Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds found in food which are essential for growth and maintenance of life. They are classified into two groups:
*Fat soluble (vitamins A, D, E, K)
* Water soluble (B complex vitamins and vit.C)
Vitamin A (retinol and beta - Carotene)
Vitamin A and carotene can be obtained from either animal or vegetable sources. The animal form is divided between retinol and dehydroretinol whereas the vegetable carotene can be split into four very potent groups - alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene and crypto-carotene. With enough beta-carotene available in the body, the body can manufacture its own vitamin A.
How this vitamin required in your body:
Vitamin A is required for night vision, and for a healthy skin. It assists the immune system, and because of its antioxidant properties is great to protect against pollution and cancer formation and other diseases. It also assists your sense of taste as well as helping the digestive and urinary tract and many believe that it helps slow aging.
It is required for development and maintenance of the epithelial cells, in the mucus membranes, and your skin, and is important in the formation of bone and teeth, storage of fat and the synthesis of protein and glycogen.
Vitamin A is found in :
Liver, milk, egg-yolk, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits.
Symptoms of Deficiency:
A deficiency of vitamin A may lead to eye problems with dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea, dry skin and hair, night blindness as well as poor growth.
Dry itchy eyes that tire easily are normally a warning of too little vitamin A. If the deficiency become severe, the cornea can ulcerate and permanent blindness can follow.
Abscesses forming in the ear, sinusitis, frequent cold and respiratory infections as well as skin disorders, such as acne, boils and a bumpy skin, as well as weight loss might be indicative of the vitamin being in short supply.
Insomnia, fatigue and reproductive difficulties may also be indicative of the vitamin in short supply. Your hair and scalp can also become dry with a deficiency, especially if protein is also lacking.
Recommended Daily Intakes
Men: 5,000 IU per day
Women: 4,000 IU per day
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Vitamin B-1 also known as thiamine, is necessary for most every cellular reaction in the body as a participant in an enzyme system known as thiamin pyrophosphate. It is vital to normal functioning of the nervous system and metabolism.
How This Vitamin Works in Your Body:
Maintains health of mucous membranes
Keeps normal workings of nervous system, heart, and muscles
Helps treat herpes zoster and beriberi
Supports normal growth and development
Restores deficiencies caused by alcoholism, cirrhosis, overactive thyroid, infection, breastfeeding, absorption diseases, pregnancy, prolonged diarrhea, and burns
Reduction of depression, fatigue, and motion sickness
Potential improvement in appetite and mental alertness
B1 Vitamin is Found in:
Baked Potato,Beef kidney/liver,Brewer's yeast,Flour; rye and whole grain,Kidney beans,
Orange juice,Oranges,Oysters,Peanuts,Peas,Raisins,Rice, brown and raw,Wheat germ
Whole-grain products etc.
Symptoms of Deficiency:
Symptoms include fatigue, depression, decreased mental functioning, muscle cramps, nausea, heart
enlargement, and eventually beriberi. Alcoholics are at increased risk of a deficiency.
Recommended Daily Intakes
Men: 1.2 mg
Women: 1.1 mg
Pregnancy: 1.4 mg
Lactation: 1.5 mg
Vitamin B-2 also known as riboflavin, is readily absorbed from foods, such as meat, dairy products, and fortified grains. This vitamin is essential to energy generation, nerve development, blood cell development, and the regulation of certain hormones.
How This Vitamin Works in Your Body:
Releasing food energy
Normal growth and development
Keeps healthy mucous membranes linings together with vitamin A
Keeps healthy brain and nervous system, skin, hair, and blood cells
Essential for iron, pyridoxine, and niacin functions
Could increase growth of body during development stages
Potential treatment for cheilitis
B2 Vitamin is Found in:
Bananas,Beef liver,Dairy products,Eggs,Enriched breads,Fortified cereals,Mixed vegetables, Pork,Wheat germ.
Symptoms of Deficiency:
Symptoms include red, swollen, cracked mouth and tongue; fatigue; depression; anemia; and greasy, scaly skin. The formation of cataracts may be a result of this vitamin deficiency.
