List of Vitamins and their function

 List of Vitamins and their function

List of Vitamins and their function

Ans: Vitamins are organic substances that can be found in slight amounts in natural food items. Having too small of any particular vitamin may raise the chance of creating certain health problems.

Various vitamins have different functions in the body, and a person needs a distinct amount of each vitamin to remain healthy.

Each organism has distinct vitamin needs. For example, humans ought to get vitamin C from their diets — while dogs can make all the vitamin C that they require.

For humans, vitamin D is not present in large enough amounts in food. The human body synthesizes the vitamin when disclosed to sunlight, and this is the most useful source of vitamin D.

Below is the list of vitamins and their functions in the body.

Also Read:-Food That Helps To Boost Memory

1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is good to maintain the health of our eyes and vision. If you are not including vitamin A in your diet you may face vision issues.

 

Types

Vitamin A is not a single vitamin but a group of compounds known as retinoids. Retinoids emerge naturally in the human body, can be found in some dietary sources.

Some foods nourish retinol, which the body can utilize directly as vitamin A. Others supply provitamin A, compounds that the body transforms into vitamin A.

Function

Vitamin A has many functions for our general health, including:-

• vision
• Vitamin A makes the immune system function effectively so it can fight disorders and infections.
• Maintains our skin healthy.
• Supports reproduction and growth.

Deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency may generate night blindness and keratomalacia, which causes the clear front layer of the eye to grow dry and cloudy.

A long-term shortage can lead to a failure of night vision and possibly a total loss of vision.

• Good sources:-

 

The main sources of vitamin A contain liver, cod liver oil, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkins, collard greens, some cheeses, eggs, apricots, cantaloupe melon, and milk.

• Related Post: Benefits of avocado

Overdose

Too much vitamin A can be harmful.

It can impact:-

• people who take vitamin A supplements
• those who are taking a high amount of fish liver oil
• people who take medications that include retinoids, such as acitretin (Soriatane).

During pregnancy, high levels of vitamin A can hurt a growing fetus.

Signs of an overdose include:-

• headache
• fatigue
• nausea
• dizziness

In intense cases, coma and death can result.

Vitamin A deficiency risks

As vitamin A plays various characteristics in our body, so the deficiency of vitamin A can create many health issues such as:

• The growing danger of infections.
• Night blindness and irreversible blindness (xeropthalmia).
• Extreme keratin build-up of the skin.

2. Vitamin C

Dietary sources of vitamin C

Dietary intake of vitamin C (from food and drinks) is crucial because the human body cannot produce this vitamin from other compounds. We are also required to have vitamin C as a routine part of our diet because the body cannot hold vitamin C for very long.

• Also Read:-Best protein powder for weight loss and muscle gain

Function

• Collagen formation – Collagen is used in various ways throughout the body. Its preceding function is to boost the skin, blood vessels, and bone. The body also depends on collagen to cure wounds.

• Antioxidant Function – the metabolism of oxygen within the body discharges molecular compounds named ‘free radicals, which harm cell membranes. Antioxidants are substances that eradicate free radicals, and vitamin C is a strong antioxidant.

• Iron absorption– The procedure of iron absorption is assisted by vitamin C, especially non-haem iron (found in plant foods such as beans and lentils).

• Infection fighting – The immune system, specifically cells named lymphocytes, needs vitamin C for proper operation.

• Other roles – vitamin C is used to build other necessary substances in the body such as brain chemicals (neurotransmitters).

Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy

An extreme deficiency of vitamin C can lead to scurvy. We consider it as an infection of the past, but it does still exist. Elements or lifestyle issues that may raise your scurvy risk include:-

• Regularly consuming unhealthy foods.
• Crash dieting– particularly being on diets that exclude specific food groups.
• Being underweight due to insufficient care.
• Strict allergy diets.
• Having an eating disorder.
• Smoking – smokers require more vitamin C to manage the additional stress on their bodies.
• 
  

3. Vitamin D

List of Vitamins and their function

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, muscles, and general health. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is essential to make vitamin D in the skin and is the best natural source of vitamin D.

  Frequent physical exercise also assists with the body’s production of vitamin D.

The body can only absorb small portions of Vitamin D.

Consuming too much time in the sun may grow your risk of skin cancer. Remember to use daily sun protection, particularly at times when UV index levels are at their highest.

People obtain vitamin D :

• From the sunlight exposure or from everyday diet.
• Through fortified foods
• As for supplements

The body receives the compounds it requires to make vitamin D from food. It also makes vitamin D when ultraviolet (UV) light encounters the skin.

Function

Vitamin D has two main functions in the body:

• It sustains bone health.
• It supports the immune system.

Dietary sources

You can acquire some vitamin D from the sun, but most people will also require to utilize other sources, too. The main choice is food.

Dietary sources include:

• oily fish and fish oil
• fortified dairy products, plant-based milk, and cereals
• beef liver
• eggs

Deficiency

A vitamin D shortage can impact:

• Older adults and children who do not take a sunbath.
• People with dark complexions
• People with chronic health disorders.
• Those who live far from the Equator, where winter days are short.
• Those with obesity.

The main outcomes of vitamin D deficiency include:

• Osteoporosis, or loss of bone mass
• Osteomalacia, when bones become soft
• Rickets, when a child’s bones do not grow as they should
• Expanded risk of disorder and autoimmunity

Overdose

Having an excessive amount of vitamin D may lead to increased levels of calcium in the blood.

This can lead to:

• nausea
• headaches
• low hunger and weight loss
• heart or kidney impairment
• High blood pressure

4. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that supports the body in killing free radicals. Free radicals are unbalanced atoms that can cause oxidative strain. Oxidative stress may lead to cell deterioration, and this can result in cancer and other diseases. Vitamin E may assist safeguard the body from a range of health problems.

Types

 According to ODS that there are eight forms of vitamin E, but only alpha-tocopherol fulfills humans’ requirements.

Function

Some explanations why the body requires vitamin E are:

• As an antioxidant.
• To strengthen the immune system.
• To dilate blood vessels and assist stop clotting.

Deficiency

 This is occasional, but it may cause hemolytic anemia in newborns. This situation eradicates blood cells.

Good sources

 Vitamin E can be obtained from wheat germ, kiwis, almonds, eggs, nuts, leafy greens, and vegetable oils.

• Recommended Post:-What are the risks of added sugar

5. Vitamin K

Vitamin K assists the body build blood clots. Blood clotting is necessary to control extreme bleeding.

Types

There are many types of vitamin K.

The two most familiar groups are:

• Vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone), is found in green, leafy vegetables, and some other plant seeds.
• Vitamin K-2 (menaquinones), is found in animal sources and fermented foods.

There are also synthetic conditions and other forms that the body produces.

Function

vitamin K may also help:

• Reduce the chance of heart disease.
• Improve bone health.
• decrease the buildup of calcium in the blood.
• 
  

Dietary sources of vitamin K

We obtain vitamin K from food and the bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract. Newborn babies are given a booster to improve their vitamin K levels because they are born without bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. We obtain much of our vitamin K from our diet.

Food sources contain:

• Leafy green vegetables – spinach and kale
• fruits (such as avocado and kiwi fruit)
• some vegetable oils (such as soybean oil).

6. Vitamin B12

It is water-soluble.

• Function: It is important for a healthy nervous system.
• Deficiency: Lower levels may direct to neurological issues and some sorts of anemia.
• Good sources:  Vitamin B12 can be obtained from fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy products, cereals, soy products, and nutritional yeast.