Fresh information about Vitamins, Vitamins for Hypoglycemia, Facts about vitamins, Vitamins Supplements, list All Vitamins

The best way to get the daily requirement of vitamin C is to eat a healthy balanced diet containing a variety of fruit and vegetables.

Vitamin C containing food should be eaten every day because it is not fat-soluble and cannot be stored in human body. That is why vitamin C toxicity is very rare, however, large amount of these vitamin result in skin rashes, stomach upset and diarrhea.

The shortage of vitamin C can lead to deficiency with such symptoms as:

• Dry and splitting hair;
• Gingivitis;
• Bleeding gums;
• Rough, dry, scaly skin;
• Decreased wound-healing rate;
• Weakened tooth enamel;
• Anemia;
• Decreased ability to fight infection;
• Possible overweight because of slowed metabolism.

Vitamin C deficiency in severe form is a serious disease – scurvy, that is rare nowadays.

Daily recommendations of vitamin C intake are:

Babies and Children

• 0 – 6 months: 40 mg/day
• 7 – 12 months: 50 mg/day
• 1 – 3 years: 15 mg/day
• 4 – 8 years: 25 mg/day
• 9 – 13 years: 45 mg/day

Adolescents

• Girls 14 – 18 years: 65 mg/day
• Boys 14 – 18 years: 75 mg/day

Adults

• Men age 19 and older: 90 mg/day
• Women age 19 year and older: 75 mg/day

Pregnant and breastfeeding women need higher doses. Smokers and people suffering from infectious respiratory diseases also need larger amount of this vitamin. To know your dose, it is recommended to consult your physician.

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development. As aL-ascorbate, vitamin C works as an antioxidant, protecting the body from oxidative processes; ascorbate is essential for metabolic reactions. Antioxidants block the damage caused by free radicals, by-products, resulted from food into energy transformation. These by-products are responsible for the aging process. Free radicals can develop peculiar health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. Antioxidants lessen the damage to the body caused by toxic chemicals and pollutants such as cigarette smoke.

The other important function of this vitamin is that it takes part in several collagen synthesis reactions. Collagen is an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

Vitamin C is also required for repair of tissues in all parts of human body. Vitamin C is vital for the curing of wounds, repair and maintenance of bones and teeth.

The human body does not produce and store vitamin C. It is important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet.

All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C. Greatest amounts of vitamin C can be found in green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, and cantaloupe.

Some fruit such as papaya, mango, kiwi fruit, watermelon,  pomegranate, and vegetables: brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapples are also rich in vitamin C.

Most B vitamins we take from food and they are eliminated regularly in the urine. Still overdose of these vitamins, when the great amount is taken can be harmful for one’s health.

Let’s see most harmful effects from taking a great dose of B vitamins. B1 or thiamin has shown no toxicity even in high-dose injections into the vein or muscle.

B2 or riboflavin also has shown no evident toxicity in human body, it, however, has certain side effects, when taken in large doses. B2 produces reactive oxygen species when exposed to UV light.

Large doses of B3 or niacin (nicotinamide) can cause nausea, vomiting, and signs and symptoms of liver toxicity. Other side effects include glucose intolerance, and visual problems. Vitamin B3 can also cause allergic reactions- flushing, including redness of the skin, often accompanied by an itching, tingling, or mild burning sensation. It can cause headaches, pain and increased intracranial blood flow.

B5 and B7 according to results of the clinic researches have shown not toxicity. B6 or pyridoxine effects are not proved. Cobalamin or B12 overdose can result in acne-like rash.

All in all, there are no proved clinical results of the B vitamins toxicity. Still the overdose or uncontrolled usage of these vitamins can lead to serious health damage.

The B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins: B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), B12. Supplements that contain all eight B vitamins are known as a vitamin B complex.

The B vitamins are important for making energy in a human body. This group of vitamins is responsible for making red blood cells, which carry oxygen in our body. The B vitamins maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, they support immune system, promote cell growth and make better nervous system function.

Many vitamin deficiency diseases can be caused by the shortage of vitamins B group. The list of symptoms is great; here are the most common for vitamin B shortage: weight loss, emotional disturbances, and high sensitivity to sunlight, aggression, high blood pressure, dermatitis, and diarrhea.

But overdose of these vitamins can also be dangerous for one’s health. Taking large doses of certain B vitamins may produce harmful effects.

B vitamins are found in meat such as turkey and tuna, in liver, kidney and meat products. Grains, potatoes, bananas, chili peppers, beans, contain B vitamins.

The B₁₂ vitamin is not available from plant products, and vegetarians should be greatly concerned about it.

The other food sources of vitamin B are: wheat and oats, fish and seafood, eggs, dairy products, like milk and yogurt, leafy green vegetables.

Vitamins are naturally taken with food; varied diet containing healthy foods prevents shortage of vitamins. But sometimes the amounts of vitamins are not adequate and there is a need for extra amounts of vitamins and nutrients through dietary supplements.

There are many scientific researches favoring the benefits of the vitamin supplements for better health conditions.  Sometimes vitamin supplements can be dangerous for health if used before surgery, with some medicines, or if the person has certain diseases.

Vitamin supplements should contain proper levels of vitamins that a person ingests through regular food.

Vitamin A (beta carotene) and E supplements may be harmful for individuals who smoke.  The researches also show that antioxidants such as vitamins C and E curb some benefits of exercise.

