This isn’t an easy topic to write about nor is it an easy topic to find information about since it’s quite complex, however, we will share with you as much information as possibly can about this subject so that you no longer have any questions left un-answered by the end of this article.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that may prevent or delay some types of cell damage. Most research has not shown antioxidant supplements to be helpful in preventing diseases. Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
Vitamins Defined
Es of Foods
There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in your fat cells, consequently requiring fat in order to be absorbed. Vitamin E – is found in fortified cereals; leafy green vegetables; seeds; nuts
Vitamin K – can be found in dark green leafy vegetables; turnip/beet greens
Water-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin B1, or Thiamin – come from whole grains; enriched grains; liver; nuts; seeds
Vitamin B2, or Riboflavin – comes from whole grains; enriched grains; dairy products
Vitamin B3, or Niacin – comes from meat; fish; poultry; whole grains
Vitamin B5, or Pantothenic Acid – comes from meat; poultry; whole grains
Vitamin B6, or Pyridoxine – comes from fortified cereals; soy products
Vitamin B7, or Biotin – is found in fruits; meats
Vitamin B9, or Folic Acid (Folate) – comes from leafy vegetables
Vitamin B12 – comes from fish; poultry; meat; dairy products
Vitamin C – comes from citrus fruits and juices, such as oranges and grapefruits; red, yellow, and green peppers
Purpose of Vitamins
Vitamins are used in many different ways inside your body.
While vitamins do not directly serve as a source of energy, they do help the enzymes that generate energy from nutrients such as carbohydrates and fats. Your body uses retinal in the rods and cones of your eyes to sense light and help prevent night blindness. B Complex Vitamins
The B complex vitamins include thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and B12.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, an antioxidant, may help prevent cell damage and reduce risk for certain cancers, heart disease, and other diseases.
Words Nearby Vitamins
Many vitamins have been identified, and each plays a specific role in the functioning of the body. For example, vitamin C is needed for the proper healing of wounds and broken bones; vitamin A helps the body resist infection.
Some vitamins are so important that without them certain diseases or conditions could develop. For example, a deficiency of vitamin D may cause rickets, and a deficiency of vitamin B12 could result in a form of anemi.
Biological Significance Of Vitamins
Some of the first evidence for the existence of vitamins emerged in the late 19th century with the work of Dutch physician and pathologist Christiaan Eijkman.
In 1897 he demonstrated that polyneuritis was caused by feeding the chickens a diet of polished white rice but that it disappeared when the animals were fed unpolished rice. Funk proposed that the polyneuritis arose because of a lack in the birds’ diet of a vital factor (now known to be thiamin) that could be found in rice bran.