Recommended Daily Intakes
Men: 1.3 mg
Women: 1.1 mg
Pregnancy: 1.4 mg
Lactation: 1.6 mg
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) |  |
| Vitamin B-3 also known as niacin, acts like other B vitamins to create enzymes that are essential to metabolic cell activity, synthesize hormones, repair genetic material, and maintain normal functioning of the nervous system. sources of this vitamin may be found in meat, fish, and whole grains. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: B3 Vitamin is Found in: Symptoms include dermatitis on the hands and face, weakness, loss of appetite, sore mouth, diarrhea, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Recommended Daily Intakes Men: 16 mg Women: 14 mg Pregnancy: 18 mg Lactation: 17 mg Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) Vitamin B-5 also known as pantothenic acid, is a coenzyme involved in energy metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Great sources of this vitamin include eggs, nuts, and whole-wheat products. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: Bananas,Blue cheese,Broccoli,Chicken,Collard greens,Eggs, Lentils,Liver,Lobster,Meats, Milk,Oranges,Peanut butter,Peanuts Peas,Soybeans,Sunflower seeds,Wheat germ,Whole-grain products etc. Symptoms of Deficiency: Symptoms include excessive fatigue, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, nausea or dermatitis. However, these symptoms are rare and if they occur, they may indicate other B vitamin deficiencies. Recommended Daily Intakes Men: 5 mg Women: 5 mg Pregnancy: 5 mg Lactation: 5 mg Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Vitamin B-6 also known as pyridoxine, performs as a coenzyme to carry out metabolic processes that affect the body's use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. It helps to convert tryptophan to niacin, and may be found in meat, fish, eggs, milk, and whole grain foods. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: Bananas,Beef liver,Chicken,Fortified cereals,Ground beef,Ham, Lentils,Potatoes,Salmon,Soybeans,Sunflower seeds,Wheat germ Symptoms of Deficiency: Symptoms include weakness, mental confusion, irritability, nervousness, inability to sleep, hyperactivity, anemia, skin lesions, tongue discoloration, and kidney stones. Recommended Daily Intakes Men: 1.3 mg Men (Over 50): 1.7 mg Women: 1.3 mg Women (Over 50): 1.5 mg Pregnancy: 1.9 mg Lactation: 2.0 mg Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) |
How This Vitamin Works in Your Body:
Formation of red blood cells
Creation of genetic material
Promotes a healthy pregnancy by regulating the nervous system development of the fetus
Helps treat anemic patients resulting from folic acid deficiency
Functions to metabolize proteins
Cervical dysplasia may be reduced
Asparagus,Avocados,Bananas,Beans,Beets,Brussels sprouts,Cabbage
Calf liver,Cantaloupe,Citrus fruits/juices,Fortified grain products
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas),Green, leafy vegetables,Lentils
Sprouts,Wheat germ etc.
Symptoms of Deficiency:
Symptoms include anemia, mood disorders and gastrointestinal disorders. Neural tube defects may occur when a deficiency occurs during pregnancy.
