The nutritional deficiency disease beriberi in humans is caused due to the lack of which vitamin?

Introduction / Context:

Vitamins are essential micronutrients that the body needs in small quantities for normal metabolism and health. When the diet lacks a particular vitamin for a long period, specific deficiency diseases can appear. Understanding the link between a vitamin and its deficiency disease is a common topic in biology and health education. This question focuses on beriberi, a classic deficiency disease, and asks which vitamin deficiency causes it.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The disease mentioned is beriberi, a well known nutritional deficiency condition.
• The options list several vitamins: B2, B1, B12, E, and C.
• We assume that the learner is aware that beriberi affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
• We also assume standard nomenclature where each vitamin has a number and sometimes a chemical name.

Concept / Approach:

Beriberi is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1, which is also known as thiamine. Thiamine plays a key role in carbohydrate metabolism and in the proper functioning of nerve cells. Diets that rely heavily on polished white rice and lack vitamin rich foods can lead to thiamine deficiency. Symptoms of beriberi include weakness, nerve degeneration, heart problems, and in severe cases, paralysis. Vitamin B2 deficiency leads to conditions like cheilosis and dermatitis. Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with pernicious anaemia and neurological problems. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, and vitamin E deficiency can affect muscles and nerves, but none of these cause beriberi.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Recall that different vitamins have characteristic deficiency diseases that are often memorised together. Step 2: Identify beriberi as the classic deficiency disease of vitamin B1, also called thiamine. Step 3: Match the chemical name thiamine with vitamin B1 in the options. Step 4: Check that the other listed vitamins are linked to different deficiency diseases, not beriberi. Step 5: Select vitamin B1 (Thiamine) as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:

Nutritional tables in biology and health science textbooks state that vitamin B1 deficiency leads to beriberi, characterised by nerve weakness and cardiac problems. Public health discussions on diet in populations that consume large amounts of milled rice without supplementation also mention that such diets can cause thiamine deficiency and beriberi. Other sections describe vitamin C deficiency as causing scurvy and vitamin B12 deficiency as leading to megaloblastic anaemia. This consistent mapping confirms that beriberi is associated specifically with vitamin B1 deficiency.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), deficiency causes problems such as cracks at the corners of the mouth and inflammation of the tongue, not beriberi. Option C, Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin), deficiency leads to anaemia and neurological symptoms. Option D, Vitamin E, is involved in antioxidant protection and its deficiency may affect muscles and reproduction but is not known for beriberi. Option E, Vitamin C, deficiency causes scurvy, which is characterised by bleeding gums and poor wound healing. None of these deficiencies match the classic signs of beriberi.

Common Pitfalls:

Students may confuse the numbering of B complex vitamins or mix up which disease corresponds to which vitamin, especially under exam pressure. Sometimes they remember only that beriberi is a B complex deficiency and then guess among B1, B2, and B12. To prevent this, learners should memorise a short list: vitamin B1 beriberi, vitamin B2 cheilosis, vitamin B12 pernicious anaemia, and vitamin C scurvy. Associating these pairs with simple stories or diagrams can improve recall.

Final Answer:

Beriberi is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine).