Understanding Vitamins

Summary:

Vitamins are organic components in food that are essential for growth, maintaining good health, and supporting various bodily functions. They are needed in small amounts and cannot be synthesized by the body. There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (C and B-complex vitamins).

Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body’s fatty tissues, while water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored and are excreted through urine. Vitamins have various bodily functions, including building resistance against diseases, aiding digestion and utilization of nutrients, converting food into energy, and maintaining proper health and growth.

Each vitamin has specific functions and food sources. For example, vitamin A is important for vision, gene transcription, and immune system regulation, and it can be found in animal and plant sources. Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, helps with calcium absorption, cell differentiation, and immune function. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and is found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fruits. Vitamin K is essential for blood coagulation and is naturally produced by bacteria in the intestines.

Other vitamins discussed include vitamin C, which is important for collagen synthesis, immune function, and antioxidant activity.

Understanding Vitamins

Are organic components in food that are needed in very small amounts for growth, and maintaining good health & and are necessary for many life functions?

Everybody must eat a certain amount of vitamins to stay healthy.
Are chemicals found in very small amounts in many different foods?

General characteristics of vitamins
➢ Are natural components of foods
➢ Are essential for normal physiologic function
➢ When absent from the diet, they will cause a specific deficiency.
➢ Vitamins are required in small quantities in the diet because the body cannot synthesize them.
➢ Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in human tissues. Their excess is excreted with urine.
➢ Significant amounts of fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in adipose tissue and the liver.
➢ Synthetic vitamins are identical to natural vitamins.
➢ Once growth and development are completed, vitamins remain essential nutrients for the healthy maintenance of the cells, tissues, and organs