If you feel colder than others or your hands and feet are often colder than others, you may be deficient in certain vitamins. Feeling cold can be caused by a lack of certain B vitamins or iron. anemia (You don’t have enough healthy red blood cells in your body).
Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues. Cells throughout the body need this oxygen for metabolic processes that produce heat and maintain body temperature.
In this article, we’ll explain the vitamin and mineral deficiencies that could be causing you to feel cold when others around you don’t, why it’s important to get tested for deficiencies, and other potential reasons why you may be colder than others.
Olga Lourenco/Getty Images
Vitamin B12 deficiency
A deficiency of vitamin B12 can result in megaloblastic anemia (low numbers of red blood cells and larger-than-normal red blood cells) and the associated sensitivity to cold. Deficiency can also cause other symptoms.
Symptoms
If you’re deficient in vitamin B12, frequent chills may be just one of the symptoms. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:
- experience headaches
- Feeling short of breath
- Loss of appetite
- Indigestion
- Recognizing vision problems
- Palpitations
- Feelings of lethargy
- experience diarrhea
- Finding it difficult to remember or understand things
- Have oral problems such as sores on the tongue or ulcers
Cause
There are several causes of vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by an autoimmune disorder. Pernicious anemiaThis causes your own immune cells to attack your stomach and prevents you from properly absorbing vitamin B12.
Another possibility is not getting enough vitamin B12 in your diet, which can lead to a deficiency. Because vitamin B12 is found in animal foods, this is most common in people following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet without taking vitamin B12 fortified foods or supplements.
People who have had stomach surgery (including some types of weight-loss surgery in which all or part of the stomach is removed) may also not be able to absorb enough vitamin B12 from their diet or oral supplements.
Certain medications, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (used to treat acid reflux), metformin (used to treat type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance), and nitrous oxide (an inhaled anesthetic), can lower vitamin B12 levels.
source
Dietary sources of vitamin B12 include dairy products, meat and fish. If you are deficient, you can also take B12 supplements orally or by injection.
Vitamin B9 deficiency
Vitamin B9, in its natural form, is known as folate. A deficiency in folate can make you more sensitive to the cold. One of the functions of folate is to make strong red blood cells. A deficiency in folate can lead to the production of fewer red blood cells and the development of megaloblastic anemia, in which red blood cells become larger than normal.
Symptoms
Besides feeling chills, other signs of vitamin B9 deficiency due to megaloblastic anemia include:
- I feel weak and tired
- Shortness of breath
- Have irregular heartbeat
- I can’t concentrate
- experience hair loss
- Pale skin
- Ulcers in the mouth
Cause
You may be more susceptible to folate deficiency during pregnancy, as folate helps the developing fetus and your need for this nutrient increases dramatically during pregnancy.
Alcohol use disorder, intestinal surgery, and digestive disorders can interfere with folate absorption and lead to a deficiency. Some people have a genetic mutation called MTHFR that means they can’t produce the active form of folate their body needs.
source
Natural sources of folate include dark green leafy vegetables, peanuts, beans, fruits, whole grains, sunflower seeds, fish, and liver.
Folic acid and other B vitamins are added to many of the foods we eat every day, including pasta, bread, and cereals. These are listed as fortified foods.
Vitamin D and the cold
While some may think that one way to combat the cold is to increase your intake of vitamin D, feeling cold is not a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. A lack of vitamin D can cause muscle and bone problems, but this has nothing to do with sensitivity to the cold.
Iron deficiency
Vitamin deficiencies aren’t the only nutritional deficiency that can cause you to feel cold. You could also be deficient in iron, which is fairly common. In fact, iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, affecting 30% of the population.
In iron deficiency anemia, your body doesn’t have enough iron to make healthy red blood cells. Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that binds oxygen.
Symptoms
Iron deficiency anemia may not cause any symptoms, but may cause other symptoms besides cold hands and feet, such as:
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- To feel dizzy
- Paleness
- shortness of breath
Cause
Causes of iron deficiency anemia may be related to blood loss due to trauma, heavy menstrual periods, or bleeding from the gastrointestinal or urinary tract.
In other cases, possible causes include:
- Intestinal or digestive disorders that make it difficult to absorb iron
- Underwent weight loss surgery
- Have a genetic condition that prevents the intestine from absorbing iron or from stopping blood loss effectively
source
Foods high in iron include red meat, salmon, beans, dried fruit, eggs, and dark green leafy vegetables. Some breads and cereals may be fortified with iron. You can also take an iron supplement to get more iron.
Vitamin C and iron absorption
If you are taking vitamin C because you have heard it increases iron absorption, keep in mind that vitamin C deficiency is rare in the United States, and taking vitamin C with iron supplements may have little or no clinical benefit in treating iron deficiency anemia.
Other causes of feeling cold
People who are prone to catching colds may also experience discomfort due to conditions other than vitamin and mineral deficiencies. These include:
- Anorexia nervosaPeople with anorexia nervosa, a disorder that causes people to severely restrict the amount of food they eat, may be especially sensitive to the cold. They may not be getting the nutrients they need to keep their metabolism functioning properly, and they may not have enough body fat to withstand the cold.
- DiabetesDiabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels narrow blood vessels and cause poor blood circulation. As a result, you may experience cold hands and feet.
- HypothyroidismThe thyroid gland is responsible for controlling metabolism and the body’s use of energy. A lack of thyroid hormone slows down all of your systems, including your heart rate, and reduces your body’s ability to compensate when exposed to cold.
- Raynaud’s syndrome: This is a condition in which blood vessels spasm when exposed to cold or strong emotions. The spasms prevent sufficient blood flow to the affected area, causing the skin to appear bluish and feel cold.
Iodine deficiency
Hypothyroidism that causes you to feel chills may be due to iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency is rare in the United States because most people get enough iodine from iodized salt, but it remains common around the world. Hypothyroidism in the United States is more likely to be related to other causes.
The importance of getting tested for deficiencies
If you are sensitive to the cold, it is important not to ignore this symptom by simply layering up or changing your environment. Your body may be experiencing problems due to a deficiency or illness that causes your metabolism, circulation or blood vessels to not function properly.
It is also important to self-diagnose any vitamin or mineral deficiencies and not start taking supplements without officially identifying the primary cause – you may be taking the wrong supplement, or the right supplement in the wrong amount or form, and not addressing the underlying cause.
If you do not seek medical advice, your condition may worsen and become detrimental to your health. If the cause is nutritional deficiency, proper treatment can help ease symptoms such as poor circulation.
When to see a healthcare provider
Everyone can feel uncomfortable with the cold from time to time, but if this sensation persists or you’re extremely sensitive, contact a healthcare professional right away to find out what’s causing it.
summary
If you feel cold when others don’t, you may be deficient in certain nutrients, such as vitamin B9, vitamin B12, or iron. Lack of these nutrients can mean not having enough healthy red blood cells to carry the oxygen you need throughout your body, which can make your hands and feet feel especially cold.
Identifying whether you have a deficiency can help you replenish your levels and bring your body’s thermostat back to normal levels. The cause may not be a deficiency, but rather another condition, such as diabetes or hypothyroidism, that needs to be addressed to prevent further health issues.
