Growing up, you’ve likely been told to take your vitamins. This usually involved chewable tablets that either tasted really good or really bad. Whether we liked them or not, vitamins were necessary for our growth and development. Even as adults, we’re expected to have enough vitamins in our diet. But now that you’re in medical school, you’re expected to learn about them too.
In this article, we’ll be talking about some memory aids that will help us with remembering these vitamins’ names and categories (water-soluble vs fat-soluble). We’ll also dive into the deficiencies associated with each vitamin.
What are Vitamins?
Vitamins are molecules that are required for proper metabolic function but cannot be made by our own bodies. Instead, they’re taken from the food we eat and sometimes as supplements if our bodies can’t derive them from food on its own.
When you start studying biochemistry, you will run into the most essential vitamins in various processes. For example, Vitamin C is used for collagen synthesis and Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is used for glycogen metabolism.
Their role in metabolic and synthetic pathways makes them essential to the body. Having too little can have detrimental effects on the human body. However, too much of a good thing can also be a bad thing. If you have too much of a particular vitamin, you can experience toxicity or overdose syndromes. It can be hard to remember which vitamin causes which symptoms/syndrome, but you’ll learn them over the course of your biochem studies. But for this article, we’ll just discuss mnemonics and memory aids.
Vitamin B Mnemonics
There are multiple ways to remember the kinds of vVitamin B from 1 to 12. First off, it’s important to note that we skip B4, B8, B10, and B11. What happened to them? Well, they were previously classified as vitamins until it was revealed they were not vitamins at all or they don’t meet the criteria of a vitamin – the same way Pluto used to be a planet but was recategorized as a dwarf planet. Remember that it goes like “1, 2, 3, skip, 5, 6, 7, skip, then 9, and 12”.
Next, let’s try to memorize the actual names of the different vitamins. A common mnemonic, if you’re familiar with the famous motorsport called Formula 1, goes like, “The Race; Neatly, Professionally Performed By F1 Crews”.
- B1 – The – Thiamine
- B2 – Race – Riboflavin
- B3 – Neatly – Nicotinic Acid/Niacin
- B5 – Professionally – Pantothenic acid
- B6 – Performed – Pyridoxine
- B7 – By – Biotin
- B9 – F1 – Folate
- B12 – Crews – Cobalamin
However, if that doesn’t work for you, you can always make your own. When I was in medical school, I didn’t know what F1 was so I had to make my own memory aid, which went like this:
- B1 – th1amine
- B2 – The letter ‘R’ is written similarly to ‘2’ so Riboflavin is B2
- B3 – It takes 3 strokes to write the letter ‘N’ so B3 is Niacin
- B5 – The prefix used to denote ‘5’ is ‘penta-’. So from 5 to ‘penta’ to Pentathenic acid to Pantothenic Acid
- B6 – ‘Six’ is the only number with an ‘x’ in it and Pyridoxine is the only one with an ‘x’ in it
- B7 – The ‘T’ in ‘Biotin’ looks like a 7 so B7 was Bio7in
- B9 – Folate sounds like “Follow 8” and the number that follows 8 is 9
- B12 – Cobalamin is derived from the word ‘Cobalt” whose atomic number (27) has 2 digits and has a 2 in it, similar to the number 12.
I understand that these memory aids are very weird and farfetched, but these are the ones that not only worked for me in medical school, I still remember the respective vitamins until now. So, I encourage you to make memory aids of your own that are just as ridiculous. When it comes to mnemonics, the weirder the sound, the better they work.
Mnemonic for Vitamin A, C, D, E, K
The non-vitamin B vitamins also have their own names, which are important to remember. For this, I remember the sentence, “Rest And Coffee Are Perfect Mornings”. Try to remember that P and M are the two important types of Vitamin K. In order, the names of the vitamins are:
- A – Retinol
- C – Ascorbic Acid
- D – Calciferol
- E – Alpha-tocopherol/Tocopherol
- K – Phylloquinone (K1)/Menaquinone (K2)
Fat and Water-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins can be classified into either fat-soluble or water-soluble. As the name implies, fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed with fat while water-soluble vitamins are dissolved in water. So what does it matter where they dissolve? Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body through fats, while water-soluble vitamins are excreted in the urine. That means water-soluble vitamins need to be regularly acquired through your daily diet.
