What is a Vitamin?

A Simplified Explanation of What Vitamins Are and How They Work

Definition

Let's dive into each key element so you can understand this better.

Vitamins are:

• Organic compounds: Unlike minerals, which are inorganic compounds, vitamins are organic. This is because they contain both carbon and hydrogen molecules.
  Needed in small amounts: Typically a few milligrams (mg) of each vitamin is needed per day.
• Essential for life: Lack of any vitamin can lead to a deficiency disease and eventually even death.
• Cannot be produced by the human body: With the exception of vitamin D and vitamin K, your body is not able to synthesize the vitamins it needs.
• Moderate amounts of vitamins can be obtained from the foods you eat: Your diet is the primary source of vitamins, however it is extremely difficult to obtain 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of each vitamin every single day from food alone.
• Vitamin supplementation is the only reliable way to ensure optimal levels of each nutrient: Since food cannot give you the full amount of the vitamins you need, taking nutritional supplements is the only predictable and controllable method to ensure that your body has all necessary nutrients it needs to function at optimal levels.

 

Interesting Facts About Vitamins

• 13 vitamins are universally recognized at present.
• All 13 vitamins were discovered in the span of three decades at the beginning of the twentieth century. The first one being vitamin B1 (1910) and the last one being Folic acid (1941).
• There are a large number of nutrients which at one point were classified as “vitamins” but were later stripped of their status because it was discovered that they can be synthesised by the body. Examples include vitamin F (currently known as “essential fatty acids”), vitamin J (choline) and vitamin P (flavonoids).
  
  

Fat-Soluble vs. Water-Soluble Vitamins

There are two types of vitamins - fat-soluble and water-soluble.

Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. These vitamins are stored in the body within fatty tissue and in the liver. Most fat-soluble vitamins are transported in the bloodstream attached to special carrier proteins, which enables them to cross the blood-brain barrier easily.

Water-soluble vitamins include the group of eight B-complex vitamins - B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folic Acid), and vitamin B12, as well as, vitamin C. Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored by the body and are readily excreted through the urine. That is why they need to be replaced on a daily basis.

What Does Each Vitamin Do?

What is vitamin A?
This nutrient is essential for healthy skin and other tissues, bone growth and vision. A deficiency of vitamin A is particularly associated with poor night vision.

What is vitamin B1?
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is necessary for healthy muscles, brain, hair and skin. It is also used to convert food into energy. In the brain, it is a co-factor for the biosynthesis of several neurotransmitters.

What is vitamin B2?
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) works in mitochondria (the powerhouses of cells) to catalyze the first step in the production of energy. Deficiency of vitamin B2 can cause growth retardation, inflammation in the mouth and scaly facial skin.

What is vitamin B3?
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is a component of molecules called coenzymes that help speed up the chemical reactions involved in the transfer of hydrogen atoms from proteins, carbohydrates and fat in the production of energy. A serious deficiency in B3 can cause a condition called Pellagra, which can manifest as diarrhea, skin rash and dementia. Other deficiency symptoms include anxiety, depression and scaly skin.

What is vitamin B5?
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) is needed to produce and metabolize carbs, proteins, and fats. Foods rich in vitamin B5 include meat, yogurt, avocados and broccoli.

What is vitamin B6?
Required by more than 60 enzymes in the body, Vitamin B6 is a coenzyme involved in immune function, protein metabolism and the synthesis of chemicals called prostaglandins.

What is vitamin B7?
Vitamin B7 (Biotin) is required for the growth of cells, as well as the metabolism of fats. It is also be instrumental in maintaining consistent levels of blood sugar. Natural sources of vitamin B7 include peanuts, egg yolk, and liver.

What is vitamin B9?
Vitamin B9 is widely known as Folic acid. This nutrient is needed to create and repair DNA. Folic acid is especially important for expectant mothers as it help them lower the rist of neural tube defects in their child. Foods rich in folic acid include bread, pasta, green leafy vegetables, and cereal.

What is vitamin B12?
This vitamin is necessary for proper brain and nervous system function. The most serious deficiency condition for this vitamin is pernicious anemia, a metabolic disorder in which the numbers of red blood cells are reduced as a result of poor absorption of B12 by the intestines. Since one of the richest sources of vitamin B12 are eggs, vegetarian are frequently deficient in this important nutrient.

What is vitamin C?
This vitamin acts as an antioxidant. It removes unstable molecules that can cause tissue damage. It also helps the brain to make the neurotransmitters serotonin and norephenephrine (the molecule formerly known as noradrenaline). Foods rich in vitamin C (citrus fruits, chilli peppers, guavas, green leafy vegetables) may help to reduce the risk for cancers of the breast, mouth, esophagus and stomach.

What is vitamin D?
Also known as the sunshine vitamin, it is manufactured in the skin upon exposure to the sun. Because it is fat-soluble, the body has evolved a mechanism, i.e., sun tanning, for protecting itself against over-production at latitudes with heavy exposure to the sun. One of the intermediate molecules made by the body in the process of making vitamin D is essential for preventing depression. This may be one reason why suicide rates are higher in countries situated in high latitudes where the sun is weaker.

What is vitamin E?
Vitamin E is another important antioxidant. Easily destroyed by oxygen and light, it offers protection to vitamins A and C and carotene from oxidative destruction. In adults, symptoms of vitamin E deficiency take the form of muscle weakness, nerve damage, poor coordination, involuntary eye movement and rupture of red blood cells.

What is vitamin K?
This nutrient is essential for blood clotting and for bone health. It is produced by “friendly” bacteria that live in the gut. It is contained in relatively high amounts in liver, eggs and spinach.