HomeDeficiencies

Vitamin & mineral deficiency information

A reference covering 26 essential vitamins and minerals — their deficiency symptoms, at-risk groups, and clinical context. Browse by nutrient below, or use the symptom-first and group-first indexes.

26 essential nutrients 13 vitamins · 13 minerals Citations from NIH ODS & StatPearls
OverviewBy SymptomBy At-Risk Group

Vitamins

All 13 essential vitamins with documented deficiency information. Click any nutrient for symptoms, at-risk groups, and citations.

Biotin
Biotin (vitamin B7) deficiency is very rare in healthy people because biotin is widely …
Folate
Folate deficiency is uncommon in the US since mandatory grain fortification began in 19…
Niacin
Severe niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency causes pellagra — historically known as the disea…
Pantothenic Acid
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) deficiency is essentially unheard of in healthy people be…
Riboflavin
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiency, also called ariboflavinosis, is extremely rare in t…
Thiamine
Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency is rare in the US general population due to grain fort…
Vitamin A
Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the US but remains the world's leading preventable caus…
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency affects roughly 6% of US adults under 60 and ~20% over 60
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency is uncommon in the US since most people get adequate…
Vitamin C
Severe vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy — historically the scourge of sailors on long…
Vitamin D
Vitamin D insufficiency affects an estimated 35-40% of US adults, with higher rates in …
Vitamin E
Vitamin E deficiency is rare in healthy adults — almost all cases stem from fat malabso…
Vitamin K
Vitamin K deficiency is uncommon in healthy adults because gut bacteria produce some K2…

Minerals & electrolytes

Major essential minerals and electrolytes. Note that several trace minerals (manganese, chromium, molybdenum) have no documented dietary deficiency in healthy people — those entries explain why supplementation is generally unnecessary.

Calcium
Calcium intake is below the EAR for an estimated 40-50% of Americans, particularly olde…
Chromium
Chromium's status as an essential nutrient is debated, and isolated dietary deficiency …
Copper
Copper deficiency is uncommon in healthy adults eating a typical diet because copper is…
Iodine
Iodine deficiency was once endemic in the US Midwest 'goiter belt' but largely eliminat…
Iron
Iron deficiency is the world's most common nutritional deficiency, affecting an estimat…
Magnesium
Subclinical magnesium inadequacy is common — an estimated 48% of Americans consume less…
Manganese
Manganese deficiency is essentially unheard of in humans
Molybdenum
Molybdenum deficiency from diet has essentially never been documented in healthy people…
Phosphorus / Phosphate
Phosphorus is so abundant in food (especially meat, dairy, and processed foods with pho…
Potassium
Most Americans consume less potassium than recommended (the AI is 3,400 mg for men, 2,6…
Selenium
Selenium deficiency in the US is uncommon because soil selenium content is generally ad…
Sodium / Electrolyte Sodium
Sodium deficiency from inadequate dietary intake is essentially unheard of in the moder…
Zinc
Zinc deficiency affects an estimated 17% of the global population, with mild-to-moderat…