Vitamins
Deficiency diseases such as scurvy and beri-beri are caused by the lack of certain chemical
substances in our diet known as vitamins.
Vitamins are organic compounds that are not built in a definite pattern like carbohydrates
proteins and fats. They are not energy-providing foods nor are they body building foods, yet they
are required in small quantities by animals, including humans, for normal health and development.
However, both in underdeveloped countries and developed countries, a deficiency
of vitamins can arise. How you ask? Because in underdeveloped countries people do not get a
balanced diet and so are malnourished resulting in vitamin deficiency. In developed countries,
people eat processed foods more and thus vitamin rich raw fruits and vegetables are avoided.
The amount of vitamins required by us varies with age. Vitamins can be classified into two types, fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins, as name suggests, are soluble in fats and can be stored in the fats of the body, but water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, and have to be supplied in the daily diet.
When a particular vitamin is deficient, characteristic symptoms appear and if the deficiency is
severe, the particular deficiency disease will develop. Usually a mild vitamin deficiency is hard
to detect, but it may impair a person’s well-being so he feels rundown or irritable. Though
whenever someone is feeling low or irritable it does not mean that he or she is vitamin deficient.
As vitamin supplements are easily available over the counter care must be taken while
consuming them. Larger quantities of some vitamins are toxic and may produce mild diseases,
and should only be taken when prescribed.
Source and Functions of Vitamins
Vitamin A
Ever heard carrots are good for our eyes? How is that? Carrots are a rich source of vitamin A, a
fat soluble vitamin, and is required for the formation of a light-sensitive pigment in the retina and for maintaining healthy epithelial tissues. Rich sources include dairy products, fish liver oils and green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B has many subtypes many of which are important coenzymes in cellular respiration.
Beri-beri and anemia are deficiency diseases caused by a lack of certain B vitamins. Yeast, liver
and bran are rich sources of the vitamin.
Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid
It is a water-soluble vitamin. The richest sources of this vitamin are fresh citrus fruits like
oranges, and lemons and some other fruits like papaya, guava, tomatoes, and bananas. Vitamin C is also found in fresh green vegetables. Fruit juices such as blackcurrant juice and rose hip syrup are often used as convenient sources of this vitamin.
It is needed for the formation of intercellular substances. Such substances are found in between the cells and they hold the cells together. Vitamin C is also necessary for maintaining healthy epithelial tissues. It is, however, not effective against influenza according to popular belief.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is found in fish liver oils like Cod and Hailbut, egg
yolk, milk and margarine. Ultraviolet rays in sunlight can convert a natural substance in the skin
to Vitamin D. So if one gets enough sunlight, Vitamin D is not needed in the diet. It promotes absorption of calcium and phosphorus compounds from the intestines. It also enables the body to use these compounds in the formation of teeth and bones.
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