To remember fat soluble vitamins, there’s are only 4, so remember “ADEK” or “Does Excess Adipose (fats) Kill?”:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
Meanwhile, water soluble vitamins are only 2 types of vitamins which are “BC” for that you can use the mnemonic “Come Bathe in the water” or “WBC” where W is Water, B is Vitamin B and C is Vitamin C.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B1 to 12
Vitamin Deficiencies (Fat-Soluble)
Next, we have to learn the conditions associated with their respective vitamin deficiencies. I will touch on each condition to give you a better idea of what it does then give you memory aids to help you remember them. But again, you’re encouraged to make your own. Let’s start with the water-soluble vitamins B and C:
Vitamin B1 – Beriberi
Thiamine deficiency can cause beriberi. There are two types: wet and dry. Wet beriberi involves the heart and can cause heart failure. Dry beriberi is related to nerve damage and can cause muscle paralysis. Lack of thiamine can also cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This condition is often associated with alcohol use disorder.
There are many ways to remember B1 = beriberi. You can remember B1 as “Ber1Ber1” or you can remember the mnemonic “TB” as in tuberculosis, “Thiamine = Beriberi”. In practice, you’ll also see a lot of patients with alcohol use disorderalcoholics with vitamin B1 deficiency, so you can also use the memory aid, “I am Beriberi (very very) dWunK (drunk) right now” wherein we associate beriberi with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Vitamin B2 – Cheilosis or Angular Cheilitis
Cheilosis is indicated by lesions around the mouth like fissures or cracks on the corner of the mouth (angular cheilitis). Riboflavin deficiency is associated with a syndrome of cracked lips, dry skin, sore throat, mouth ulcers, scrotal dermatitis, even eye sensitivity.
Remember that riboflavin deficiency involves the face. So the memory aid goes: “RootCanal” which stands for Riboflavin = Cheilosis. I also imagine root canals are done in the mouth. So that helps us remember there are other associated symptoms related to the mouth like sore throat, cracked lips, inflammation of the mouth and tongue, etc.
Vitamin B3 – Pellagra
Pellagra involves 3 different parts of the body: the skin, brain, and digestive system. These are the parts of the body with high cellular turnover. Knowing that, symptoms include flaky skin, commonly around the neck, called Casal necklace. Patients with niacin deficiency also experience nausea and vomiting, and anxiety and disorientation.
For this disease, remember that B3 deficiency affects 3 parts of the body. There are 3 “D” words that encapsulate the common symptoms of this disease: Dementia, Diarrhea, and Dermatitis. Thus, vVitamin B3 = 3 Ds of pellagra.
Vitamin B5 – Burning Feet Syndrome and Others
Pantothenic acid deficiency is rare as the substance is found in most foods. But should you ever experience B5 deficiency, you may experience tiredness, irritability, nausea and vomiting, cramps, and burning feet and hands syndrome (paresthesia).
To remember this, just remember the 5 ‘P’s (since B5 = pPantothenic acid):
- Paresthesia
- Pain (muscle cramps, stomach pain)
- aPathy (and tiredness)
- jum-P (restless, irritable)
- Poor in sugar (hypoglycemia).
Vitamin B6 – Convulsions, Anemia, Dermatitis
Pyridoxine deficiency is rare, and it can present with non-specific dermatitis symptoms that are similar to vVitamin B2 deficiency (yes, even cheilosis). But what makes this different from vVitamin B2 is that B6 deficiency is also associated with convulsions and anemia.
To recall these three symptoms, I just remember PCAD which stands for “Pyridoxine = Convulsions, Anemia, and Dermatitis”. It’s possible to get this mnemonic mixed with pPantothenic aAcid, be careful and always remember that 5Ps is B5 while PCAD is B6.
Vitamin B7 – Neurological Symptoms, Dermatitis
Vitamin B7 deficiency mostly presents with neurological and dermatological symptoms. Apart from the non-specific findings of scaly rashes and brittle nails, biotin deficiency is associated with alopecia. Neurologic symptoms can include depression, hallucinations, lethargy, seizures, and developmental delay in infants.
