Dry skin and cracked lips are a sign that winter is approaching. However, health experts state it could also be a sign of a vitamin deficiency.
Cracked lips or bleeding lips indicate a deficiency of vitamin B.
Lips get cracked because the lips are 10 times thinner than any other body part. Therefore, experts state that a lack of essential nutrients has a direct impact on the lip skin.
According to Tri-City Medical Centre, “A Vitamin B deficiency can wreak havoc on your skin, causing acne, rashes, dry and flaky skin, cracked lips, and wrinkles.”
The medical centre adds, “It can also make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, personal care products, and other potential aggressors, and can accordingly lead to redness and irritation.”
Cracked lips or lips that are split are caused by a deficiency of vitamin B9, also known as folic acid. When your body lacks vitamin B9, you can experience dry skin, chapped lips, liver problems and hair problems.
There are eight types of vitamin B, (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12) and each of these vitamins has a unique function in the body.
Also, deficiencies in each of these vitamins result in different symptoms, Healthline informs.
According to previous research, skin lesions associated with vitamin B12 deficiency are skin hyperpigmentation.
Vitamin deficiency is also the “most common cause of cheilitis” which is a type of lip inflammation. The symptoms include red, dry, scaling, and itchy lips.
The health site Mathis Dental states, “The symptoms of cheilitis include redness, cracking, bleeding, pain, fissures or lesions on the mouth’s corner, and inflammation.
“Research reveals 90 percent of angular cheilitis is caused due to poor diet.”
Angular cheilitis refers to inflammation of the skin located at the sides or “angles” of the mouth.
This condition is caused when saliva collects at the sides of the mouth, leading to dryness and cracking of the skin when the saliva dries up.
The risk of dry, cracked lips and cheilitis can reportedly be reduced by eating more foods rich in vitamin B2 such as eggs, milk and lean meat, the Mirror explains.
Some of the other helpful foods include poultry products, lentils, peanuts, tomatoes, and dairy products such as paneer, yoghurt, ghee or clarified butter.
However, most people can get all the essential nutrients including B vitamins, from a diet that includes lean meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables.
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