability and sometimes death of the patient.
In our country, hypovitaminosis most often affects the elderly and children, while the most common deficiency of vitamins B1, B6, C. Faced with hypovitaminosis, it should be remembered that self-treatment of this condition is unacceptable, since only a specialist can accurately determine which vitamin deficiency has developed, and prescribe appropriate treatment. With unauthorized intake of one or another vitamin, hypervitaminosis can occur, which also leads to serious health problems.
There are many reasons for the lack of vitamins, and for each of the hypovitaminosis, this reason will be different. But there are factors common to all vitamin deficiency states. These include various conditions that lead to a lack or malabsorption of vitamins and microelements, their increased consumption and destruction. So, the cause of hypovitaminosis can be a restriction in the diet of certain foods, the use of refined carbohydrates, polished cereals, fine flour, the exclusion of fresh vegetables and fruits, one-sided nutrition. Violation of the ratio of essential nutrients (restriction of animal protein and fat and increased carbohydrate content) will also cause a deterioration in the absorption of vitamins.
Improper storage and heat treatment of food can lead to the destruction of many useful substances in it, and with prolonged boiling, almost all vitamins are destroyed, which is why many foods cannot be frozen. It should be remembered that with severe stress, hard physical labor, in a cold climate, the need for vitamins increases by 60%.
The cause of hypovitaminosis can be serious diseases (especially of the digestive system - this disrupts the absorption of vitamins), taking certain medications (mainly antibiotics). The lack of fat-soluble vitamins develops when there is a restriction in the diet of fats. Also, one should not forget that the metabolism of vitamins and microelements in the body is closely interconnected, the lack of one vitamin can cause a violation of the metabolism of the rest.
In order to prevent the development of hypovitaminosis, it is necessary to understand the causes of deficiency of each of the vitamins. So, hypovitaminosis A develops with a deficiency in food of protein and carotenes, restriction of animal fats, with excessive physical and emotional stress. Also, hypovitaminosis A can be caused by various infectious diseases, chronic intestinal diseases (chronic enteritis, colitis, UC, Crohn's disease), liver pathology (chronic viral hepatitis, cirrhosis) and thyroid gland, diabetes mellitus. appears in the absence of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, prolonged heat treatment of food, the predominant use of bakery products, heavy physical and mental labor.
Group B hypovitaminosis can occur for a variety of reasons. Vitamin B1 deficiency develops when wholemeal flour is excluded from the diet, only polished cereals are used; prolonged use of raw fish; excess protein and carbohydrates; alcoholism (especially beer); thyrotoxicosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic enterocolitis; prolonged exposure to heat or cold. Vitamin B2 deficiency occurs with the exclusion of protein and dairy products from the diet, the intake of quinacrine and its derivatives, diseases of the liver, pancreas and intestines. (PP, nicotinic acid) can be with a predominant diet of corn, prolonged exposure to solar radiation, protein deficiency, taking anti-tuberculosis drugs, and intestinal diseases.
The main causes of hypovitaminosis B6 are chronic intestinal pathology, taking drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis. (folic acid) appears with prolonged heat treatment of food, alcoholism, intestinal resection and chronic enterocolitis, long-term prescription of antibiotics and sulfonamides. often diagnosed in people with a vegetarian diet, alcoholics, with helminthic invasion, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (atrophic gastritis, enterocolitis), resection of part of the stomach or intestines.
Vitamin D can be produced by the body with sufficient exposure to sunlight. Therefore, hypovitaminosis D (rickets) most often develops in children who live in the northern regions of the country, are not enough in the fresh air. Also, hypovitaminosis D can occur with insufficient intake of animal fats, calcium and phosphorus salts, and poor nutrition. Hypovitaminosis K is detected with the use of low-fat foods, diseases of the hepatobiliary system and intestines, irrational antibiotic and anticoagulant therapy.
The clinic of insufficiency of this or that vitamin will be original. However, there are signs common to all hypovitaminosis. These include increased fatigue, drowsiness, irritability, nausea, poor appetite. Usually, the first signs appear with a significant deficiency of a certain vitamin in the diet. Similar symptoms are inherent in different groups of vitamins, which is why only a doctor should diagnose hypovitaminosis, because only he has sufficient knowledge of the symptoms of vitamin deficiency. The following describes the clinic of hypovitaminosis with severe deficiency of one or another vitamin.