The memory aid I used for this was “Biotin, Bioskin, Hair thin, and Bra-in (pronounced bray-in)” to remember that dermatitis, alopecia, and neurological signs are related to biotin. Make sure to really accentuate the “in”s in each word to make it stick better to your memory.
Vitamin B9 – Neural Tube Defects, Anemia
Folic aAcid is often taken by pregnant patients or to prevent anemia. That’s because a deficiency can cause neural tube defects in newborns like spina bifida, and megaloblastic anemia.
For the memory aid, you need to remember that number 9 looks like an embryo which reminds us of the neural tube defect in fetuses. Another memory aid you can use is “Nine for spine and bloodline” which refers to spina bifida and other neural tube defects, and bloodline just refers to anemia.
Vitamin B12 – Neuropathy, Anemia
Cobalamin deficiency results in pernicious anemia which can present with jaundice, fatigue, and pallor. B12 deficiency also presents with peripheral neuropathy and, in severe cases, it can lead to the damage of the spinal cord.
The memory aid for this is “CAN” which stands for “Cobalamin = Anemia, Neuropathy” which stands for the pernicious anemia and the peripheral neuropathy.
Vitamin C – Scurvy
Lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy, a condition that presents with anemia, bleeding, gum ulcerations, loss of teeth, edema, petechiae, and bone pain. Many associate this disease with long sea voyages due to the difficulty of storing fruits on-board because they spoil easily. In reality, any place with the lack of proper fresh produce can be at risk for scurvy.
Since the disease is commonly known to be found in seafarers in the 16th-19th century, we can use the mnemonic “Sailors get scurvy at C (sea)” or “Vitamin Sea (C)” to remember that Vitamin C deficiency is associated with scurvy. If that doesn’t work for you, remember that the other name for Vitamin C is “Ascorbic Acid” so you can remember it as “Ascurvyc Acid”.
Vitamin Deficiencies (Water-Soluble)
Next, we move on to memory aids for the 4 water-soluble vitamin deficiencies.
Vitamin A – Night Blindness
One of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness. A pathognomonic sign in deficient patients are Bitot spots, which are whitish deposits seen on the palpebral conjunctiva and a clinical sign of xerophthalmia (dry eyes). Apart from eye symptoms, vitamin A deficiency can cause dermatological and immune impairment.
To remember this, remember that vitamin A’s other name is “Retinol” which is derived from the word “retina”, which is found in the eye. So think of eye symptoms when you think of vitamin A deficiency.
Vitamin D – Rickets/Osteomalacia
Vitamin D is important for bone growth. Hence, the lack of it can cause problems related to bone formation. In children, this causes rickets, manifesting in multiple bone deformities. In adults, this causes osteomalacia, also known as “soft bones”, which presents with bone pain, weak muscles, myalgia, and arthralgia. It can also cause osteoporosis, making a person more prone to fractures.
For this, remember the mnemonic “DROm (like drum) and DROp”. The D stands for vitamin D. The R is for Rickets. Then Om and Op means Osteomalacia and Osteoporosis, to remind you that either can happen to a patient lacking vitamin D.
Vitamin E – Ataxia and Anemia
Vitamin E deficiency is extremely rare because it’s usually caused by absorption problems (usually genetic) rather than lack of diet. However, when there is vitamin E deficiency, it can present with problems with movement like ataxia, hyporeflexia, difficulty with upward gaze. It can also present with mild hemolytic anemia.
To remember these problems, recall that vitamin E deficiency is rare because it is found in most diets. For this, we use the mnemonic “EAt Anything” because you can eat pretty much anything and have enough vitamin E. The E stands for vitamin E. “At” stands for Ataxia. “An-ything” stands for Anemia.
Vitamin K – Bleeding
Vitamin K has an essential role in blood clotting. Therefore, a deficiency in this vitamin causes increased risk of bleeding and bruising. This is a possible consideration for patients who present with excessive bleeding along with ecchymoses and petechiae on physical exam.
To remember this, let’s use the mnemonic, “Blood Klots (clots)” to remember Bleeding and vitamin K. This is also a reference to the function of vitamin K in blood clotting.