Vitamin Deficiencies That Cause Feeling Cold All The Time

Feeling Cold All the Time? It Could Be a Vitamin Deficiency

Do you feel cold even when others around you seem comfortable? Does it feel like you just can't get warm no matter what you do? If so, the cause could be a vitamin deficiency. Certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can make you feel persistently cold.

Why Nutrient Deficiencies Make You Feel Cold

Vitamins and minerals play important roles in many of the body's functions. When you don't get enough of certain nutrients, it can impair these functions, leading to symptoms like feeling abnormally cold.

For example, some nutrients are needed to properly regulate body temperature, manufacture heat, and deliver that heat to your extremities. Without enough of these key nutrients, you lose the ability to maintain a comfortable body temperature.

Common Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies That Cause Feeling Cold

The vitamins and minerals most commonly linked to feeling excessively cold are:

• Iron
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Iodine

Deficiencies in these nutrients can all cause impaired thermoregulation - your body's ability to maintain its optimal temperature.

1. Iron Deficiency

Iron plays many important roles in the body. It is essential for the production of red blood cells and helps transport oxygen. Low iron levels can lead to anemia.

People with anemia tend to feel cold more often, especially in their hands and feet. Anemia causes poor circulation, making it harder for your body to deliver warmth to the extremities.

Signs of Iron Deficiency

• Fatigue
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Swollen tongue
• Cracks in the sides of the mouth
• Restless leg syndrome
• Ice cravings
• Brittle nails

2. Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells stay healthy. It is involved in DNA production as well.

A vitamin B12 deficiency can damage nerves over time, leading to tingling and numbness in the hands and feet. This damage impairs sensation, circulation, and the delivery of warmth to the extremities.

Signs of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

• Fatigue and weakness
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath and dizziness with exertion
• Nausea
• Muscle cramping
• Tingling in hands and feet
• Vision changes or dimmed vision
• Glossitis (swollen, red tongue)
• Confusion, memory loss, or dementia

3. Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D is sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” because sunlight triggers its production in your skin. It helps regulate levels of calcium and phosphate, keeping bones, teeth, and muscles healthy.

Studies link low vitamin D levels to an impaired ability to keep warm. This vitamin impacts thermoregulation, circulation, and other bodily processes that control your ability to maintain proper body heat distribution.

Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency

• Fatigue and weakness
• Bone and back pain
• Frequent illness and infections
• Depression
• Impaired wound healing
• Bone loss
• Hair loss

4. Iodine Deficiency

Iodine is a trace mineral crucial for healthy thyroid function. Your thyroid gland uses it to produce critical hormones.

Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism, heart rate, muscle control, brain development, and bone maintenance. Low levels affect these processes and impair normal thermoregulation.

Signs of Iodine Deficiency

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Weight gain
• Hair loss
• Dry, flaky skin
• Impaired memory
• Difficulty concentrating
• Goiter (enlarged thyroid gland in the neck)

What to Do If You Suspect a Deficiency

If you frequently feel cold when others feel comfortable in the same environments, take stock of your symptoms. If you notice other symptoms matching common vitamin/mineral deficiency patterns, consider getting tested.

A simple blood test can detect deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, or iodine. Proper diagnosis is key to getting the right treatment.

Treating Nutrient Deficiencies

The appropriate treatment will depend on which deficiencies you have and their severity. Mild deficiencies can often be corrected through diet changes and appropriate supplementation.

More severe nutritional deficiencies may need aggressive supplementation or even injections to restore adequate nutrient status. Work with your healthcare provider on the right protocol.

Preventing Deficiencies

Nutrient deficiencies develop over long periods of time. Ensure you get enough of these essential vitamins and minerals each day to maintain healthy levels:

• Iron: Found in red meats, seafood, beans, spinach, raisins.
• Vitamin B12: Found in animal products like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
• Vitamin D: Found in fatty fish, eggs, fortified foods; also produced by sun exposure.
• Iodine: Found in seafood, iodized salt, dairy products.

Take a high-quality multivitamin to help fill any nutritional gaps that remain in your diet. This offers an added layer of deficiency prevention.

The Takeaway

Unexplained feelings of being cold all the time could potentially indicate a vitamin or mineral deficiency interfering with your body's temperature regulation.

Deficiencies in nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and iodine can all cause this symptom. Getting tested and addressing any deficiencies found allows you to restore normal thermoregulation.

With adequate nutrient status, you don’t have to live with feeling constantly cold when others feel fine. Proper nutrition helps ensure your body can properly produce, regulate, and distribute metabolic heat.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.