For hypovitaminosis A visual impairments (twilight blindness, color perception defects), increased keratinization of the skin, fragility and hair loss are characteristic. Whitish grooves and elevations form on the nails; the cornea becomes dry, cloudy; there are light, well-defined spots around the mouth. , or scurvy, is manifested by bleeding gums, loss of teeth, hemorrhages in soft tissues.
Or beriberi disease, exists in a dry and edematous form. The first form is expressed by dry skin, neuritis. Disturbance of sensitivity of the lower extremities to the lowered and raised temperatures, pain irritants is characteristic; cramps in the calf muscles. The edematous form is characterized by shortness of breath, tachycardia, severe edema.
pellagra, or hypovitaminosis B3 skin manifestations are inherent: the skin becomes dark and flaky, rough; red swollen spots appear on the hands, similar to inflammatory infiltration. The tongue increases, becomes crimson. Also a frequent sign of pellagra is diarrhea, the defeat of an unequal system.
(hyporiboflavinosis) is manifested by conjunctivitis, redness, dryness and peeling of the lips, cracks in the corners of the mouth. The tongue becomes crimson, lacquered, teeth marks are visible on the sides. The skin is thin and dry. As for hypovitaminosis A, a decrease in visual acuity and a violation of color discrimination are characteristic.
Hypovitaminosis B12 manifested by B12-folate deficiency anemia: the amount of hemoglobin decreases, in parallel with this, atrophic gastritis with low acidity is diagnosed. The sensitivity of the tongue (burning, tingling), skin and muscles is disturbed, the gait changes. At the junction of the cornea and sclera, vessels grow, a purple rim is formed. manifested by increased bleeding, hypocoagulation (insufficient blood clotting).
There are also signs inherent in the combination of insufficiency of several vitamins. So, dry skin with slight peeling (like bran) is characteristic of hypovitaminosis A, C. Glossy skin with scales (small, yellow) in the fold of the skin (nasolabial, on the bridge of the nose, behind the ears and on the lobes, etc.) is noted with hypovitaminosis B2 , B3 (PP), B6. Increased bleeding, hemorrhages under the skin and in soft tissues indicate hypovitaminosis K, P, C. Thickened skin with a network of cracks in the joints is observed with hypovitaminosis A, B3 (PP). The so-called "goosebumps" on the buttocks, thighs, forearms is observed with hypovitaminosis A, C, R.
Yellowness of the skin is a sign of hypovitaminosis A, B3. The formation of cracks in the corners of the eyes accompanies the course of hypovitaminosis A and B2. Cyanosis of the lips is a typical sign of hypovitaminosis C, B3, R. Whitish scars at the point of transition of the red border of the lips into the oral mucosa, an enlarged tongue with furrows and imprints of teeth are found in hypovitaminosis B1, B3, B6, B12. Damage to the gums (looseness, bleeding, enlarged interdental papillae, hyperemia, atrophic gingivitis with exposure of the roots of the teeth) is characteristic of hypovitaminosis C, R.
A consultation with a gastroenterologist is mandatory for any suspicion of hypovitaminosis. During the initial treatment, the doctor will clarify the complaints in detail, analyze the clinical manifestations and make a preliminary diagnosis. In the presence of a modern laboratory, a special examination is possible to determine the level of vitamins of interest in the body. If the patient has a concomitant pathology that could lead to hypovitaminosis, appropriate examinations should be carried out - esophagogastroduodenoscopy, intragastric pH-metry, fecal analysis for helminth eggs (worms).
It is also necessary to find out from the patient whether he has undergone surgical interventions, after which the absorption of vitamins is impaired (distal or proximal resection of the stomach, segmental resection of the small intestine, etc.). A repeated consultation with a gastroenterologist (after a complete examination and a thorough history taking) will allow you to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.
Treatment in the department of gastroenterology requires only the most severe manifestations of vitamin deficiency - beriberi. Currently, serious hypovitaminosis is quite rare, most often patients go to the doctor about moderate manifestations of vitamin deficiency. Nevertheless, vitamin deficiency is best treated precisely at the stage of unexpressed hypovitaminosis, but with severe beriberi, it is sometimes impossible to help the patient.
