What Are Vitamins?
Vitamins are essential organic nutrients
required by the body in order to function. They are known as micro-nutrients
and can be defined as either fat soluble or water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins
can be stored in the body’s adipose (fat) tissue and the liver. These vitamins
are found in plant-based foods containing fat such as avocados and almonds. Vitamins
A, D, E and K are fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the
body and so are needed to be consumed every day. Vitamins B, C and Biotin are
water soluble.
Every human body requires tiny amounts of
vitamins which are present in food. There are numerous ways to measure a
vitamin, some are measured in international units (IUS) and some are measured
in weight (micrograms or milligrams). Although we must obtain our vitamins from
food, vitamin D can also be obtained from exposure to sunlight, and each
person’s ability to absorb the sun’s ultraviolet B radiation varies depending
on skin colour and tone.
Why Do We Need Vitamins?
The body relies on vitamins and minerals (the
second micro-nutrient group) to utilise energy from food, maintain strong teeth
and bones, allow for proper functioning of the body’s systems and protect us
from infections and disease. We are provided with a recommended daily allowance
(RDA) for each vitamin which indicates how much we should be consuming, and for
those who are deficient or cannot obtain certain vitamins from their diet (such
as vegans and vegetarians who cannot obtain vitamin B12), supplements are often
required to meet the body’s needs.
Vitamins do not provide energy themselves as
they contain no calories, although some (particularly B vitamins) are vital for
the body’s ability to absorb energy from food. This is known as energy
metabolism, and the vitamins that activate this process are known as coenzymes
as they activate enzymes which metabolise carbohydrate, fat and protein for the
body to utilise. Enzymes utilise nutrients to produce energy, repair skin,
balance hormones, boost the immune system and protect the arteries.
Antioxidants
Some vitamins are known as antioxidants and
there are three main vitamins in this group: betacarotene, vitamin C and
vitamin E. Antioxidants were ‘discovered’ when scientists found that diseases
such as cancer, vision loss and clogged arteries were being cause by free
radicals (toxins), and that the bodies of people with a low intake of
antioxidants were not able to remove these free radicals. Although eating many
antioxidant-rich foods can lessen the risk of developing disease and infection,
no studies have proven they can prevent them completely.
In my next blog I'll take you through the vitamins, examining the benefits, sources and RDA of each.
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