Everyone is aware that a healthy diet may give them all they need, but few people completely get why they need to take multivitamins and minerals. The minerals in your food come from the minerals in the soil, but there won’t be many minerals in the soil if it is depleted. Although plants naturally produce vitamins, no single food offers all the vitamins you need daily. To close any gaps and to support overall health and vigour, everyone should take a supplement. It should be noted that not all supplements are made equal, and some vitamins and minerals may not be absorbed. We’ll start with the importance of vitamins to maintaining human health. Vitamin C
The way a vitamin is absorbed determines whether it belongs to the water-soluble or fat-soluble category to which it is assigned. Although it is complicated, there are ways to simplify how each vitamin is absorbed. The vitamin is classified as water-soluble if it is directly absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal lumen. The vitamin is regarded as fat-soluble if it is absorbed together with dietary fat and delivered to the liver before entering the bloodstream. Only the lymphatic system is capable of transporting fat-soluble vitamins into the bloodstream. Cellular processes, hormone production and regulation, and the body’s general homeostasis are all regulated by vitamins. Each vitamin does something different in the body, and if you don’t get enough of one, it can make you sick or even kill you.
Vitamin C and the diverse varieties of vitamin B are among the water-soluble vitamins, which are more plentiful than their fat-soluble cousins. Many water-soluble vitamins are sensitive to heat and can be destroyed by boiling or processing. Eating fortified or raw foods is the only way to get enough of these vitamins and minerals.
The most well-known vitamin is vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, and it may be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, including berries, citrus fruits, and brassica vegetables. Ascorbic acid is a highly bio-available vitamin because it is quickly taken into the bloodstream and used by the body. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and aids in the metabolism of proteins and lipids as well as collagen formation and regeneration. Adults should consume at least 60mg daily to avoid deficiency, which can cause scurvy.
Each of the numerous forms of vitamin B serves a distinct yet important purpose in the human body. The three B vitamins—thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin—play distinct but functionally distinct roles in the metabolism of glucose and the creation of cellular energy. Many meals include small amounts of thiamin, which is also added to milk, milk substitutes, and cereal grain products. Beri beri is a condition brought on by thiamin insufficiency that can result in edoema as well as mental and cardiovascular issues. To avoid deficiency, an adult should take 1.3 mg of thiamin daily. Since B6 needs riboflavin to be transformed into a usable form, riboflavin serves another purpose. In addition to liver and pork, enriched grain flour also contains riboflavin. To avoid riboflavin deficiency symptoms, 1.6mg of the vitamin must be consumed daily. Although a riboflavin shortage can not result in death, it can lead to skin conditions such as rashes and dermatitis. Niacin is available as nicotinic acid or nicotinamide, with nicotinic acid being the more popular supplement form. Niacin plays a role in metabolism, but it can also improve cardiovascular health in general and has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure. Niacin is created from the amino acid tryptophan, hence the amount consumed each day is measured in niacin equivalents, or NE. One NE of niacin is about equal to 60 mg of tryptophan. All protein sources contain tryptophan. A niacin flush, or reddening of the skin brought on by blood vessel dilation just beneath the surface, can occur after taking a high dose of niacin. The disorder known as pellagra is brought on by a niacin shortage, and symptoms include dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia, and eventually death.
A multipurpose vitamin, vitamin B6 is used by the body in a variety of processes. The principal function of vitamin B6 is to break down proteins into amino acids, which, as was already mentioned, might affect niacin levels. Because vitamin B6 is involved in the manufacture of neurotransmitters, or chemical signal hormones, such as serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline, it is crucial for the health of the human nervous system. Steroid hormone synthesis and control also require vitamin B6. During fasting and intense exercise, the process of converting glycogen to glucose takes place. Red blood cell production, particularly the production of heme, the oxygen-carrying component of haemoglobin, is another crucial role of vitamin B6. The control of immunological function is a process that is still being studied, and B6 has a tiny involvement in it. The average adult needs 1.8mg of vitamin B6 every day to stay healthy. It can be found in many meats, grains, nuts, vegetables, and bananas. Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to a wide range of symptoms, such as depression, dermatitis, irritability, and trouble sleeping.
The vitamin folate, commonly known as folacin and folic acid, is another with numerous physiological effects. Every cell that actively divides, including the epidermis, blood cells, intestinal lumen, and sex cells like sperm, needs folate for DNA and RNA synthesis and repair. Due to the large number of rapidly proliferating cells in need of DNA and RNA, folate is particularly crucial for children and women who are trying to get pregnant or are already pregnant. Pregnancy-related deficiencies result in neural tube defects and may even result in death. Adults need at least 220 mcg of folic acid daily, and more if they’re attempting to conceive, as it is the form that is most readily absorbed. Adult deficiencies might manifest as anaemia, weakness, and sadness. Due to the same type of anaemia being the reason and the need for separate testing to identify the cause, a cobalamin deficit may be concealed by a folate shortage. Fruits, veggies, seeds, and legumes all contain folate.