The main goal of the treatment of hypovitaminosis is the introduction of missing vitamins into the body. The most appropriate method of treating hypovitaminosis will be the intake of these substances with food. Firstly, these forms of vitamins are better absorbed in the intestines. Secondly, other nutrients that are involved in the metabolism of vitamins and minerals come with food. A prerequisite for the treatment of hypovitaminosis is a varied diet rich in essential nutrients, fresh vegetables and fruits. Multivitamin preparations are prescribed in oral form (in the form of drops and tablets), with severe hypovitaminosis, vitamins can be administered as injections.
The use of monopreparations of vitamins is not recommended, since with hypovitaminosis the balance of all vitamins and microelements in the body is usually disturbed. Multivitamin preparations allow you to make up for the lack of all vitamins. But polydrugs should be selected with caution, as some vitamins can adversely affect each other when taken simultaneously. That is why the most modern drugs for the treatment of hypovitaminosis involve taking different groups of vitamins separated in time. In this regard, the ingestion of vitamins with food is the most physiological - after all, nature has already developed an optimal system for the intake of vitamins into the body so that they do not break down and inactivate each other.
To date, there are special vitamin complexes for various categories of the population who may experience hypovitaminosis: for workers in hot shops, people doing heavy physical work, pregnant women, children, and also for use during the recovery period after severe infections (salmonellosis, typhoid fever, diphtheria, infectious mononucleosis, etc.) and other diseases.
The prognosis for moderate hypovitaminosis is favorable, provided that the diet is normalized, and timely prevention of hypovitaminosis is carried out. In severe avitaminosis, the prognosis is unfavorable, even with good nutrition and the introduction of all the necessary vitamins, it is not always possible to restore the normal functioning of the body. Occasionally missed beriberi can even lead to the death of the patient.
Prevention of hypovitaminosis consists in a balanced and rational diet, the use of a sufficient amount of fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits. In the autumn-winter period, be sure to include fresh and sauerkraut, carrots, fortified drinks (freshly squeezed juices, rosehip and yeast broth, natural lemonade) in the diet. During the period of increased consumption of vitamins, it is necessary to take multivitamin complexes (during pregnancy, serious illness, if the work requires physical labor or mental stress).
Hello! How to recognize vitamin E vitamin deficiency? A familiar cosmetologist said that this substance is very important for preserving youth. There is no desire to mindlessly drink supplements with its content, but I would not want to miss the first signs of beriberi. Is it possible to somehow cope without dietary supplements if such a problem arises?
ANSWER: Hello. Tocopherol has an antioxidant effect. It blocks the peroxidation of lipids that make up biological membranes. Cell wall stabilization is one of the mechanisms to prevent premature destruction and aging of body tissues. Appearance signs of shortage due to the pathological action of free radicals, which are no longer "under the control" of tocopherol.
Main symptoms:
The above symptoms are rare and non-specific. Their appearance is more often associated with other causes, and not a lack of tocopherol. For such changes to occur, a person, rather, must have vitamin E (its absence in the body), or an extreme degree of hypovitaminosis. Such a situation in life is unlikely. Usually there is hypovitaminosis, but it does not have a bright clinical picture due to the internal compensatory mechanisms of the body.
Despite the fact that many associate the appearance of wrinkles and brittle hair with a lack of tocopherol, this is not entirely true. With a deficiency of vitamin E, symptoms of this nature are not excluded, but they are the last to worry. Skin problems in a woman will appear after the onset of muscular dystrophy, which cannot be overlooked. More likely causes should be looked for: for example, hair can become brittle and fall out due to B-hypovitaminosis.
Vitamin E deficiency practically does not occur with a relatively balanced diet, the absence of serious diseases. Covering the daily requirement is achieved by adding vegetable oils to food (sunflower, olive). The largest amount of tocopherol is found in wheat germ oil, soybean and refined cottonseed.
Hypovitaminosis occurs more often in individuals with somatic pathology. In such situations, disruption occurs during the absorption steps of the compound. Usually we are talking about diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Other causes of deficiency are poisoning, exposure to radiation, long-term use of certain drugs. An additional intake of vitamin preparations for hypovitaminosis in such cases is indicated, but it will be within the competence of the attending physician.
