What are vitamins

Vitamins are orgainc chemicals that contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They occur naturally in all living things like plants, animals,flowers, trees, fruits etc

Functions of Vitamins

Vitamins regulate a variety of bodily functions. They are essential for building body tissues such as bones, skin, glands, nerves and blood. They assist in metabolizing proteins, fats and carhohydrates so that you can get energy from food. They also aid in prevention of nutritional deficiency diseases, promote healing and encourage good health.

Amount of Vitamins the body needs

The body needs at least 11 specific vitamins: Vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin C and the member of the B complex vitamins. You need only minute amount of vitamin for good health.

Vitamins are classify as water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins, meaning they can either dissolve in water or fat. If you consume large amount of fat soluble vitamins than your body needs, the excess will be stored in the body as fat. Excess water soluble vitamins are eliminated in urine.

Large amount of soluble vitamins stored in the body may cause problems. With water soluble vitamins , your body simply shrugs its shoulders, so to speak and urinates away most of the excess.

Fat soluble vitamins dissolve in fat and are stored in fatty tissues. But like members of any family, they also have distinct personalities. One keeps your body moist, another protects your bones. A third keeps reproductive organs purring happily. And the fourth enables you to make special proteins.

Vitamin C and the entire of B complex vitamins are simply grouped together because they all dissolve in water.

Sources of fat soluble vitamins

Vitamin A :Oat, cereal, liver, chicken, peas, red pepper, mango, carrots, milk

Vitamin D: salmon, tuna, eggs, milk, etc

Vitamin E: cold cereal, wheat germ, peaches, apricots, mustard, green, turnip, dandelion, shrimp, almonds, subflower seeds, peanut butter,

Sources of water soluble vitamins

Vitamin C: cold cereal, mango, grape fruit, orange, strawberries, cantaloupe, tomato juice, asparagus, broccoli, sprouts, kale, pepper, sweet potato

Vitamin B Complex: thiamin eg bread, liver, peas, corn, carrot, pork, cantaloupe,

Riboflavin: cereal, milk, yoghurt, liver, beef, pork,pita,

Niacin: peanuts, liver, pita, cereal, salmon

Vitamin B6: oatmeal, cereal, banana, prunes, plantain, chicken, liver,

Folate: beans, asparagus, whole wheat, cereals. lentils, beets, greens, sprouts

Vitamin B12: beef, liver, pork, trout, tuna, crab, catfish, mackerel, nussels, oysters

Choline: milk, egg, peanut butter, beef, liver, potato