Vitamins

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential for our body to function properly. Most vitamins are obtained from what you consume, because the body is unable to manufacture most of the essential vitamins that you need to survive. Here are types of vitamins and their roles:

Vitamin	Food Sources	Functions	Problems When Deficient	Problems With Taking Too Much
A (Retinol)	Ingested in a precursor form. Found in animal sources such as milk and eggs. Also found in carrots and spinach (contain pro vitamin A carotenoids).	Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. It helps cells differentiate, also lowering your risk of getting cancer. Vitamin A helps to keep vision healthy. It is required during pregnancy. Vitamin A also influences the function and development of sperm, ovaries and placenta and is a vital component of the reproductive process.	Night blindness, impaired growth of bones and teeth	Headache, dizziness, nausea, hair loss, abnormal development of fetus
B1 (Thiamine)	Found in wheat germ, whole wheat, peas, beans, enriched flour, fish, peanuts and meats.	Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin that the body requires to break down carbohydrates, fat and protein. The body needs vitamin b in order to make adenine triphosphate (ATP). Vitamin B1 is also essential for the proper functioning of nerve cells.	Beriberi, muscular weakness, enlarged heart	Can interfere with the absorption of other vitamins
B2 (Riboflavin)	Found in milk cheese, leafy green vegetables, liver, soybeans yeast and almonds. Exposure to light destroys riboflavin.	Vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps the body process amino acids and fats. Activated vitamin B6 and folic acid helps convert carbohydrates to adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Sometimes vitamin B2 can act as an antioxidant.	Dermatitis, blurred vision, growth failure	Unknown
B3 (Niacin)	Found in beets, brewer's yeast, beef liver, beef kidney, pork, turkey, chicken, veal, fish, salmon, swordfish, tuna, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.	Vitamin B3 is required for cell respiration and helps release the energy in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It helps with proper circulation and healthy skin, functioning of the nervous system, and normal secretion of bile and stomach fluids. It is used in the synthesis of sex hormones, treating schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, and as a memory-enhancer.	Pellagra, diarrhea, mental disorders	High blood sugar and uric acid, vasodilation
C (Ascorbic acid)	Found in citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit and lemon.	Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin. It is needed to make collagen. Vitamin C also aids in the formation of liver bile which helps to detoxify alcohol and other substances. Evidence indicates that vitamin C levels in the eye decrease with age and this may be a cause of cataracts. Vitamin C has been reported to reduce activity of the enzyme, aldose reductase, which helps protect people with diabetes. It may also protect the body against accumulation or retention of the toxic mineral, lead.	Scurvy, delayed wound healing, infections	Gout, kidney stones, diarrhoea, decreased copper
D	Produced by the human body during exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.	Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps maintain blood levels of calcium. Vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D plays a role in immunity and blood cell formation and also helps cells differentiate this lowers your chance of getting cancer.	Lack of Vitamin D results in rickets for children and osteomalacia for adults.	Calcification of soft tissue, diarrhoea, possible renal damage
E	Found in vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Fortified cereals are also an important source of vitamin E in the United States.	Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cell membranes and other fat-soluble parts of the body, such as LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol), from damage.	Unknown	Diarrhoea, nausea, headaches, fatigue, muscle weakness
K	Found in kale, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens and Brussels sprouts. Also found vegetable oils such as soybean, canola, cottonseed, and olive. Additionally, the normal flora of the large intestine produce vitamin K, which our body is able to absorb and use	Vitamin K by helping transport Ca, vitamin K is necessary for proper bone growth and blood coagulation.	Easy bruising and bleeding	Can interfere with anticoagulant medication
Folic acid	Found in many vegetables including, broccoli, peas, asparagus, spinach, green leafy types. Also found in fresh fruit, liver and yeast.	Coenzyme needed for production of hemoglobin and formation of DNA.	Megaloblastic anemia, spina bifida	May mask B12 deficiency
B12	Found in meat, fish, eggs and milk but not in vegetables.	Vitamin B12 is needed to make red blood cells. Supplements can help some types of anemia.	Pernicious anemia	Unknown
B6 (pyridoxine)	Found in cereals, yeast, liver, and fish.	Vitamin B6 is a coenzyme in amino acid synthesis.	Rare to be deficient, convulsions, vomiting, seborrhea,muscular weakness	Insomnia, neuropathy

Folic acid and cancer prevention

Women of childbearing age are often encouraged to take a folic acid supplement to help reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Research cited by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that folic acid may have even more benefits, and not just for the developing fetus. Their study shows that people who get more than the recommended amount of folic acid due to diet or supplements can actually lower the risk of developing colon or breast cancer. Since alcohol blocks the absorption of folic acid and inactivates circulating folate, this can be especially important to those who drink alcohol frequently (more than one drink per day). The current recommended intake for folic acid is 400 micrograms per day. There are many excellent sources of folic acid, including prepared breakfast cereals, beans, and fortified grains. So if you would like to reduce your risk of colon or breast cancer, be sure to get more than 400 micrograms per day!

Fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K

With fat soluble vitamins you need the presence of fat in your diet to absorb them, this is because the bile will not be secreted to help with emulsification and therefore the fat vitamins will not be broken down for absorption. Fat soluble vitamins are stored in organs such as the liver, spleen, and other fatty tissues in the body. Because of this, excessive amounts of fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the body resulting in toxicity, but this rarely comes from excessive dietary intake but rather from improper use of vitamin supplements. The other, water-soluble vitamins, do not build up to toxic levels because they are regularly excreted in the urine.