Vitamins are essential to the body--they are vital, hence the first part of the name "vitamins." They work within the body like the oil that keeps all the parts of a machine functioning. They operate at the cellular level to ensure a variety of physiological processes, from development to metabolism to enabling repairs that maintain health.
Categories of Vitamins
There are two categories of vitamins, fat soluble and water soluble. The fat soluble vitamins are absorbed into the lymph with fat. They are stored in the body, so if you take in more than you need, they can accumulate to the point of becoming toxic. The water soluble vitamins are simply absorbed with moisture in the GI tract, they dissolve in the body and if you consume more than the body needs the excess is excreted in the urine.
Oil Soluble Vitamins
The oil soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. Each one has a specific function in the body. Vitamin A is necessary for eyes to maintain their light-sensitivity. It also helps bone grow and maintains the mucosal lining of internal organs as well as the skin. When you think of Vitamin D, think "bones" because it maintains levels of calcium and phosphorous in the blood and they are required for the growth and rebuilding of bones. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and Vitamin K must be available for blood to clot.
Water Soluble Vitamins
The most well-known water soluble vitamins are the B group and C. Each B vitamin is known as a co-enzyme, which means that it functions by associating with an enzyme. As co-enzymes, the B vitamins must be present for enzymes to carry out their tasks in the body. Enzymes are found in every cell and they are the key to physiological reactions in the body that break down and build up compounds that are required for us to live.
Functions of Vitamins B and C
B vitamins play many different roles in helping enzymes to perform in the body. There are eight B vitamins--four examples of their functions include: B1 is necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates, Niacin (B3) helps to break down fat and release energy, B6 enables the production of antibodies, and B12 (the only B vitamin not found in vegetables) is essential for the formation of red blood cells. Perhaps one of the most well-known, vitamin C is an antioxidant, it helps cells to form the protein collagen (which is necessary for the connective tissue that heals wounds), and it is involved in the metabolism of amino acids.
Maintaining Vitamin Levels
The first sentence in practically every source about vitamins will say that they are "organic compounds." This is important because organic compounds can be broken down and altered, both in the body and during the cooking process. Even though the body can assemble some vitamins if the appropriate nutrient is ingested, most vitamins are not synthesized by the body. Critical levels must be maintained in the body by ingesting them on a regular basis through a balanced diet and/or supplements.
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