In many countries dietary supplements production is regulated by the government to prevent inadequate (without prescription) consuming of them and monitor accidents that happen with overdose.

In large doses, some vitamins have side effects and overdosing can be harmful for human health.  Vitamin poisoning occurs rather often, when high dosages of some vitamins are used. The possible side-effects are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The doses of vitamins used should be consulted by the doctor, because the side effects can be very dangerous and in some cases they result in death.

Vitamin A is important for vision (and night vision); it helps a human to see and differentiate colors. It is vital for bone growth, reproduction, cell division.

Vitamin A helps to regulate the immune system and prevent infectious diseases; it makes the skin and mucous membrane function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses.

There are two types of vitamin A, depending on the food source.

Preformed vitamin A is in foods that come from animals. The retinol form of it is one of the most active forms of vitamin A. The food sources are liver, and whole milk.

Provitamin A carotenoid is found in colorful fruits and vegetables. It is made into retinol in the body. The common foods containing provitamin A carotenoids are orange fruits and vegetables such as: cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin. The regular consumption of all carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables has lots of health promoting benefits.

Some provitamin A carotenoids, according to lab studies, function as antioxidants which protect cells from free radicals.

Retinol is also found in whole eggs and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, collards. Vitamin A in foods that come from animals is well absorbed and in foods that come from plants is not as well absorbed as animal sources of vitamin A.

Humans should take vitamins regularly with food to avoid deficiency or shortage of vitamins. Humans stores the variety of vitamins – vitamins A, D, and B₁₂ are stored in the human body (in the liver); this means that an adult can do without these vitamins   for some period.

Nevertheless some vitamins such as:  vitamin B₃ is stored in our body for a week or two. Concerning vitamin C, the time of it storage in the body varies widely, from a month to more than half a year; it depends on the diet of a human.

The lack of vitamins in human can be primary or secondary. A primary lack occurs when an organism does not get enough of the vitamin in its food. A secondary lack can be caused by disorder that prevents the normal absorption of the vitamins. Such dreadful habits as smoking, alcoholism, and stress provoke   disorder in absorption of the vitamins.

A varied diet, healthy foods prevent shortage of vitamins. A person, who keeps a strict diet, should be greatly concerned about the potential threats to his health.

Adequate supply of food and the addition of vitamins and minerals to common foods can help to prevent risks of vitamin deficiency diseases.

Humans can’t live without vitamins. They are important for the normal growth and development of human organism. Especially important are the vitamins for children organisms. Their growth and normal development require vitamins and minerals at certain periods. These vitamins are vital, because they are responsible for chemical reactions that produce bones, muscles, skin and other things.

A child cannot develop normally if there is lack of these nutrients; the shortage in vitamins can cause serious damage to health.

Vitamins are naturally taken with food, but some of them are produced by microorganisms in the intestine, for instance, vitamin K and biotin.  Some vitamins are produced by our organism with the help of natural factors – D is made in skin by means of ultraviolet. Humans produce some vitamins from food they eat. Beta carotene transforms into vitamin A.

Even when our organism stops growing we need vitamins. They remain vital nutrients for the healthy keeping of the cells, tissues, and organs. Vitamins are also essential for using chemical energy, proteins and fats.

Vitamins are substances that our   food contains. Human body needs them to work properly. Each vitamin has a special role, but in this article we want to look at vitamins from the point of their ability to dissolve in different substances. There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble.

There are 13 vitamins in human body: 4 fat-soluble (A, D, E, and K) and 9 water-soluble (8 B vitamins and vitamin C).

Water-soluble vitamins can dissolve in water practically without difficulty. They are not stored in our organism getting through a bloodstream and that fact makes consistent daily taking in very important.   Many water-soluble vitamins are produced by bacteria. These vitamins are vitamin C and the big group of B vitamins — B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 biotin, and pantothenic acid.

Fat-soluble vitamins should be taken inside with lipids or fats, because they are absorbed by human organism with the help of fats. Fat-soluble vitamin regulation is of great significance in cystic fibrosis. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fat tissues in human body and in a liver, until there is a need for them.

Fat-soluble vitamins stay stored in a human body for awhile — some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months. Special carriers in a body take them to where they are needed.

Be healthy and live a long life- everyone dreams about it, this site is about vitamins and their role in our life.

A vitamin ( from Latin vita=life +  amine, a kind of chemical related to amino acids, which vitamins once thought to contain) – any of a number of substances that are present in various foods and are essential to keep people healthy. Vitamins are organic compounds, that human organism cannot produce, that is why vitamins should be taken from food.

The classification of the vitamins is made by their biological and chemical activity. Every vitamin has a set of chemicals and is grouped alphabetically: vitamin A, B, C, etc.

Vitamins can be water soluble or fat soluble.  Fat soluble  vitamins are   A, D, E, and K and water-soluble are 8 B vitamins and vitamin C.

Vitamins have different basic biochemical regulations in human body. Vitamin D works as hormone-like regulator of mineral metabolism, vitamin A is a regulator of cell and tissue growth.  Vitamin E is an antioxidant.

Human organism can produce all sorts of things, but it can’t do vitamins. Vitamins are organic compound and can be taken from food. Different foods contain different vitamins, so more variety in food gives a better chance to have all vitamins and be healthy.