Have Tiggling In Your Hands or Feet? You Could Be Vitamin Deficient

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Are you experiencing tingling in the feet and hands? This is a rather common symptom with a variety of causes, but most are related to irritation or damage to nerves – a condition known as neuropathy. If you have this condition you may want to take a closer look at your diet. There are several vitamin deficiencies that can cause tingling in the feet and hands due to nerve irritation. If these vitamin deficiencies are left uncorrected, serious neurological problems can sometimes result. Here are some vitamin deficiencies that can cause tingling in the feet and hands.

Vitamin B12

This is one of the more serious vitamin deficiencies that can alter nerve function and cause tingling in the feet and hands. Vitamin B12 deficiencies are most commonly seen in long-term vegetarians and older people who lack intrinsic factor, a glycoprotein important for absorption of B12 by the intestines. B12 is found primarily in meat, dairy products, and eggs which is why vegans are the most susceptible to being B12 deficient.

Because the liver stores B12 so efficiently, it can take up to five years for stores of B12 to be depleted and symptoms of deficiency to develop. Once neurological symptoms develop, they can progress to serious brain and spinal cord damage that may be irreversible. Deficiency in vitamin b12 can sometimes, but not always, leads to an anemia known as pernicious anemia. If you’re a long-term vegan with tingling in the feet and hands, see your doctor and have lab studies done to test for a B12 deficiency. This is one that needs to be treated early.

Other B Vitamin Deficiencies

Other B vitamins can also neuropathy associated with tingling in the feet and hands. In fact, all of the B vitamins and folate can cause neuropathy symptoms, but this is less common than vitamin B12 deficiency. Why? Most people get enough of these vitamins if they eat a reasonable diet and they’re well absorbed from the digestive tract – unlike B12 which requires the presence of intrinsic factor. If you have a digestive disorder that reduces your ability to absorb vitamins, you could be experiencing tingling in the feet and hands from a B vitamin deficiency.

Vitamin E

Deficiencies in vitamin E can also lead to tingling in the feet and hands related to nerve irritation. This occurs because a lack of vitamin E causes nerve cells to degenerate. Some studies show that people who suffer from non-specific peripheral neuropathy benefit from vitamin E supplements. Vitamin E is found in abundance in nuts, seed, and green, leafy vegetables.

The bottom line?

If you’re experiencing tingling in your feet and hands, take a closer look at your diet and see your doctor for a B12 level, particularly if you’re older, a vegetarian, or vegan. It’s also important to testing to rule out diabetes and other conditions that can cause a peripheral neuropathy.


by Dr. Kristie