SYMPTOM CHECK
The key signs your body is lacking vital vitamins – after ‘troubling’ rise in hospital admissions for deficiencies
Plus, what you can do to avoid deficiencies
FRESH data shows a "troubling" increase in the number of people admitted to hospital with health problems caused by dangerous vitamin deficiencies.
There's been a dramatic rise in people heading to hospital with symptoms caused by a lack of iron and vitamin B, according to NHS figures.
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The Royal College of GPs described the findings as "very concerning", saying they're a product of a nutritious and vitamin-rich diet becoming "increasingly unaffordable" for some.
Low levels of iron in the body can cause anaemia, which left untreated can affect the immune system and increase your risk of illness and infection.
The condition can also increase cause an abnormally fast heartbeat and lead to heart failure if it isn't caught.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause anaemia, as well as neurological symptoms like confusion, depression, anxiety and dementia.
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In 2023/24, there were 191,927 hospital admissions in England due to lack of iron - this number was up 11 per cent on the previous year's 173,227.
The figure is also almost 10 times bigger than the 20,396 hospital admissions for a lack of iron in 1998/99.
Meanwhile, there were 2,630 admissions in 2023/24 whose main reason was B vitamin deficiency (other than folate), up 15 per cent on the 2,236 recorded in the previous year and more than triple the 833 in 1998/1999.
Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia led to 3,490 hospital admissions in 2023/24, similar to the previous year, but up four-fold from 836 in 1998/99.
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The numbers were even higher when taking into account patients admitted for any reason but also recorded as having a vitamin deficiency.
In 2023/24, there were 804,936 courses of NHS treatment involving people who had iron deficiency anaemia, up from 721,650 the year before.
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There were also 38,140 courses of treatment involving people with vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia, up from 35,983 the year before, alongside 227,097 for other B vitamin deficiency, up from 201,320.
The data further showed 486 courses of treatment involved people with vitamin C deficiency, up from 338 the previous year, while 773 involved a lack of calcium, up from 758.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: "It is very concerning that cases of nutrition-related anaemia serious enough to warrant hospital admission have seen such a substantial increase over the past 25 years.
"The near 10-fold rise in admissions for patients with a diagnosis of iron deficiency and a four-fold increase in folate deficiencies - primarily caused by a lack of nutrition in the diet - is particularly troubling.
"While treatable with supplements or dietary changes, it comes with the risk of complications - in children, iron deficiency can be detrimental to development and has been linked to poorer attainment at school."
Prof Hawthorne said the link between overall health and nutrition "is well established" and a "poor diet can increase a patient's risk of developing certain health conditions, while also exacerbating existing conditions".
She added: "We have seen fresh, healthier foods spike in price over the last few years, making a nutritious diet increasingly unaffordable for some, while 'fast foods' are cheap, are filling and easy to access, but are low in nutritious content.
"GPs are on the front line of this public health crisis, caring for patients who are experiencing the health consequences of growing deprivation.
"A recent survey of our members found that 74 per cent of GPs have seen an increase in the number of presentations linked to poverty over the past year.
"It is unacceptable that a developed nation like the UK should see an increase in the number of conditions that can be linked to poverty and poor nutrition and yet this is the reality."
From tiredness to muscle and joint aches, pale skin and shortness of breath, there are a number of key ways your body may alert you to a lack of vitamins.
Here were outline the symptoms caused by each type of vitamin deficiency.
1. Iron deficiency
It's estimated that 3 per cent of men in the UK and 8 per cent of women have iron deficiency anaemia.
The condition can be caused by not eating enough iron-rich foods, as well as heavy periods and pregnancy.
In some cases, bleeding in the stomach and intestines from having stomach ulcers or taking drugs like aspirin can cause iron deficiency anaemia.
Symptoms of the condition include:
- Being very pale
- Being irritable
- Being tired and having a lack of energy
- A noticeable heart beat - known as heart palpitations
- Headaches
Iron deficiency anaemia can also cause some other more unusual symptoms, such as:
- A sore or swollen tongue
- Hearing ringing, buzzing or hissing noises inside your head - called tinnitus
- Food tasting strange
- Feeling itchy
- Hair loss – you notice more hair coming out when brushing or washing it
- Wanting to eat non-food items, such as paper or ice - this is known as pica
- Finding it hard to swallow - dysphagia
- Painful open sores in the corners of your mouth
- Nail changes, such as spoon-shaped nails
- Restless legs syndrome
These symptoms aren't usually connected to pregnancy.
You should see a GP if you're noticing the above signs.
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2. Vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia can cause a wide range of symptoms.
These usually develop gradually, but can worsen if the condition goes untreated.
They include:
- Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
- Headaches
- Indigestion
- Loss of appetite
- Palpitations
- Problems with your vision
- Feeling weak or tired
- Diarrhoea
- A sore or red tongue, sometimes with mouth ulcers
- Problems with memory, understanding and judgment
Some of these symptoms can also happen in people who have a vitamin B12 or folate deficiency but who don't have anaemia.
People with the condition may also notice some key neurological symptoms.
According to the NHS, B12 deficiency can result in numbness, weakness, pins and needles and problems with balance and coordination.
Left untreated, it can heighten the risk of depression, anxiety and even conditions like dementia.
See a GP if you're experiencing symptoms of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia.
3. Vitamin C deficiency
A severe vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy.
The condition used to strike pirates and sailors who didn't have access to fresh fruit and vegetables during their many months at sea, but nowadays it's rare as many people get enough of the vitamin through their diet.
But experts have warned that the disease is making a comeback due to the cost of living crisis and a rise in weight loss surgeries.
Scurvy symptoms include:
- Feeling very tired and weak all the time
- Feeling irritable and sad all the time
- Joint, muscle or leg pain
- Swollen, bleeding gums - sometimes teeth can fall out
- Developing red or blue spots on the skin, usually on the legs and feet, although this may be less noticeable on brown or black skin
- Skin that bruises easily
Ways to load up on vitamins
Making sure you're loading up on vitamin-rich foods can help avoid deficiencies and their ensuing symptoms.
Good sources of iron in the diet include red meat, kidney beans, edamame beans and chickpeas, nuts, breakfast cereals with added vitamins and dried fruit, such as dried apricots.
B vitamins and folate are found in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, kale, spring greens and spinach, and chickpeas and kidney beans.
Meanwhile, good sources of vitamin B12 include meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs.
Prof Hawthorne said the Government must commit to a prevention-based approach to health, which will not only improve people's quality of life "but ultimately alleviate pressures on the health service".
A Government spokesman said: "Lord Darzi's report laid bare the poor health of our nation, which is putting pressure on our NHS services.
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"Our 10-Year Health Plan will shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention and will include action to ensure people have access to a healthy and balanced diet.
"Through the Plan for Change, we will fix the foundations of the country to ensure everyone lives healthier lives for longer."
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