Vitamins: Vitamin Types, Health Benefits and Their Works


Vitamin is known as an organic compound. Vitamins play a very important role in a healthy life because lack of both our body can’t work properly. These have different job responsibilities like- help in resist infections, keep healthy nerves, and provide energy from food or your blood to clot properly.

Vitamins

Fundamental nutrients can’t be integrated with the living being, either at all or not in adequate amounts, and in this manner must be acquired through the eating routine; accordingly, the term vitamin is restrictive upon the conditions and the especially living being. Precedent people need to eat vitamin C or ascorbic acid, however puppies or dogs don’t. Puppies can generate, or synthesize, enough vitamin C for their own requirements, however people can’t.

Classification of vitamins as solubility

Every human contains 13 kinds of vitamins. In these vitamins, some are fat soluble and some are water soluble. 4 vitamins are fat soluble and 9 vitamins are water soluble.

Fat-soluble vitamins

There are 4 fat-soluble vitamins present in the human body. These vitamins are- vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K.

Fats or lipids help to absorb fat-soluble vitamins through the intestinal tract. Fat-soluble vitamins are easily stored in a body as compared to water-soluble vitamins. Fatty tissue and the liver of the body store these fat-soluble vitamins and these fat-soluble vitamins can stay as reserves for days in the body.  Particularly, in cystic fibrosis fat, soluble vitamin regulation plays an important role.

Water-soluble vitamin:

There are 9 (8 B vitamins and vitamin C) water-soluble vitamin present in the human body. These dissolve in water easily and readily excreted from the body and do not stay for long in the body. The water-soluble vitamin does not store in the body and they soon excrete in urine. So, it is important that consistently daily intake of the water-soluble vitamin.

Types of vitamins

In the human body, there are 13 kinds of vitamins present. These are:-

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B (Vitamin B1- Thiamine, Vitamin B2- Riboflavin, Vitamin B3- Niacin, Vitamin B5- Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6- Pyridoxine, Vitamin B7- Biotin, Vitamin B9- Folates, Vitamin B 12 )
  • Ascorbic acid or vitamin C
  • Vitamin D
  • Tocopherols or tocotrienols or vitamin E
  • Vitamin K

1.  Vitamin A

It soluble in fat and contains retinol, retinal, and beta-carotene. It is very essential and plays an important role in removing night blindness. This is important for function reproduction and normal cell reproduction. It boosts the immune system and fights against infections. Beta-carotene aids to fight against disease-causing free radicals.

There are many sources of vitamin A:-

Dark green leafy vegetables (spinach etc.), soy milk, milk, egg yolk, carrot, orange, pumpkin, broccoli, kale, liver, beef, fish, ripe yellow fruits.

2.  Thiamine or vitamin B1

Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin. Thiamine is a chemical name of vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 covert food into energy. Our body cannot produce thiamine so it is important to consume thiamine-rich foods.

Vitamin B1 foods:-

Brown rice, vegetables, eggs, oatmeal, peas, whole grains, nuts and seeds, dried beans, dried milk, liver, pork

3.  Vitamin B2

Chemically vitamin B2 is riboflavin and it is water soluble. It plays an important role in a production of red blood cells it is also essential for growth. Vitamin B2 deficiency is responsible for ariboflavinosis.

Vitamin B2 source foods:-

Yogurt, asparagus, bananas, okra, chard, milk, cheese, green beans, popcorn, dairy products

4.  Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 is chemically known as niacin and it is water soluble. Niacin plays an important role to manage cholesterol, brain function, and arthritis. Niacin deficiency is responsible for pellagra.

Vitamin B3 foods:-

Mushrooms, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrot, avocado, tomato, asparagus, tree nuts, meat fish, eggs

5.  Pantothenic acid vitamin B5

Vitamin B5, chemically known as pantothenic acid which is soluble in water.  Pantothenic acid converts body fat to energy and also helpful in making blood cells. Deficiency disease of vitamin B5 is paresthesia.

Vitamin B5 source:-

Avocado, mushrooms, beans, nuts, dairy products, meat, eggs, poultry

6.  Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine is soluble in water. It plays an important role to maintain nerves health, skin and red blood cells. Deficiency of pyridoxine can produce anemia.

Vitamin B6 sources:-

Bananas, whole grains, vegetables, tree nuts, meat, avocado, poultry

7.  Vitamin B7

The chemical name of vitamin B7 is biotin and is soluble in water. Vitamin B7 is also known as vitamin H. Dermatitis or enteritis or inflammation of the intestine caused by vitamin 7 deficiencies.

Vitamin B7 sources:-

Green leafy vegetables, egg yolk, peanuts, liver

8.  Folates or vitamin B9

Folates or Folic acid is a chemical name of vitamin B9 and this is soluble in water. A folic acid is a synthetic form of folates.  Vitamin B9 or folates play an important role to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.

Vitamin B9 foods:-

Leafy vegetables, orange, lemon, bananas, beans, peas, strawberries, pasta, bread, liver

9.  Vitamin B12

Cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, methylcobalamin are chemically known as vitamin B12 and vitamin B12 is soluble in water. Megaloblastic anemia is caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Unusually large bone marrow generation, abnormal, immature red blood cells comes in Megaloblastic disease.

Vitamin B12 sources:-

Milk, fish, eggs dairy products, meat poultry, fortified foods (soymilk)

10.  Ascorbic acid or vitamin C

It soluble in water and it is chemically known as ascorbic acid. It uses in wound healing. Citrus fruit, potatoes, and greens contain vitamin C. Deficiency of vitamin C cause scurvy.

Source of vitamin C:-

Citrus fruits (ex. orange), potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, strawberries, spinach, kiwi fruit

11.  Vitamin D

It is fat soluble vitamin and chemically known as cholecalciferol, ergocalciferol. This plays a very important role in healthy bones and teeth. It produces in body skin when exposed to sunlight. Also, vitamin D gets from foods. Vitamin D deficiency generates rickets and osteomalacia.

Sources of vitamin D:-

Fish, liver, egg yolk, fortified cereal

12.  Tocopherols or tocotrienols or vitamin E

The chemical name of vitamin E are tocopherols, tocotrienols and vitamin E is soluble in fat. It is very essential to everyone because it gives protection to body cells and tissues from damage.

Sources of vitamin E:-

Papaya, mango, dark green vegetables (spinach), seeds and nuts, kiwi fruit, avocado

13.  Vitamin K

It is a fat-soluble vitamin and the chemically known as phylloquinone and menaquinone. It helps in blood clotting.

Sources of vitamin K:-

Dark green vegetables (broccoli, asparagus), avocado, kiwi fruit, cauliflower, dark leafy vegetables (spinach, collard)

Therefore, vitamins play an important role in everybody’s life.


 

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