Vitamin absorption issues can be caused by a variety of different problems. The symptoms and treatment related to these conditions can vary based on which vitamin the body is not absorbing. These conditions can express mild symptoms or severe ones, depending on the patient and can impact people of all ages.
There are various kinds of vitamins that you might not be able to absorb correctly. The most common vitamin absorption issues are related to these vitamins:
Different vitamin absorption issues cause different symptoms to be expressed in patients. The common symptoms of each of the common vitamin deficiencies are:
Patients who are experiencing vitamin deficiencies usually grow or develop slowly as children. If the problems develop in adulthood, weight gain or weight loss can be associated with these conditions as well as a general feeling of malaise. Cognitive issues and problems like muscle wasting can also be present.
There are many things that can cause vitamin absorption disorders. Often these absorption issues are related to other health conditions. These conditions prevent the body from absorbing the nutrition it needs even if you are eating a good diet.
There are specific diets that can block vitamin uptake. These are dairy-free diets, vegan diets, and diets that are low in grains. You might not be able to absorb the necessary vitamins that are present in these limited diets and changes to your digestive enzymes and gut biome can lead to issues with uptake of nutrients when you are adhering to these diets.
Other causes of these conditions are liver failure, alcoholic liver disease, kidney disease, chronic diarrhoea, gastric bypass, malabsorption syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, IBS, and inflammatory bowel syndrome. Pernicious anaemia can be another root cause of vitamin absorption disorders as well.
The risk factors for vitamin absorption problems are:
These conditions are usually diagnosed by taking a blood sample from the patient and analysing it. Stool and urine samples might also be needed. MR or CT enterography can be done, and hydrogen breath tests might also be useful for getting a diagnosis. Stool fat testing is another common test, as is taking X-rays of the small bowel. Biopsies of the liver or the bowel might be needed to verify underlying conditions or impact on the digestive tract or the liver itself.
Some patients do not know that they have an underlying condition that is impacting their ability to absorb nutrients. These conditions might be diagnosed when vitamin deficiency is diagnosed.
Treatment of these conditions is aimed at correcting nutritional gaps and relieving symptoms associated with underlying medical conditions. Some patients will need to eat a high-calorie diet to help gain weight, while others will only need to adjust their diet to add specific foods. There are various vitamin supplements that can be taken on a regular basis as well, which make certain vitamins much more available for those who struggle to uptake these nutrients.
Total nutrition therapy can also be provided to some patients, which can be delivered in a variety of ways. These patients might need to be treated in the hospital so they can be monitored during the delivery of this nutrition plan. Problems like anaemia might require blood transfusions to be done alongside the other treatment interventions aimed at replacing vitamins in the diet.
Prevention of these conditions can sometimes be managed by making sure to eat a well-rounded diet and get enough exercise. For patients with underlying health conditions that impact the absorption of nutrients, prevention will not always be possible, but flares of symptoms can be managed with the correct care for the underlying condition. Some of these absorption problems have links with genetic conditions as well, which can make early detection somewhat easier.