Vitamin B12- it does great things from helping build genetic material to assisting the nervous system. However, a deficiency in B12 can lead to nerve degeneration. Even worse, there is no way vegans can get B12 through their diet, so supplementation is a must! B12 exist in things like eggs, fish, chicken, beef liver and more, but this "and more" only includes animal products. Since dancers are known to consume lots different vitamins and supplements, I'm not too worried. Just make sure to check your vitamin bottles to make sure B12 is included.
Vitamin C- not worried about a deficiency here! If anything, dancers are consuming too much Vit. C. If you are consuming more than 1,000 to 2,000 mg (1-2 grams) there's some things to be aware of. First, Vit. C helps with the absorption of iron, too much Vit. C = too much iron absorbed. Too much iron absorbed= liver problems. Second, if the body gets too accustomed to high doses of Vit. C it doesn't store it very well and if there is any point where you start consuming less Vit. C it can lead to withdrawal scurvy. So if you are on a high Vit. C diet, slowly cut back on the doses.
Folic Acid- this micronutrient has become extremely important if you are pregnant or plan to be pregnant in the near future. An inadequate amount can cause malformations in the child. But since most dancers are not pregnant, it's not something of too much concern. This is one of the biggest micronutrient deficiencies in the U.S., partly because it's hard for your body to absorb it. Now, they are fortifying our cereals with it to help with this problem. So as long as you're consuming food (usually cereal) fortified with folic acid and not pregnant, there's no need to worry about this one too much.
And remember: If you eat a good variety of foods, micronutrient deficiencies will not be a problem!
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