Tips:1 Vitamin A & B function and sources

What are Vitamins?

Vitamins are organic compound and essential nutrient the body can not produce enough of and which it needs to get from food. 

There are currently 13 recognized vitamins. 

vitamins are either fat-soluble or water soluble. 

Fat-soluble vitamins: 

Fat -soluble vitamins are storied in the fatty tissues of the body and the liver. Fat-soluble vitamins are easier to store than water-soluble ones and can stay in the body as reserves for days, some of them for months. Fat -soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats. Vitamins A,D,E and K are fat-soluble. 

Water-soluble vitamins:

Water-soluble vitamins do not get storied in the body  for long- they soon get excreted in urine. Because of this, water -soluble vitamins need to be replaced more often than fat-soluble ones. Vitamins C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble. 

List of Vitamins: 

1. Vitamin A (Retinol, Retinal)
2. Vitamin B1 ( Thiamine)
3. Vitamin B2 (Rinboflavin)
4. Vitamin B3 (Niacin, Niacinamide)
5. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
6. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, Pyridoxal)
7. Vitamin B7 (biotin)
8. vitamin B9 (Folic acid, Folinic acid)
9. Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin, Hydroxocobalamin, Methylcobalamin)
10. Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
11. Vitamin D (Ergocalciferol, Cholecalciferol)
12. Vitamin E (Tocopherols, Tocotrienols)
13. Vitamin K (Phylloquinone, Menaquinones)

Vitamin and Its Source Description

Vitamin-A:

It plays a vital role in normal vision:-

• It is required for upkeep of epithelial cells ,mucous membrane, skin etc.

• It helps in skeletal growth.

• It protects against microbial infections in body.

• It also acts as antioxidant.

• It plays crucial role in learning by effecting hippo campus cells.

• It helps in promoting healthy hair, teeth and gums.

• It helps in enhancing permeability of blood capillaries for better tissue oxygenation.

• It is also essential for night vision.

Natural Sources:

Vitamin A is widly distributed in animal and plant foods-in animal foods are performed vitamin A and in plant foods are pro-vitamins.

*Animals Foods:

Foods rich in rational are liver, eggs, butter, cheese, whole milk, fish and meat. Fish liver oils are the richest natural sources of rational.

*Plant foods: 

The cheapest source of Vitamin A is green leafy vegetables such as spinach amaranth. The darker the green leaves, the higher its carotene content. Vitamin A also occurs in most green yellow fruits and vegetables.

*Fortified foods:

Foods fortified with vitamin A can be an important source.

Daily Requirements:

The recommended daily intake of Vitamin A is 750 m.g for adults.

      

Vitamin-B

Vitamin-B1:

• If forms the active enzyme and s essential for the utilization of carbohydrate in the body.

• It maintains good appetite and normal digestion.

• It has fundamental role in brain metabolism.

• It prevents constipation, maintains normal blood count and circulation, protects against lead poisoning.

• It improves mental alertness, increases stamina, reduces fatigue and delays aging effects.  

• It is essential for oxidation of sugar in the tissues and brain.

• It helps the enzyme system which is responsible for the synthesis of fats from carbohydrates and proteins.

Natural Source:

Thiamine occurs in all natural foods, although in small amounts.

*Important sources are whole grain cereals, wheat germ, yeast pulses, oil seeds and nuts especially groundnut. Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruits contain smaller amounts.

*Mild is an important source of thiamine for infants, provided the thiamine status of their mothers is satisfactory.

Daily Requirement:

Daily requirement of thiamine is 0.5 mg per 1000 kcals of energy intake. The body content of thiamine is placed at 30 mg. and if more than this is given it is merely lost in the urine.

Vitamin-B2:

• It works as a enzyme in tissue oxidation and respiration, and is involved in metabolism in protein, carbohydrate and fat.

• It is necessary for normal growth and for the fine conditions of skin and eyes.

• It promotes general health and helps body cells in using oxygen for release of energy from food.

• It renders the urine a green fluorescence.

• It promotes vigor and helps in looking young.

• It prevents constipation and protects eyes against glaucoma. It strengthens the muscles and nerves of the eyes.

Natural Source:

* Its richest natural sources are milk, eggs, liver,kidney and green leafy vegetables. Meat and fish contain small amount.

*Cereals and pulses are relatively poor sources but because of the bulk in which they are consumed, the contribute much of the riboflavin to diets.

*Germination increases the riboflavin content of pulses and cereals.

Daily Requirement:

Daily requirement is 0.6 per 1000 kcal of energy intake.

Vitamin -B3:

• It is vital for the proper functioning of the skin, intestinal tract and the nervous system.

• It provides for good memory and sound sleep.

• It helps in synthesis of the sex hormones, and also cortisone, thyroxin and insulin.

• It is essential for growth, metabolism and tissue oxidation.

• It may reduce plasma lipid concentration.

