In order for the body
to be strong and healthy, it is vital that your body receives all the important
vitamins. This article will discuss everything that you need to know about
these essential substances that the body needs.
What
are vitamins?
Vitamins are organic
compounds that are vital to sustain life. What we need to remember is that we
get the majority of these important substances from our diet. Specifically, the
vitamins that we need are the following: Vitamin A, B Vitamins, Vitamin C,
Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.
What
are the essential vitamins?
Now that we know the
different vitamins, it is now time to talk about them one by one.
Vitamin A- This type of
vitamin is important for vision, bone growth and immune system. According to
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, it is also
considered as an antioxidant that is mainly found in plant and animal sources.
Vitamin A is abundant on different brightly colored fruits and vegetables such
as oranges, carrots and the likes. If you are deficient with this vitamin, you
are more prone to develop vision problems and infectious diseases.
B Vitamins- This group is comprised of Thiamin (vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Niacin
(vitamin B3), Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, Folic acid and Vitamin B12. All of
these vitamins help the body use food to produce energy. In addition to this,
they also help form the red blood cells of the blood. The lack of B vitamins,
specifically B12
and B6 can cause anemia. You can naturally get B vitamins from eggs, poultry,
fish, dairy products and green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin C- This is probably one of the
most popular vitamins today. It is known to help the body absorb the iron that
it needs. It is also vital for the skin, bones, tissues and immune system. You
can naturally get this vitamin from citrus fruits and vegetables as well. The
lack of vitamin C can increase your risk of developing diseases. Moreover,
according to a study, inadequate intake of this vitamin can cause bleeding
gums.
Vitamin D- In order for the body to
absorb Calcium, you need this vitamin. Aside from this, it also plays a big
role for your nerves and muscles. One important thing to remember is that your
body can naturally form it after sun exposure.
It can also be found in cereals, liver and egg yolks. Lack of vitamin D
can cause different bone diseases.
Vitamin E- Just like Vitamin A, this
vitamin is also an antioxidant. It is important for the various metabolic
processes of the body as well as the immune system. You can naturally get this
from nuts, margarine and vegetables. Inadequate intake can cause neuromuscular
problems.
Vitamin K- This is vital for health
bones and tissues. Also, it is important for clotting to provide too much
bleeding. You can naturally get it from berries and green vegetables. Lack of
Vitamin K can cause bleeding.
There you have it! These are just some
of the most important things that you need to know about vitamins.
