Vitamins
- What are Vitamins?
Vitamins are vital nutrients that every organism needs in small quantities to sustain life. It is crucial to know that a compound that is considered as a vitamin by humans may not be so for other animals; it is because vitamins are organic compounds that are produced in a very limited quantity or none at all in an organism’s body. Hence, vitamins have to be procured from outside sources like food. For example, ‘ascorbic acid’ is a vitamin for humans but not for other animals like dogs because they can synthesize it in sufficient quantities on their own.
There are different types of vitamins; Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble i.e. they are deposited in the body as reserves for days, as well as months. Vitamins C and all types of Vitamin B are water soluble i.e. instead of getting stored in the body; they are frequently expelled through urine. Following is a list of the various vitamins, their sources, and what effect they have if you don’t consume them in sufficient amounts.
| SNo | Name |
Vit Deficiency Causes | Sources of Vitamins |
| 1 | Vitamin A | Keratomalacia, Night Blindness | Liver, Broccoli, Butter, Collard Greens, Cod Liver Oil, Apricot, Milk, Egg, Spinach, Carrot, Sweet Potato |
| 2 | Vitamin B1 | Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, BeriBeri | Cereal Grains, Brown Rice, Liver, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Yeast, Oranges |
| 3 | Vitamin B2 | Ariboflavinosis, Angular Stomatitis | Bananas, Okra, Cottage Cheese, Meat, Green Beans, Fish, Asparagus |
| 4 | Vitamin B3 | Pellagra | Beef, Milk, Tuna, Salmon, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Nuts, Legumes, Mushrooms, Liver, Chicken, Kidney |
| 5 | Vitamin B5 | Paresthesia | Broccoli, Royal Jelly, Avocados, Meat, Fish Ovaries, Whole Grains |
| 6 | Vitamin B6 | Peripheral Neuropathy, Anaemia | Vegetables, Meat, Whole Grains, Nuts, Bananas |
| 7 | Vitamin B7 | Enteritis, Dermatitis | Vegetables, Liver, Egg Yolk |
| 8 | Vitamin B9 | Birth Defects, Megaloblastic Anaemia | Legumes, Sunflower Seeds, Liver, Leafy Vegetable |
| 9 | Vitamin B12 | Megaloblastic Anaemia | Fish, Soy Products, Eggs, Dairy Products, Meat, Shellfish |
| 10 | Vitamin C | Scurvy | Many Fruits And Vegetables, Liver, Camu Fruit and Kakadu Plum are considered to have the Highest Amounts Vitamin C of all foods |
| 11 | Vitamin D | Rickets, Osteomalacia | Fatty Fish, Beef Liver, Mushrooms, Exposure To Ultraviolet-B from Sun |
| 12 | Vitamin E | Deficiency is Uncommon; May Cause Haemolytic Anaemia In Infants | Almonds, Eggs, Nuts, Whole Grains, Kiwi Fruit, Avocado, Milk, Leafy Vegetables |
| 13 | Vitamin K | Bleeding Diathesis | Parsley, Avocado, Kiwi Fruit, Green Leafy Vegetables |
- How much Vitamins should I take?
Vitamin deficiency is common, and it might be hard to judge how much is needed and how much is too much. Generally, the amount of vitamins is measured in two different modes – the RDA and the UL.
RDA stands for recommended dietary allowance and UL stands for tolerable upper intake level.
If your intake is more than the RDA, then you will not have any deficiency. If you take in more than the UL, you might be at a risk of overdose and serious other side effects.
You should make sure that your intake of vitamin supplements should be within these limits. You can generally find these UL limits on most of the bottles of vitamin supplements.
- What are Vitamins good for?
Several Vitamins are important for you in different methods:
Vitamin A is good for your eyesight, overall growth and development and makes your skin glow.
Vitamin B is essential for energy in your body, immunity of the body and for your body to absorb iron.
Vitamin C gives the skin its elasticity, has a lot of anti-oxidant properties and also strengthens the blood vessels.
Vitamin D is good for strong and healthy bones.
Vitamin E is needed for proper blood circulation and also protection from the harmful effects of free radicals and
Vitamin K is required for proper blood coagulation.
- What can happen if I do not take Vitamins?
If the required amount of vitamin intake is not met, it can lead to a lot of vitamin deficiency diseases as mentioned in the table above. These can be deadly at different points and are mostly due to poor eating. Most of the vitamin deficiencies are noticed after weeks to months of under nutrition. Scurvy and Beri Beri are the most common vitamin deficiencies.
Struck by his conscience and feeling ever more hungry, Charles began to type in the next set of words which intrigued him the most due to their unduly presence in almost everything that he ate.
You may also like to check on the following, in case, you are unknowingly missing a vital nutrient in your diet that can have significant impact on your kids or your health:
Beginner’s guide to:
| Calories | Carbohydrates | Fats | Iron |
| Proteins | Fibre | Trans Fat | Zinc |
| Cholesterol | Folic Acid | Calcium | Sodium |
| Chromium | Magnesium | Selenium |
