Vitamins And Health by Jane Thurnell-Read

Vitamins are essentail for health, vital for life even though we only need them in very small quantities.

Functions Of Vitamins

Functions of vitamins include:

• Helping the body use the calories in food.
• Helping process proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
• Involved in building cells, tissues and organs.
• Some vitamins work as antioxidants.

Essential Vitamins

There are known to be 13 essential vitamins. They are:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (niacin)
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• Biotin
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Folate (folic acid)

Types Of Vitamins

Vitamins can be fat soluble or water soluble:

• Fat-soluble: vitamins A, D, E and K
  Absorbed along with fats in the small intestine.
  Excess stored in the body's fatty tissue particularly the liver.
  Supplements best taken with meals.
• Water-soluble: B vitamins and vitamin C
  Absorbed by diffusion along with water and dissolve in body fluids.
  Must be used by the body right away.
  Any left over water-soluble vitamins leave the body through the urine.
  Supplements can be taken with or away from meals.

Vitamins Made In the Body

The body can make some vitamins:

• Vitamin K and some B vitamins in the large intestine.
• Vitamin D from the action of sunlight on the skin.
• Vitamin A from the provitamin carotene.

Vitamin Deficiencies

Vitamin deficiencies can come about because:

• There is not enough of the vitamin in the diet.
• The body has an increased need for the vitamin because of lifestyle, interaction with drugs or medical considerations.
• Inability to process the vitamins in the food. This may be because of general digestive problems, or relate to a specific vitamin.
• Individual has a particularly high need for that vitamin.

Food And Vitamin Content

The vitamin content can vary:

• Fruit and vegetables have their highest level of vitamins when they are picked ripe.
• Eating foods immediately after picking ensures maximum vitamin intake.
• Water-soluble vitamins tend to be light sensitive so store fruit and vegetables in a dark place.
• Warmth can degrade some vitamins, so store in a cool place or frozen.
• Cooking may destroy vitamins
• Using large amounts of water for cooking vegetables and then throwing the water away reduces the amount of water-soluble vitamins in the food.

Toxic Effects Of Vitamins

More is not always better. High doses of certain vitamins can be poisonous. This is particularly true of the fat-soluble vitamins that are stored in the liver.

Official Recommendations For Vitamin Intake

Most governments have recommendations for vitamin intake from food and/or supplements, but these vary from country to country. Measures include:

• Recommended dietary allowances (RDAs): the recommended daily allowances to prevent deficiency.
• Reference nutrient intake (RNI): the daily amount estimated to be sufficient for 97% of a specified population group.
• Upper Safe Limit (USL) is the maximum amount to eat or take as a supplement without the risk of side effects from poisoning. These limits can be different for short and long term use.

Copyright 2008 Jane Thurnell-Read | High Quality Online Supplements