Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential for our everyday for normal cell function, growth, and development. There are fat-soluble vitamins stored in our body’s liver, fatty tissues, and muscles, and water-soluble vitamins that cannot be stored in our body. They leave by urine hence need to be supplied regularly. Both types of essential vitamins have different roles in maintaining our health and body functions.
There are 13 recognised vitamins
Vitamin A: This vitamin is a fat-soluble vitamin, also called retinol or retinal. Vitamin A is essential for eye health as well as helping maintain healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin health. From our natural diet, vitamin A can be found in carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, butter, cheese, kale, spinach, pumpkins, eggs, apricots, melon, and milk. When people lack of vitamin A, it could lead to night blindness, dry eyes, bitot spots on the whites of both eyes.
Vitamin B1: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also called thiamine, essential for producing various enzymes that help break down blood sugar, helping the body cells to change carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for heart function and healthy nerve cells. You can find vitamin B1 in pork, fish, green peas, black beans, cauliflower, brown rice, and asparagus. If a person is lack of vitamin B1, it could lead to impairment of nerves and heart muscle wasting.
Vitamin B2: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also called riboflavin, essential for the growth and development of body cells and helps metabolize food. It also helps keep the skin, eyes, and nervous system healthy, releasing energy from food. People can intake vitamin B2 from eggs, low-fat dairy milk, avocado, yogurt, meat, spinach, almonds, mushrooms, cottage cheese, bananas, and fish. Deficiency symptoms include inflammation of the lips and fissures in the mouth.
Vitamin B3: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also named niacin or niacinamide. It helps cells grow and work correctly. It also releases energy from food and keeps our nervous system and skin healthy. Vitamin B3 is found in chicken, beef, tuna, salmon, milk, eggs, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, nuts, tofu, and lentils. When people lack of vitamin B3, it could lead to skin lesions, and gastrointestinal disturbances.
Vitamin B5: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also called pantothenic acid. This vitamin helps produce energy and hormones by turning food into energy and breaking down fat. Vitamin B5 is found in meats, whole grains, broccoli, avocado, and yogurt. When a person lacks vitamin B5, they can feel fatigue, restless, nausea and have pins and needles often.
Vitamin B6: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also named as pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, or pyridoxal, which is vital for the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin B6 is found in chickpeas, beef liver, bananas, and nuts. Deficiency symptoms include dermatitis, mental depression, and anemia.
Vitamin B7: This vitamin is water-soluble and is also called biotin. This vitamin is essential for the body as it enables the body to metabolize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It also contributes to keratin for skin, hair, and nails. Vitamin B7 is found in egg yolk, liver, broccoli, spinach, and cheese. If a person lacks vitamin B7, it may cause dermatitis, hair loss, and inflammation of intestines.
Vitamin B9: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also named folic acid, folate or folinic acid. This vitamin is essential for making DNA and RNA, red blood cells which are vital for energy. Several fruits contain a moderate amount of vitamin B9 as well as leafy vegetables such as cabbage, kale, spinach, asparagus, edamame, brussels sprouts, peas, and more. Deficiency symptoms include impaired formation of red blood cells, headache, and neural tube defects in the fetus.
Vitamin B12: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also called cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, or methylcobalamin. This vitamin is essential for a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 can be found in natural foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, cereals, soy products, and yeast. When a person lacks vitamin B12, it may lead to neurological problems and types of anemia.
Vitamin C: This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin, also named ascorbic acid. This vitamin is essential as it contributes to collagen production, wound healing, and bone formation. It also strengthens blood vessels and supports the immune system, as well as being an antioxidant, it helps the body absorb iron. People can find vitamin C in a lot of their diet from foods such as most fruits and vegetables, especially oranges, kiwifruits, strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes. When a person becomes deficient in vitamin C, it could result in scurvy, bleeding and swelling gums, loss of teeth, poor tissue growth, and slow wound healing.
Vitamin D: This vitamin is a fat-soluble vitamin, also called ergocalciferol, or cholecalciferol. This vitamin is essential for healthy mineralization of bones, and the maintenance of blood calcium and phosphorus levels. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms, and beef liver. The most natural source would be taking vitamin D through being exposed to UV light from the sun. When a person lacks vitamin D, it can lead to defective bone growth and softening of bones.
Vitamin E: This vitamin is a fat-soluble vitamin, also named tocopherol, or tocotrienol. This vitamin helps prevent oxidative stress through its antioxidant activity, and helps protect cell damage. People can intake vitamin E through natural sources such as almonds, avocados, spinach, kiwifruit, broccoli, vegetable oils, and more. Lack of vitamin E can lead to a destroy of blood cells.
Vitamin K: This vitamin is a fat-soluble vitamin, also called phylloquinone, or menaquinone. This vitamin is essential for blood clotting and bone health. It helps with wound healing. Sources that contain vitamin K include natto, leafy greens, pumpkins, figs, and parsley. Low levels of vitamin K can lead to unusual susceptibility to bleeding, or bleeding diathesis
Most vitamins are consumed through a balanced diet however, due to the characteristic of being water-soluble and fat-soluble, some people may not intake all the nutrients. Hence there are supplements to help. Supplements help boost vitamin supply for us to intake vitamins we lack.
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※References
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