Vitamins as a Necessary Part of Nutrition

Vitamins are an essential part of our diet, but one probably hasn't given a great deal of thought to their chemical and building structures. These vitamins perform a range of roles in the human body functions; below is a concise explanation and a look at the evidence for taking vitamin supplements.First of all, it's valuable discussing what develops a chemical compound into a vitamin. A vitamin is termed as any organic compound that a living organism needs, but which it is not capable of producing automatically by itself or cannot produce in the amount required for normal body functions.

As far as the terminology for vitamins explains, this doesn't comprise of other vital nutrients that can be found in our diets, such as fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, and carbohydrates.

At the moment, there are total 13 recognized vitamins: vitamins A to E, including an array of B vitamins, and vitamin K. The slightly unusual gap in lettering between E and K is an end result of changes in descriptions of vitamins; such as, vitamin B7, biotin, was formerly known as vitamin H.

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The compounds were originally described as vitamins F to J but following researches led to them no longer being categorized as vitamins.Generally talking, we can divide all of the vitamins into two broad categories. The fat-soluble vitamins; vitamins A, D, E, and K, can be stowed by our bodies in the liver or in fatty tissues of various organs. They are stowed until they're required, which thus means they generally don't need to be consumed very often.

Water-soluble vitamins, unlike fat-soluble vitamins, are not stowed in the body. As much, there should be a proper portion of these in your diet in order to avoid deficiency. Contrariwise, the point that water-soluble vitamins aren't stowed in the body makes it difficult to ever overdose on them, which can also have adverse effects on your health. Some vitamins are chemically meeker than others; vitamin D, for instance, occurs naturally only. Other vitamins, such as vitamin E, can come in the broad array of structurally alike compounds, with the exact substituents erratic.

Importance of Vitamins

Vitamins have a broad range of functions within the human body. For instance, a number of vitamin B's are important for the generation of red blood cells and the absorption of a variety of food compounds during digestion. Other vitamins have functions in more detailed parts of the body; for instance, vitamin A is beneficial for our eyesight, while vitamin K plays a great role in the blood clotting. Likewise, deficiencies of these vitamins can also have adverse effects; a lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy (a condition in which general weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin hemorrhages happens). The lack of vitamin K can cause severe bleeding problems, which is why newborn babies are injected with a vaccine containing the vitamin K, preventing bleeding in the brain and the potential brain damage of the child.

Sources of Vitamins

In case you have a balanced diet, then there is a high chance that you're already consuming these vitamins in the vital quantities. There are several cases where vitamin deficient people are prescribed with supplementary vitamins to make sure the vital requirements of the human body are well-maintained. The ideal way to make sure that you get all the vital vitamins you need is to consume a vast variety of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins throughout the day. The best source of vitamin D is the sun, which can be pretty difficult during the winter or colder months and if you live in higher or hilly areas. So when it comes to keeping up with the healthy supply of this one, you are advised to consume the right proportions of salmon, tuna, mushrooms, fortified milk, and eggs. However, diet alone may still not be enough when it comes to vitamin D, it is advised to visit the doctor and get the supplements prescribed according to your body requirements.

Types of Vitamins

The vitamins are categorized into two parts; water soluble and fat soluble. We have added the details of these two categories along with the function of these mentioned vitamins. Have a look!Water-soluble vitaminsWater-soluble vitamins generally give the idea that they dissolve in water and are not stowed in the body; they comprise of vitamin C and all of the vitamin B complex (B1-thiamin, B2-riboflavin, B3-niacin, B5, B6, B12, Biotin, and Folic Acid). For instance, if you consume an orange, your body breaks down that orange into all nutrients available in the orange, including carbohydrates for the energy purpose, and vitamins and minerals for normal hormones functioning and development, growth, tissue generation, and other essential body functions. The vitamin C from an orange dissolves in the water that circulates in your body which then gets distributed to the cells that need these specific nutrients. The unused vitamins are sent to the kidney from where they are disposed from the body by the urination process.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins explain that they dissolve in the fat within our bodies and are stowed in the fat tissues present in our bodies; we do not dispose of them off. These vitamins include A, D, E, and K. Because these vitamins stay in our bodies for a way longer period of time, their functions are more long-term, however as they do perform their normal functions, your body's stowed up a bank of vitamins reduces. Hence, you need to be consuming these vitamins on a daily basis to make sure that the body functions properly, efficiently and healthfully. For instance, vitamin D is an essential nutrient for maintaining healthy and strong bones, your body consumes the vitamin D from its stowed amount for required bones on a daily basis, and therefore the stowed amount of the vitamins gets used, if you do not reload it, your body can become deficient and lack the volume needed to keep you and your bones healthy for a long time.