Types of vitamins


Vitamins form the very basis of food or to be precise, nutritious food. They help in the proper and systematic growth and development of the human body, both in the physical and the mental aspect. On the basis of their solubility vitamins are classified into two categories.

Fat soluble vitamins:
Fat soluble vitamins are those that are stored in the fat tissues of the body and in the liver. They get stored in the body until the body needs them. Vitamins A, D, E, K fall under this category of vitamins. There absorption process is the same as fats and incase, the absorption of fats gets affected their absorption also becomes poor.

1. Vitamin A:
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is abundantly found in green leafy vegetables, carrots, red, yellow and orange fruits, milk, sweet potatoes, animal foods and whole eggs. It helps in the development and maintenance of the eyes, hair, skin, mucous membranes, immune functions and reproduction. The deficiency of the vitamin causes night blindness.
2. Vitamin D:
Vitamin D helps in formation of healthy bones by promoting the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the in taken foods. Vitamin D can be synthesized in a baby's skin on exposure to sunlight. Its deficiency can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
3. Vitamin E: Vitamin E is an antioxidant and neutralizes unstable free radicals, which can cause damage thereby providing protection against damaging substances. Breast milk is an exceptional supply of vitamin E. Its deficiency may cause anemia in low birth weight children.
4. Vitamin K: Vitamin k is found in dark, green leafy vegetables and is also synthesized by bacteria in the intestine. Its main function is to help the blood clot and its deficiency causes excessive bleeding.
Water-soluble vitamins:
Water soluble vitamins are those which dissolve in water and don't get stored as they are eliminated in urine. They are required in a regular supply by the body. The examples of water soluble vitamins are the vitamin B complex and vitamin C.
1. Vitamin B complex:
The constituents of the vitamin B complex include vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid. They assist the body attain energy from the food. They affect appetite, vision, skin, red blood cell formation and the nervous system. The deficiency of these vitamins causes beriberi, pellagra and pernicious anemia.
2. Vitamin C:
Vitamin C plays an important role in healing of wounds, bone and tooth formation, strengthening of blood vessels and proper functioning of the immune system. It is found in citrus fruits and its deficiency causes scurvy.

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