• It has stimulating effect on central nervous system.

• It produces pronounced transient vase dilatation with flushing of face on therapeutic doses.

• It helps in prevention of pellagra l migraine, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood clots, and diarrhea.

Natural source:

* Niacin is found in both plant and animal foods. Important source are groundnut, whole cereals, pulses, liver, meat and fish. Germinated pulses and cereals are rich in Niacin.

Daily Requirement: 

It daily requirement is 15-29 mg for men and 13-15 mg for women.

Vitamin-B5: 

• It is considered necessary for synthesis of antibiotics, nervous and digestive system.

• It is expected to blacken hair, though not proved. 

• It is a part of the enzyme to metabolize protein, carbohydrate and fats and also helps in synthesis of amino acids.

• It is also reported to be responsible for pigmentation of blood cells. 

• It is considered beneficial in stress relieving , arthritis, infections, skin disorders, and premature graying. 

Natural Source:

* It is widely distributed both in animal and plant foods.

* It is found in whole wheat, peanut, mushroom, soyabean, brewer's yeast, peas, molasses, kidney,        liver, brain etc.

Daily Requirements: 

It is felt that about 4-10 mg for men and 4-7 mg for women of Pantheistic Acid per day would suffice us , since no definite requirement has been worked out.

Vitamin B6:

• It plays an important part in the metabolism of amino acids, fats and carbohydrates. 

• It helps in the synthesis of fats from proteins and carbohydrates. 

• It has a vital role in biosynthesis of gamma-amino butyric acid in the brain. 

• It is involved in active transport of amino acids and certain irons across cell membranes. 

• It is intimately concerned with the metabolism of the central nervous system. 

• It is one nutrient which is most essential for maintaining a healthy heart. 

• Its daily supplement Gives relief from premenstrual syndrome. 

• It activates many enzymes and helps in food assimilation. 

• It produces antibodies to protect against bacterial diseases. 

• It monitors a balance between sodium and potassium, and helps absorption of vitamin B12

Natural Source: 

The Pyrimidine is found in large quantity in liver, meat, egg yolk, kidney, yeast, fish, whole cereals, seeds, banana, peanuts, soyabean, unpolished rice, whole wheat, carrots, potatoes, corn and legumes.  

Daily Requirement: 

The RDA (recommended daily allowance) of pyridoxine is 10-125 mg. Elderly people, women pregnant or on pills and heart patients need Vitamin B-6 in larger quantities. 

Vitamin B8:

• It contributes to our healthy immune system. 

• It helps in our digestion, retards and hair graying. 

• It maintains nervous system,skin and pigmentation. 

• It acts as a co enzyme and helps in decarboxylation. 

• It also helps in the deamination of theonine, serine, and parasitic acid. 

Natural Source:

It is found in abundance in yeast, liver, rice husk, and peanut. 

It is also produced in the intestines.

Daily Requirement: 

The RDA for biotin is 0.033-0.10 mg for men and 0.05-0.10 mg for women. The Shampoo containing 0.5% of Biotin is used to check hair loss. 

Vitamin B9:

• It is essential for the synthesis of DNA that carries hereditary patterns.

• Its supplementation during pregnancy improves birth weight, and reduces the chances of small for -dates of infants.

• It helps reduce heart disease too and colon cancer. 

• It also improves lactation. 

• It takes part in the formation and maturation of the red cells. 

• Along with vitamin B-12 it helps in the synthesis of nucleic acid. 

Natural Source: 

Sources of folic acid are liver, meat, dairy products, eggs, milk, fruits, kidney, cauliflower, leafy vegetables and cereals. 

Daily Requirement:

The RDA is 100 mcg for adults. The RDA needs to the double during pregnancy. the requirement is very high in conditions of fast cell multiplication, like growing children, pregnancy, infections haemoltic anaemias, and neoplastic disorders. 

Vitamin B12:

• It participates in various reactions in metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. 

• It help sin increasing appetite and promoting growth in children. 

• It is essential for regeneration and forming of red blood cells, nerve tissues. 

• It is stored in the liver, from where it passes to the bone marrow and helps in the maturation of red cells. It is thus essential for formation and maturation of red cells. 

• It works as a general tonic for the aged persons.

• It facilitates concentration, balance, memory, and disease fighting. 

• It increases the white cell count and the platelets through its action in the bone-narrow . It plays an essential role in the synthesis of nucleic acid. 

• It maintains normal health and activity of certain parts of the nervous system, by curing pernicious anaemia.

• It influences the formation of lipid from carbohydrate. 

Natural Source: 

Important sources of Vitamin B12 are milk, eggs, liver and meat.

Daily Requirement: 

The recommended daily intake for Vitamin B12 is 1 mcg for adults and 0.2 mcg for children. Vegetarians need to increase the intake of milk or take vitamin B12 as a supplement.