Vitamins And Their Significance To A Human Body

Vitamins are the tiny superheroes our body needs to function at its best. They play a crucial role in keeping you healthy, boosting your immune system, and helping your organs work properly. Here's why they matter:

• Essential for Growth and Repair: Vitamins like A and C help our skin heal, strengthen our bones, and support overall growth.
• Boost Immunity: Vitamin C is famous for helping fight off infections, while Vitamin D strengthens our immune system.
• Energy Production: B vitamins are like fuel for our body—they help convert food into energy so we feel active and alert.
• Brain Health: Vitamins like B12 and folate keep our brain sharp and help prevent memory problems.
• Stronger Bones: Vitamin D and calcium work together to maintain bone strength and prevent issues like osteoporosis.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are organic compounds that your body needs in small amounts to function properly. They play a vital role in metabolism, growth, and overall health. Since your body can't produce most vitamins on its own, you need to get them from food or supplements.

Types of Vitamins (Fat-Soluble & Water-Soluble)

There are 13 essential vitamins, divided into two types:

• Fat-soluble Vitamins- Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble
• Water-soluble Vitamins- Vitamins C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble.

Functions of Vitamins in the Human Body

Vitamins are essential for maintaining overall health and ensuring the body functions optimally. Here's an overview of their key functions:

1. Vision and Skin Health
   • Vitamin A: Maintains healthy vision, supports the immune system, and promotes skin health.
2. Energy Production and Metabolism
   • B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12):- Help convert food into energy.
   • Support nervous system function.
   • Aids in red blood cell production (especially B9 and B12).
3. Immunity and Healing
   • Vitamin C: Boosts the immune system, promotes wound healing, and acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from damage.
4. Bone Health
   • Vitamin D: Regulates calcium and phosphorus levels, ensuring strong bones and teeth.
   • Vitamin K: Helps with blood clotting and works alongside Vitamin D for bone strength.
5. Cell Protection and Aging
   • Vitamin E: Protects cells from oxidative stress (as an antioxidant) and supports skin health.
6. Blood Clotting
   • Vitamin K: Plays a vital role in blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding.

These vitamins, although needed in small amounts, are critical for the body's health. Eating a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins can provide most of these vitamins naturally.

Vitamins: Their Chemical Name, Source, and Deficiency Disease

Vitamin A (Chemical Name: Retinol)

Vitamin A plays an important role in bone growth, tooth development, reproduction, cell division, gene expression, and regulation of the immune system. The skin, eyes, and mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs depend on vitamin A to remain moist. Vitamin A is also an important antioxidant that may play a role in the prevention of certain cancers.

Source: Liver, cod liver oil, carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheeses, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon, milk.
Deficiency Disease: Night blindness and keratomalacia (an eye disorder that results in a dry cornea)

Vitamin B1 (Chemical Name: Thiamine)

Source: Sources include peas, pork, liver, and legumes. Most commonly, thiamin is found in whole grains and fortified grain products such as cereal, and enriched products like bread, pasta, rice, and tortillas.
Deficiency Disease: Beri-Beri, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Vitamin B2 (Chemical Name: Riboflavin)

Source: Sources include liver, eggs, dark green vegetables, legumes, whole and enriched grain products, and milk. Ultraviolet light is known to destroy riboflavin, which is why most milk is packaged in opaque containers instead of clear.
Deficiency Disease: Cheilosis, Ariboflavinosis

Vitamin B3 (Chemical Name: Niacin)

Source: Sources include liver, fish, poultry, meat, peanuts, whole and enriched grain products.
Deficiency Disease: Pellagra

Vitamin B5 (Chemical Name: Pantothenic Acid)

Source: Meats, whole grains (milling may remove it), broccoli, avocados, royal jelly, fish ovaries.
Deficiency Disease: Paresthesia

Vitamin B6 (Chemical Name: Pyridoxine)

Source: Meats, bananas, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts. When milk is dried, it loses about half of its B6. Freezing and canning can also reduce the content.
Deficiency Disease: Anemia, peripheral neuropathy

Vitamin B7 (Chemical Name: Biotin)

Source: Egg yolk, liver, some vegetables
Deficiency Disease: Dermatitis, enteritis

Vitamin B9 (Chemical Name: Folic Acid)

Source: Sources of folate include liver, kidney, dark green leafy vegetables, meats, fish, whole grains, fortified grains and cereals, legumes, and citrus fruits. Not all whole grain products are fortified with folate.
Deficiency Disease: Pregnancy deficiency linked to birth defects

Vitamin B12 (Chemical Name: Cyanocobalamin)

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, aids in the building of genetic material, the production of normal red blood cells, and the maintenance of the nervous system.

Source: Vitamin B12 can only be found in foods of animal origin such as meats, liver, kidney, fish, eggs, milk and milk products, oysters, and shellfish. Some fortified foods may contain vitamin B12.
Deficiency Disease: Megaloblastic anemia

Vitamin C (Chemical Name: Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C benefits the body by holding cells together through collagen synthesis; collagen is a connective tissue that holds muscles, bones, and other tissues together. Vitamin C also aids in wound healing, bone and tooth formation, strengthening blood vessel walls, improving immune system function, increasing absorption and utilization of iron, and acting as an antioxidant

Source: Consuming vitamin C-rich foods is the best method to ensure an adequate intake of this vitamin. While many common plant foods contain vitamin C, the best sources are citrus fruits.
Deficiency Disease: Scurvy, causing a loss of collagen strength throughout the body. Loss of collagen results in loose teeth, bleeding and swollen gums, and improper wound healing.

Vitamin D (Chemical Name: Calciferol)

Vitamin D plays a critical role in the body’s use of calcium and phosphorus. It works by increasing the amount of calcium absorbed from the small intestine, helping to form and maintain bones. Vitamin D benefits the body by playing a role in immunity and controlling cell growth. Children especially need adequate amounts of vitamin D to develop strong bones and healthy teeth.

Source: Produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources. Also found in fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms.
Deficiency Disease: Rickets

Vitamin E (Chemical Name: Tocopherol)

Vitamin E benefits the body by acting as an antioxidant, and protecting vitamins A and C, red blood cells, and essential fatty acids from destruction. Research from decades ago suggested that taking antioxidant supplements, Vitamin E in particular, might help prevent heart disease and cancer.

Source: Kiwi fruit, almonds, avocado, eggs, milk, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ, and wholegrains.
Deficiency Disease: May cause mild hemolytic anemia in newborns.

Vitamin K (Chemical Name: Phylloquinone)

Vitamin K is naturally produced by the bacteria in the intestines and plays an essential role in normal blood clotting, promoting bone health, and helping to produce proteins for blood, bones, and kidneys.

Source: Leafy green vegetables, avocado, kiwi fruit. Parsley contains a lot of vitamin K.
Deficiency Disease: Haemophilia