ABC of Vitamins

Vitamins are substances that are helpful in maintaining proper functioning of the body and better maintenance of all our organs.

Vitamins are divided into two parts, the water-soluble vitamin like Vitamin C and B vitamins, and fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin k.

Essential for growth as well as maintenance of normal health conditions, vitamins are extremely diverse in functions and chemical structure.

Originally described as organic compounds, vitamins are obtained through our normal diet. Vitamins are essentially different from fat, carbohydrate and proteins both in its functions and quantities in which they are required.

Some compounds like carnitine and choline earlier formed a part of the vitamins but they no longer fall under this category.

Simply, vitamins are something that must be included in your diet. In case an optimum level of vitamin is not maintained in your diet, it may lead to serious vitamin deficiency problems.

History about vitamins

The word vitamin owes its origin of the word ‘vitamine’ which was used around 1911 in order to designate a series of compounds essential for the maintenance of life.

All these compounds were believed to consist of a nitrogen containing compound, amine.

The last ‘e’ of the word of ‘vitamine’ was dropped later on when it was discovered that not all vitamins are made up of nitrogen.

Vitamin Requirements

Uniform opinion does not exist regarding vitamin requirements. RDA or Recommended daily allowances are an useful guide to know the daily requirement of vitamins.

A number of factors determine the effect of vitamins at a particular point of time like genetic variation, state of general health, therapeutic usage of few drugs, environmental stress, growth rate stimulation, existence of a few disease, infestation by parasites and a few other factors.

Vitamins are essential in preventing a few diseases

Vitamins are not just necessary for your well-being and maintenance of general health but are also helpful in the prevention of a number of ailments that are caused by nutritional deficiencies. Examples of diseases caused by nutritional deficiency are rickets, beriberi, and scurvy.

Vitamins are essential, as they provide healthy teeth and bones, prevent us from going blind, and also prevent unexpected bleeding.

Vitamins provide protection against heart ailments and even cancer. According to recent studies, Vitamin E and Vitamin C combined can even reduce risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

A balanced diet

It is essential to have a balanced diet that consists in perfect proportion of all the essential vitamins and minerals in order to ensure the proper upkeep of our body and regular functioning of all its organs.

However, the question arises on the point if you are having a balanced diet that is complete with all the essential vitamins and nutrients.

Furthermore, you need to have a balanced diet on a regular basis, and not just on a particular day of the week.

Some of you are even apt at taking in a higher dose of required vitamins in order to derive the maximum benefit of it. For example, the dose of Vitamin C and Vitamin E essential to prevent Alzheimer’s disease is much higher compared to its RDA.

Conclusion

A good multi vitamin may be an answer to all your nutritional or vitamin needs, but it is rather advisable to have a balanced diet instead of taking in these multi vitamin capsules.

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