Vitamin B Deficiency Diseases List That Primarily Affect Black Women
Does the term “vitamin B complex” sound a little overwhelming? Let’s break it down more simply.
Vitamin B complex refers to a group of B vitamins that are critical to maintaining your good health and well-being: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate or folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). Each has an important and specialized role in the body, from supporting your metabolism, immune system, and nervous system to helping with the synthesis of red blood cells and neurotransmitters.
Why Do B Complex Supplements Only Include Eight Vitamins?
Contrary to the name, you may have noticed that the group of B vitamins only consists of eight with non-sequential numbers. This is because, over time, experts realized that what they’d been referring to as a single vitamin had many components.
They later discovered some of those components didn’t meet the definition of being a vitamin and were taken off the list. You don’t have to worry about missing a dose of vitamin B11.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Vitamin B Deficiency?
Vitamin B deficiencies can have many causes. You may not be getting enough from your diet. Certain health conditions can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb the vitamins. Lifestyle choices can also play a part.
With Black women, our dietary patterns are often influenced by socioeconomic factors, as well as cultural practices and norms. These factors can play a significant role in the problem because we often don’t eat enough foods rich in B vitamins, such as whole grains, dairy products, green vegetables, and legumes.
Lifestyle choices, such as restrictive diets like vegetarianism or veganism, can also play a part if you’re not getting adequate supplementation from other sources. Deficiencies in vitamins B9 and B12 are particularly common with these diets.
Other challenges for Black women are conditions like celiac disease and common medications that we may be prescribed for other health problems. Celiac disease is often underdiagnosed in African Americans and makes it more difficult for your gut to absorb nutrients. Medications often prescribed for polycystic ovary syndrome and some forms of diabetes, like metformin, can reduce B12 absorption.
What Are the Vitamin B Deficiency Diseases and Their Impact on Health?
Black women may have an increased risk of developing a variety of diseases and health conditions from vitamin B deficiencies. Below you’ll find the conditions you should look out for, divided by the types of vitamin B you may be deficient in.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency
Thiamine helps your body's energy metabolism and nerve function. Deficiencies can lead to a disease called beriberi. It’s associated with muscle weakness, fatigue, and neurological symptoms. Cardiovascular complications may arise in severe cases. Black women who have diets low in cereals, whole grains, and fortified foods have a higher risk of developing this deficiency.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Deficiency
Your body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins is supported by riboflavin. Deficiency can cause symptoms like an inflamed tongue, skin rashes called angular cheilitis around your mouth and nose, and cracked lips. Diets that don’t provide enough vitamin B2, such as dairy products, whole grains, and leafy vegetables, can make this worse.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Deficiency
Niacin is critical for energy production and maintaining healthy skin, nerves, and digestion. If severe, niacin deficiency can result in pellagra, a condition characterized by the “four Ds” — dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and ultimately death if left untreated.
Black women who don’t eat enough niacin-rich foods such as fish, poultry, meat, and whole grains may have increased risk.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Deficiency
Pyridoxine is involved in amino acid proteins, making chemicals that carry messages in your brain and creating the part of your red blood cells that carry oxygen. Deficiency can lead to dermatitis, anemia, depression, and confusion.
Black women with conditions like sickle cell anemia or on certain medications may need more vitamin B6 through foods such as bananas, fish, poultry, or potatoes.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Deficiency
Your body uses cobalamin for red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and neurological functions.
Deficiencies can lead to a condition called megaloblastic anemia, which is associated with weakness, fatigue, and neurological symptoms such as numbness or tingling in your limbs, particularly your hands and feet. This is particularly common in people who follow a vegan diet or have conditions such as Crohn’s disease that cause malabsorption syndrome and reduce nutrient absorption.
Black women with vegetarian or vegan diets, pregnant women, or those who are breastfeeding or who are over 50 years old have an increased risk of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B Is Key to a Healthy Life
Vitamin B complex may sound complicated, but it comes down to one simple thing: making sure your body gets enough of the eight B vitamins your body needs to stay healthy and beat fatigue. B vitamins help your body turn food into energy, keep your blood flowing, and protect your brain from symptoms such as memory loss.
If any of the symptoms of vitamin B deficiencies in this article seem familiar, please talk to your doctor. Early detection and treatment can help you avoid more serious health problems.
Enhancing your diet with vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and fruits is a great way to get the B vitamins you need. When that’s not enough, consider high-quality B vitamin supplements from a trusted supplier who cares about your health.
Sources:
Celiac Disease in African-Americans | National Library of Medicine
Niacin Deficiency | National Library of Medicine
Megaloblastic Anemia: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes &Treatment | Cleveland Clinic