Vitamins - Small Complex Nutrients Found in Food
Major Players in Maintaining Good Health
Apr 14, 2009
Vitamins are organic or carbon-based compounds that are necessary for normal function, growth, and maintenance of body tissue. Vitamins are categorized as either water-soluble (vitamins B and C,) or fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K) . Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and must be replaced daily while fat-soluble vitamins are stored, and depending on individual needs, daily replacement may not be necessary.
Role of Vitamins
Vitamins have many functions within the body, some vitamins:
- Are required to breakdown foods during digestion
- Are necessary to produce blood cells
- Assist in the formation of hormones
- Participate in energy-producing reactions
- Boost the immune system
Vitamin Preservation
To get the full benefit of vitamins, especially the water-soluble ones, foods should be eaten as close to whole and natural as possible. For example, produce that is eaten close to harvest has the highest vitamin content, than produce that must travel long distances to get to your grocery store. In addition vitamins can be lost due to improper handling or storage, such as being exposed to air, light, heat, and alkalinity (neutralization of acids).
Natural vs. Synthetic
In nature, vitamins come from a variety of foods such as B vitamins which are predominately found in dark green leafy vegetables while Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, nuts, and wheat germ. Attempting to memorize the various dietary sources of all vitamins is not necessary as The National Institute of Health has an excellent reference site on the Internet.
Basically, natural vitamins are extracted from foods while synthetic vitamins are produced in a laboratory. Chemically both are exactly the same and generally work the same within the body. But there are exceptions such as in vitamin E which is twice as potent in its natural form than its synthetic form, and conversely, folic acid which is more potent in its synthetic form than in its natural form.
As previously mentioned, attempting to capture all of the nutritional benefits from food is sometimes difficult due to improper handling and storage. But there are issues related to synthetic vitamins as well, for example, not all vitamins are created the same. Vitamin production varies greatly, and one of the biggest issues is with chemical substitutes that do not metabolize as well as the original, but are easier and cheaper to produce.
As a consumer it is important to do the research and always read the label to:
- Determine how much active ingredient vs. additives or fillers are in the supplement.
- Determine the source of the dietary ingredient ( rose hips is one source for vitamin C)
- Check for type and amount of additives (gelatin, starch, stabilizers, and dyes)
- Dosage - how many pills are necessary per day to reach recommended requirement.
- Check for known potential allergens as you might be allergic to one of the inert ingredients.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin deficiencies usually happen over time and are almost always related to poor dietary intake:
- Insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables.
- Starvation diets.
- Meal replacements lacking proper vitamin supplementation.
- Cigarette smoking.
Also important to note is that the symptoms related to deficiencies are not always obvious, and sometimes are misdiagnosed. The most common disorders related to deficiencies are:
- Scurvy > Vitamin C deficiency
- Beriberi > Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency
- Rickets > Vitamin D deficiency
- Pellagra > Vitamin B3 (niacin) deficiency
Lastly, when dietary intake of fat soluble vitamins is adequate and symptoms of deficiencies are evident, one of two conditions might be the cause:
- Fat malabsorption syndrome (which blocks fat soluble vitamins from being absorbed) or
- A liver defect (that prevents the production of the proteins needed for vitamin transport).
Vitamins Found to Prevent Disease
Numerous studies have found promising results that certain vitamins might reduce the incidence of:
- Heart disease
- Parkinson's Disease
- Osteoporosis
- Neurological Disorders
- Aging Process
But there have been numerous conflicting studies, as in The Oxford University Clinical Trial Service that found daily doses of vitamins had shown no improvement in heart disease, cancers, and cataracts, among others.
In conclusion, vitamins are an important part of a healthy diet and provides many benefits to the overall function of the body.
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