Tongue Symptoms of Vitamin Deficiencies

Saliva : The muscular tongue functions in chewing, tasting and swallowing. Because of its nearly continuous use throughout the day, abnormalities become obvious very quickly, making the tongue a helpful marker of disease. If your tongue shows signs or symptoms of a vitamin deficiency, testing will most often reveal one of the B vitamins as the culprit, explains MedlinePlus. Less commonly, levels of other vitamins that are low also cause changes of your oral cavity, including the tongue.

Glossitis: Loss of the tiny, fingerlike projection on the tongue  the papillae -- develops after an ongoing deficiency of any of several members of the B vitamin family, explains "American Family Physician," in its March 2010 issue. Folate, vitamin B12 and niacin can all claim responsibility for the abnormally smoothed tongue called "atrophic glossitis," depending on your clinical situation. If you are vegan or have certain digestive system illnesses such as Crohn's disease, you risk a vitamin B12 deficit. Alcoholics lack niacin, another B vitamin that leads to glossitis. A dark red discoloration of the tongue accompanies B vitamin induced glossitis. Replacing the missing vitamin allows rapid regrowth of the papillae.

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