VITAMINS

DEFINITION
Vitamins are organic compounds that are needed in small quantities to sustain life. Most
vitamins need to come from food.
This is because the human body either does not produce enough of them, or it does not
produce any at all.
Each organism has different vitamin requirements. For example, humans need to consume
vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, but dogs do not. Dogs can produce, or synthesize, enough
vitamin C for their own needs, but humans cannot.
People need to get most of their vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, because it is not
available in large enough quantities in food. However, the human body can synthesize it
when exposed to sunlight.
Different vitamins have different roles, and they are needed in different quantities.
 KEY POINTS
There are 13 known vitamins.
Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins are easier for the body to store than water-soluble.
Vitamins always contain carbon, so they are described as “organic.”
Food is the best source of vitamins, but some people may be advised by a physician to use
supplements.
TYPES
FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS: Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fatty tissues of the
body and the liver. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. These are easier to store
than water-soluble vitamins, and they can stay in the body as reserves for days, and
sometimes months. Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with
the help of fats, or lipids.
WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS: Water-soluble vitamins do not stay in the body for
long. The body cannot store them, and they are soon excreted in urine. Because of
this, water-soluble vitamins need to be replaced more often than fat-soluble
ones. Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water soluble.
 FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Vitamin A: needed for vision, healthy skin and mucous membranes, bone and tooth growth,
immune system health. From animal sources: fortified milk, cheese, cream, butter, fortified
margarine, eggs, liver. From plant sources: Leafy, dark green vegetables; dark orange fruits
(apricots, cantaloupe) and vegetables (carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin).
Vitamin D: Needed for proper absorption of calcium; stored in bones. Sources: Egg yolks, liver,
fatty fish, fortified milk, fortified margarine. When exposed to sunlight, the skin can make vitamin
D.
Vitamin E: Antioxidant; protects cell walls. Sources: plant oils; leafy green vegetables; liver; egg
yolks; nuts.
Vitamin K: Needed for proper blood clotting. Sources: Leafy green vegetables such as kale,
collard greens, and spinach; green vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus;
also produced in intestinal tract by bacteria.
 WATER SOLUBLE
VITAMINS
  Vitamin B1: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism; important to nerve function. Found in all
nutritious foods in moderate amounts: pork, whole grain foods or enriched breads and cereals, legumes. 
Vitamin B2: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism; important for normal vision and skin health.
Sources: Milk and milk products; leafy green vegetables; whole grain foods.
Vitamin B3: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism; important for nervous system, digestive system,
and skin health.
Pantothenic acid: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism.
Biotin: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism.
Vitamin B6: Part of an enzyme needed for protein metabolism; helps make red blood cells.
Folic acid: Part of an enzyme needed for making DNA and new cells, especially red blood cells.
Vitamin B12: Part of an enzyme needed for making new cells; important to nerve function.
Vitamin C: Antioxidant; part of an enzyme needed for protein metabolism; important for immune system health;
aids in iron absorption.