Learning about Vitamins: Getting the nutrient you need.
For the proper well-being of a human being, we depend on the proper intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant agents, which prevent the growth of cancer cells. Yet many people wonder, "what vitamin would be a good idea for me to take? how is it going help...". Get proper knowledge about the realities of vitamins and keep away from the traps that many individuals fall into when they attempt to get supplements.
Vitamins are organic compounds, they are essential micronutrients required in small amounts, and they cannot be synthesized by the body. They are important for cell growth and development, maintaining cell differentiation, reproduction, and lactation (secretion of milk from the mammary gland). Vitamins are not energy-producing food i.e they do not provide energy to the body by themselves instead they are biocatalysts - i.e, they enhance chemical metabolic reactions and biochemical reactions which include many kinds of enzymatic reactions. Inadequate intake of these vitamins leads to certain abnormal growth in children which may also affect the development of the brain and anomalies in some parts of the body. Vitamins drive the process that keeps the human body alive.
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Vitamins are grouped into two(2), they are classified based on their solubility;
- The fat-soluble vitamins (examples are vitamin A, D, E, K)
- The water-soluble vitamins(examples are vitamin B complex and vitamin C)
The fat-soluble vitamins are dissolvable in fat or lipid. Excess of it is stored in the liver and tends to remain there, over time one can develop a potentially dangerous condition called hypervitaminosis.
The water-soluble vitamins are dissolvable in water, therefore the body will need a continuous supply and steady daily intake from the food we eat, because water-soluble vitamins are soluble in water, they are not stored in the body thus, they are easily absorbed into the body tissues and can easily be excreted out of the body.
In this article, we're going to explore more the fat-soluble vitamins, their function, deficiency symptoms, and food sources. Many people do not take enough vitamin-rich food and so suffer from ill health and deficiency diseases.
FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS - unlike water-soluble vitamins that need regular replacement in the body, excess fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues (adipose tissue), fat-soluble vitamins are eliminated slowly in the body. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body for a longer period and pose a greater risk for toxicity. They are needed in small amounts. Fat-soluble vitamins include: vitamin A,D,E,K.which I will be emphasizing on each of them below.
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Vitamin A can be found in food sources such as fruits, milk, green and yellow vegetables,fish-liver oil, egg yolk, and palm oil. Carotenoids are a basic antioxidant (antioxidant reduces the risk of disease such as cancer), that the body converts to vitamin A, and are found in varieties of fruit and vegetables.
Deficiency symptoms of this vitamin include;
- A retarded growth in young children
- Development of a peculiar condition around the eyes is known as xerophthalmia (which can lead to permanent blindness or keratomalacia), night blindness, and reproductive disorder.
- Skin becomes flaky(horny and dry)
Vitamin A can be used to treat aging skin, infection, acne measles, Retinitis pigmentosa(an eyes disease caused by damaged retinal), and other infections, Excess vitamin A causes alopecia( sudden hair loss) and abnormal pregnancy.
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VITAMIN D: also called cholecalciferol, increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines (distal tubule, Duodenum); calcification and hardening of bone. Vitamin D is crucial for building and maintaining bones and teeth. inadequate intake of vitamin D may lead to rickets in children or osteomalacia and /or osteoporosis in adults. Retarded growth, rickets, lameness, and osteoporosis.
Vitamin D Food source includes fish-liver oil, egg yolk, butter (It's synthesized in the skin when exposed to the sun's ultraviolet ray), Cereals, Tuna, and salmon.
Vitamin D comes in two different forms
a)25-OH-D3 this is a form in which vitamin is stored in the liver
b)1,25(OH2)-D3 this is a form in which vitamin D is activated in the kidney to exact the absorption of calcium.
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VITAMIN E: also called tocopherol benefits the body by acting as an antioxidant, preventing the peroxidation of fatty acids(ie. it protects fatty acids and cell membranes from oxidation), and preventive arteriosclerosis.
Food source includes seeds, leafy vegetables, egg, milk, and margarine.
Deficiency of vitamin E includes Fat mal-absorption and further cells oxidation which might cause the growth of cancer cells, muscle, leg, and arm weakness, anemia, hair loss, dry skin, and fertility problems.
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VITAMIN K: also called phylloquinone is necessary for the maintenance of normal blood coagulation, required for the gamma-carboxylation of clotting factors. The deficiency of this vitamin slows the clotting of blood leading to severe bleeding from cuts.
Food sources are Liver, cruciferous vegetables(made by intestinal bacteria), cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, etc.
Natural vitamins are vitamins found in natural foods, needed for proper body functioning. These vitamins are grouped into 2 based on where they can be dissolved in the body. The fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in fat such as adipose tissues (skin cells, around internal organs, bone marrow, intermuscular cells, and breast tissue) and the water-soluble vitamins are soluble in liquids. According to studies, our body needs these vitamins for some biochemical reactions. clearly, everyday food like vegetables typically contains a considerable lot of the above nutrients.
The persistent vice of finicky food ought to be focused harder, especially on children. We ought to remember that a reasonably balanced diet is very important and also help us maintain the immune system.THANK YOU!!
This is a great post. I learned a lot from it. Thank you for sharing.