Recommended Daily Intakes
Men: 400 mg
Women: 400 mg
Pregnancy: 600 mg
Lactation: 500 mg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
| Vitamin B-12, otherwise known as cyanocobalamin, performs as a coenzyme for the creation of DNA material. It also promotes growth and cell development and is important to fat, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism. Although vitamin B-12 is not found in plant foods, good sources of this supplement include meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: B12 Vitamin is Found in: Symptoms of Deficiency: Symptoms include nausea, loss of appetite, sore mouth, diarrhea, abnormal gait, loss of sensation in hands and feet, confusion, memory loss, and depression. Harmful anemia may be a result of this deficiency.Recommended Daily Intakes Men: 2.4 mcg Women: 2.4 mcg Pregnancy: 2.6 mcg Lactation: 2.8 mcg Vitamin C Vitamin C is essential for the manufacturing of collagen, necessary for tissue repair. It is needed for metabolism of phenylalanine, tyrosine, folic acid, iron. Vitamin C is also vital for healthy immune and nervous systems because it strengthens blood vessels, as it is an antioxidant that participates in oxidation-reduction reactions. Also, it is required for utilizing carbohydrates and synthesizing fats and proteins. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: The most plentiful tissue in the body is collagen, which is a connective tissue. The primary role of Vitamin C is to help this connective tissue. Because collagen is the defense mechanism against disease and infection, and because Vitamin C helps build collagen, it makes sense that it is also a remedy for scurvy by contributes to hemoglobin production. It promotes the production of red-blood-cell in bone marrow. Ascorbic Acid also supports healthy capillaries, gums, teeth, and even helps heal wounds, burns, and broken tissues. It contributes to hemoglobin and red-blood-cell production in bone marrow while even preventing blood clots. The list goes on. It helps heal urinary-tract infections, and helps treat anemia. Another large benefit of this vitamin is the fact that it plays a large role in the production of antibodies. When the immune system is being overworked, for example when a cold strikes or when your body is wounded, Vitamin C comes in to play by beefing up the white blood cell count and function. It also functions as a promoter of interferon, a compound that fights cancer. An example of this would be blocking production of nitrosamines which are thought to be carcinogenic. Other functions of Vitamin C include: Additional Vitamin C may be required for: Vitamin C is Found in: Prolonged healing of wounds Easy bruising Frequent infections Prolonged colds Scurvy: weak muscles, fatigue, loss of teeth, bleeding gums, depression, bleeding beneath the skin Swollen or painful joints Nosebleeds Anemia: tired, paleness Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) Vitamin D also known as the sunshine vitamin, is significant in normal body growth and development. In particularly, vitamin D is used to absorb calcium and phosphorus to create bone. Great sources of this supplement include fortified milk, oily fish, liver, and eggs. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: Cod-liver oil,Egg substitutes,Halibut-liver oil,Salmon Sunlight,Vitamin-D-fortified milk etc. Symptoms of Deficiency: Symptoms include bone pain and tenderness and muscle weakness. In children, rickets may occur, in which bones lose calcium and become soft and curved. Without proper intake, there is an increased risk of osteoporosis, arthritis, and cancer. Recommended Daily Intakes Men: 200 IU (over 50) 400 IU (over 70) 600 IU Women: 200 IU (over 50) 400 IU (over 70) 600 IU Pregnancy: 200 IU Lactation: 200 IU Vitamin E (Tocopherol) Vitamin E also known as alpha-tocopherol, serves as a cofactor in several enzyme systems. It keeps excessive oxidation from occurring that could cause harmful effects in the body. Great sources of vitamin E may be found in wheat germ, nuts and seeds, whole grain cereals, eggs, and leafy greens. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: Vitamin E is Found in: Symptoms include in infants irritability, fluid retention and anemia. Adult symptoms may include lethargy, loss of balance and anemia. There may be increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature aging with marginal deficiencies. Recommended Daily Intakes Men: 10 mg alpha TE (15 IU) Women: 8 mg alpha TE (12 IU) Pregnancy: 10 mg alpha TE (15 IU) Lactation: 12 mg alpha TE (18 IU) Vitamin H (Biotin) Vitamin H also known as biotin, is essential to normal growth and development and overall health. Bacteria in the intestines produce enough biotin for the body so that most people would not need an additional supplement of vitamin H. However, additional great sources of vitamin H are found in egg yolks, fish, nuts, oaeal, and beans. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: Almonds ,Bananas ,Brewers yeast ,Brown rice ,wheat,Butter ,Calf liver ,Cashew nuts Cheese ,Chicken ,Eggs, cooked Green peas ,Lentils ,Liver etc. |
| Vitamin K (Phytonadione) Vitamin Kis also known as phytonadione, promotes production factors critical to normal blood clotting. When foods are processed or cooked, very little of vitamin K contained in foods is lost. Great sources of this vitamin include dark leafy greens, oils from green plants, and some dairy products. How This Vitamin Works in Your Body: Vitamin K is Found: Symptoms include prolonged clotting time, easy bleeding, and bruising. This deficiency is rare in adults and normally limited to those with liver or food absorption disorders. However, it may occur in premature babies. Recommended Daily Intakes Men: 80 mcg Women: 65 mcg Pregnancy: 65 mcg Lactation: 65 mcg |