Vitamin Deficiency Can Cause Skin to Lose Color

Pale Skin With Vitamin C Deficiency

One vitamin that can affect your skin pigmentation is vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Vitamin C in your body helps to produce collagen, a protein essential for healthy skin, nails, blood vessels, hair, connective tissue, bones and a number of other tissues.

Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, a condition that leads to abnormally pale skin. In addition, scurvy can cause bone damage, tooth loss and blood vessel and skin damage.

You can prevent vitamin C deficiency and scurvy by eating a range of fruits and vegetables, since many types of produce provide a source of ascorbic acid. Citrus fruits, strawberries and broccoli are all good food sources. The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 milligrams for women and 90 milligrams for men.

Folate Deficiency Alters Skin Pigmentation

A deficiency in vitamin B-9, or folic acid, can also lead to a loss of pigmentation in your skin. Folic acid levels in your body help to maintain your metabolism and contribute to energy production, and also prove important for the development of red blood cells.

Vitamin B-12 May Cause a Lack of Pigmentation

Failure to consume enough vitamin B-12, or cobalamin, can also lead to a lack of skin pigmentation. Cobalamin aids in the production of hemoglobin, as well as the breakdown of nutrients for energy within your tissues.

A vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia, a form of anemia that causes fatigue, fever, numbness and unexplained weight, as well as pale skin. Individuals following a plant-based diet, like a vegan or raw food diet, may face an increased risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency, and should consume vitamin B-12 supplements to avoid anemia and a loss of skin pigmentation. Vitamin B-12 is only found in animal foods, such as eggs and meats, and the RDI of B-12 is 2.4 micrograms.

Skin Pigmentation and Vitamin D

While not associated with a vitamin D deficiency, the level of pigmentation in your skin can affect vitamin D levels in your body. Melanocytes, the cells that produce your skin pigment, serve as the site of vitamin D production in your body. When exposed to sunlight, the melanocytes begin to synthesize vitamin D, and adequate sunlight helps to fight vitamin D deficiency.

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