B12, often known as cobalamin, is the biggest and most physically complex B-vitamin. The only vitamin that needs a receptor, or “helper,” to be absorbed by the body is cobalamin. Because cobalamin requires a receptor to be absorbed, gastrointestinal conditions including pernicious anaemia, colitis, or atrophic gastritis can interfere with cobalamin absorption. Although cobalamin contributes to neurological and metabolic processes, the creation of red blood cells is its primary purpose. To prevent deficiency, the typical adult needs 2 mcg per day, which can be found in meats, fish, eggs, and various types of algae. Memory loss, fatigue, weakness, and dementia are symptoms of cobalamin insufficiency, which can take up to 7 years to manifest. A folate shortage may potentially conceal a cobalamin deficiency.
A B vitamin called biotin is crucial for cellular activities like cellular development and regeneration. Without biotin, cellular development and regeneration as well as other cellular activities would not take place. Biotin is required for many enzymes. Although biotin can be found in many food sources, it cannot be absorbed since it is linked to a protein. The protein can be eliminated by pancreatic enzymes, allowing the body to absorb biotin. Hair loss, dermatitis, melancholy, lethargy, and even hallucinations are signs of biotin deficiency. The average adult needs 30mcg of biotin per day to prevent insufficiency.
Pantothenic acid, generally known as vitamin B5, is the last of our water-soluble vitamins. Pantothenic acid plays a crucial role in the body’s metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, as well as in the creation of cellular energy and cholesterol. It has been demonstrated that pantothenic acid can speed up wound healing and even lower cholesterol. Like biotin, pantothenic acid also needs to be released from a protein in order to be utilised by the body. Because it is widely available and present in foods including meat, dairy, whole grains, and legumes, the average adult can easily consume 7mg of pantothenic acid each day. Burning Feet Syndrome, an uncommon form of deficiency, causes burning in the extremities.
The four vitamins A, D, E, and K are regarded as fat-soluble vitamins. The substances that make up vitamin A come in a variety of shapes and are called retinoids. The form that is kept in the liver and is present in meals is retinyl ester. Fish, meat, dairy products, and egg yolks are foods that are high in retinyl ester. Retinyl ester is provided by substances referred to as carotenoids in plant dietary sources. Dark green vegetables, tomatoes, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, and carotenoids can all be present in these foods. Vitamin A is used by the body for a number of purposes after it has been absorbed. The vitamin A subtype retinal is in charge of vision and the capacity to adjust to changes in brightness. The vitamin A form known as retinoic acid is essential for cellular health, immune system performance, growth, and reproduction. A lack of vitamin A can cause night blindness, a condition in which vision slowly returns after a bright flash of light. Night blindness is a warning sign of a developing deficiency, and an untreated deficiency can cause total blindness. Additionally, deficiencies result in slowed growth, an inability to reproduce, and reduced immunity. Consuming excessive amounts of vitamin A can be hazardous since it is long-term retained by the body. Excess might result in headaches, nausea, bleeding, liver damage, and even coma. Additionally, too much vitamin A during pregnancy can be teratogenic and lead to birth defects. For adults, a daily dosage of 600 mcg of vitamin A is advised, and for pregnant women, 700 mcg.
While vitamin D is mostly produced in sunlight, it can also be found in fish, fortified milk, and milk substitutes. A person should make sure to take the recommended 5mcg of this multipurpose vitamin each day to maintain optimum health. Higher doses of vitamin D have not been related to toxicity, and many people now take up to five times the daily recommended amount. By helping the kidneys recover calcium and phosphorus when necessary, vitamin D is essential for maintaining the body’s homoeostasis of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D promotes healthy bone density and helps with bone formation and maintenance. Additionally, vitamin D has been demonstrated to assist in immune system regulation and illness prevention. Lack of vitamin D can cause osteoporosis, a condition that causes bone loss in adults, or rickets, a condition that causes abnormal bone development in children. Low dietary calcium and inactivity are linked to both diseases.
Tocopherol, another name for vitamin E, plays a variety of roles in the body, but perhaps its most well-known duty is as a powerful antioxidant. This vitamin shields molecules and cells from oxidative damage that could hurt the body or impair cellular activities. Although it also affects immunological and gene expression, vitamin E primarily scavenges for substances that can result in oxidative damage. The average adult needs 10mg of vitamin E per day, which can be found in seed oils, select fruits including avocado and pumpkin, and some vegetables.
For absorption, vitamin K comes in three different chemical forms: phylloquinone, menaquinone, and menadione. Menadione, a synthetic form found in dietary supplements, is found in plants as phylloquinone, while menaquinone, a form produced by gut bacteria, is utilised by the body. Blood clotting is vitamin K’s primary purpose. Calcium and vitamin K work together to start a chain of events that results in the formation of a blood clot. Without vitamin K, a person who is hurt or whose blood vessel bursts would not be able to stop the flow of blood. Second, vitamin K contributes to the synthesis of the proteins that assist bone growth and maintenance. Vitamin K has no hazardous side effects, but a deficiency can result in haemorrhages. Due to poor vitamin K content in breast milk and the lack of gut bacteria that can produce menaquinone, infants are particularly vulnerable to insufficiency. The recommended adult daily intake is 80 mcg. For more details, please visit Cold and Flu
