Vitamin

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. 

Vitamin D:

• It favors calcium absorption from the intestine by enhancing the rate of active transport of calcium across the intestinal wall.

• It promotes absorption of phosphate.

• It maintains normal structure of bone and helps in resorption of calcium from fully calcified bone and calcification of new bone. 

• It governs equilibrium between the bone calcium and blood calcium by controlling mobilization of calcium from the bones.

• It regulates excretion of calcium and handling of phosphate by kidneys.

• It helps in development of normal teeth.

• It is responsible for proper bone growth by promoting endochondral growth of long bones.

• It increases the cit rate content of bone, blood and other tissues, and urinary excretion.

Natural Source:

Vitamin D is unique because it is derived both from sunlight and foods.

Sunlight: Vitamin D is synthesized by the body by the action of UV rays of sunlight of 7                     

dehydrocholesterol,  which is stored in large abundance in the skin.

Foods: Vitamin occurs by only in the foods of animal origin Liver, egg yolk, butter and cheese and some species of fish contain useful amounts. Fish liver oils, although not considered to be a food are the richest sources of Vitamin D.

Other sources of vitamin D are foods artificially fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, margarine, vanaspathi and infant foods.

Daily Requirement:

The RDA is 400-800 I.U (10-20 mcg) for infants below 1 year, 400 I.U (10 mcg) for children and up to 20 years I.U(5 mcg) for adults, and 400-800 I.U for women in latter half of pregnancy and lactating period.

Vitamin-E

• It prevents frequent miscarriage in menopausal women.

• It relieves hot flushes and depression in menopausal women.

• It is essential for normal function of muscles.

• It prevents per oxidation and brown pigmentation due to formation of highly unsaturated fatty acids.

• It prevents hepatic necrosis caused by deficiency of sulphar-containing amino acids and selenium.

• It helps fight against the free radicals, is beneficial for the skin and helps prevent wrinkle formation by preventing the oxidation damage caused by ultraviolet light.

• It acts protective in heart disease and diabetes.

• It prevents tissue damage in case of ischemia and injury, management of leg ramps and has anticoagulant effect.

• It is useful in restricting the the oxidation damage caused by cigarette smoking and checks tissues damges from accelerated free radicals among alcoholics.

• It protects the body from harmful, tumor-promoting chemicals in smoked, pickled and cured foods.

• Vitamin E decreases clotting of blood inside blood vessels, and hence, is beneficial for checking the varicose veins.

Natural Source:

Vitamin E is available in leafy vegetables, corn, soyabean wheat, and whole grain cereals, and nut and vegetables seeds oil.

It is found in milk, egg, fish and muscles. Food rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids are often rich also in Vitamin E.

The foods of animal origin are generally low in Vitamin E. It is also prepared synthetically.

Daily Requirement:

The average daily requirement is about 8 to 10 mg in males and 7-8 mg in females of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

• It helps to maintain normal prothrombin content in the blood.

• It is essential in prevention of internal bleeding and hemorrhages. 

• It is important for the normal functioning of the liver.

• It check excessive menstrual flow in women.

• It acts as protector against cancer, and also in reducing the loss of calcium from the bones, as one grows older and is prone to osteoporosis. 

Natural Source:

Vitain K is found in abundance in fresh green vegetables like tomato, soyabean, alfalfa, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and port liver etc.

Corn and soya oil are also good. All fruits and cereals are, however, poor sources of vitamin K.

This vitamin is found in small quantities in milk and its products which include curds and butter milk as well.

Daily Requirment

The RDA is 50 mcg for children and 70 mcg for adults. Normal mixed diet supported with synthesis by the bacteria in the gut provides adequate amount of Vitamin K.

VItamin C

• It fights germs, kills viruses and keeps the effects of pollution , down to minimal.
• It helps the body build health new tissue if you get hurt. It helps in body repair.
• It an important role to play in tissue oxidation.
• It is needed for the formation of collagen, which accounts for 25 percent of total body protein.
• It also helps in prevention of common cold and protect against infections are not substantiated.

Natural Source

Amla or the Indian gooseberry is one of the richest sources of vitamin C both in the fresh as well as in the dry condition.
Guavas are another cheap but rich sources of this vitamin.
Other important sources of Vitamin C are fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables.

Daily Requirement

The RDA of Vitamin C is 60 mg.

Para Amino Benzoic Acid 

• It is essential for the growth of micro-organisms. 

• It prevents the bacteriostatic properties of the drug since it has similar chemical structure as that of sulfonamides.

• Its forms a portion of folic acid 

• Its role in human nutrition is not definitely known.

• It is found effective in combination with Inositol and pantothenic Acid to check premature hair graying  and changing back to black color of the hair.

Natural Source:

It is found in wheat germ, rice bran and polishing, milk and in animal tissues.

Daily Requirement:

The exact requirement or supplement is not established but the supply fro daily balanced nutritive diet is adequate.

Vitamin Inositol:

• It helps in transportation of fat.

• It provides nourishment of brain cells.

• It helps in lowing of cholesterol.

• It promotes healthy hair, and prevents eczema.

Natural Source:

Important sources of Inositol are brewer's yeast, beans, wheat germ, grapefruit, raisins, unrefined molasses, peanuts and cabbage.

Daily Requirement:

The RDA is considered as 500 mg for children and 1000 mg for adults.

Vitamin Choline:

• It helps in the synthesis of phosphatides in the liver and to a lesser extent in other tissues. Thus choline plays a lipotropic action by preventing the deposition of fats and accelerates the rate of removal of fat from the liver and various other tissues.

• It is required for synthesis of lecithin, sphingomyclin, acetylcholine,which are compounds of immense physiological importance.

• It helps brain cells to produce a chemical that aids memory.

• It is given in diet to lower animals, especially when methionine supply is low, to promote growth, mobilization of fat and physiological processes in them.  

Natural Source:

The Choline is found in abundance in butter, egg-yolk, and nervous tissue.

Daily Requirement:

No basic requirement

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