Vitamins are important for your health and well-being they work at a cellular level to assist in metabolizing the nutrients that you get when you consume food. Understanding the importance of vitamins and how they work is a fundamental to having great health.
There are thirteen different vitamins that are essential for human health and they are divided into two categories, based the way the body can absorb them. Fat- soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are absorbed with the help of fats in the diet and are stored in the fats of the body. Because your body can store these vitamins for a long time and it is unusual to have a deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins. The other vitamins: vitamin C and the eight B-complex vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they do not need fat for absorption, yet most are not stored in the body for very long. If there are surplus water-soluble vitamins in the body they are simply flushed through the body rapidly and are eliminated quickly in the urine. Your body cannot make vitamins with the exception of vitamin D, and a bit of vitamin K. You get them from the foods you eat therefore if your diet is deficient in one or more vitamins, your body will feel the effects resulting in poor performance, concentration or health.
Vitamin | What they do | A | Necessary for synthesis of visual pigments; essential for calcification of growing bones; promotes growth and health of body cells and tissues; deficiency causes problems with eyesight, especially night blindness as well as skin and reproductive problems. | D | Necessary for normal bone growth, calcium and phosphorus absorption, and retention in kidneys; deficiency leads to depression, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, muscle weakness, impaired balance, and rickets. | E | Antioxidant; prevents breakdown of Vitamin A, fatty acids, and cell membranes; helps heal wounds; aids in liver detox; deficiency leads to nerve degeneration, especially in hands and feet; Crohn�s disease; Cystic fibrosis; and low birth weight infants. | K | Essential for liver function and blood clotting factors; deficiency leads to delayed blood clotting and excessive bleeding. | B1 (thiamine) | Necessary in the formation of carbon dioxide in cell respiration; synthesis of some sugars; deficiency causes tiredness and irritability, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, heart failure, memory problems. | B2 (riboflavin) | A hydrogen carrier in cell respiration; necessary for all cell energy; deficiency leads to dry lips; sore tongue; poor vision; and photosensitivity. | Niacin (nicotinic acid) | A hydrogen carrier in cell respiration; necessary for metabolism of fat for energy; deficiency interferes with nerve and digestive function, sex hormones, and healthy skin; severe deficiency causes cracked skin, inflamed mouth and tongue and mental disturbances. | B5 (pantothenic acid) | Essential for cell respiration and to utilize energy from amino and fatty acid metabolism; deficiency leads to fatigue, nausea, headaches, abdominal pain, tingling, cramps, and lung infections. | B6 (pyridoxine) | Coenzyme in amino acid and lipid metabolism; for synthesis of nucleic acids and antibodies; deficiency can cause depression, inflamed mouth, cracked lips and seizures in small children. | Folacin (folic acid) | Coenzyme in amino acid and nucleic acid metabolism; deficiency of folic acid interferes with the DNA in the cell, Disrupts with the functioning of the nervous system. | B12 (cobalamin) | Needed by amino acids for energy; catalyst for various enzymes; deficiency causes the body not to make enough blood cells. | Biotin | Coenzyme for the synthesis of nucleic acids; fatty acid and amino acid metabolism; deficiency can lead to depression, lack of appetite, weakness, loss of hair, and eczema. | C (ascorbic acid) | Coenzyme; antioxidant; delivers hydrogen ions; collagen formation and aids in wound healing; metabolism of amino acids; absorption of iron; deficiency frequent colds or illnesses; poor wound healing; |
By eating a balanced diet you will have enough vitamins form your food. Vegetables and fruits are a great source of vitamins. It's best to get your vitamins from foods and not rely on solely on supplements, since one nutrient in a food may help another one be better absorbed. |
