Vitamins

Vitamins are organic substances and micronutrients needed by the body for the normal functioning of its health and growth. And just as how important biological compounds like carbohydrate, protein, and fats are needed in higher animals; vitamins are not exempted but cannot be synthesized in the needed amount that will be sufficient for the body like the other biological compounds and must be derived from synthetic sources or from meals we eat. When vitamins are absent or not adequately produced by the body, deficiency of diseases will develop.

Vitamins are essential nutrients needed in small quantities to complete their functions. These functions could be catalytic or regulatory in nature and are responsible for facilitating and controlling the essential chemical reactions undergone in the body’s cells. Biochemist classifies vitamins as fat-soluble and water-soluble. They are noted by certain letters of the alphabet and also by chemical names. Under water-soluble vitamins, we have the B-complex vitamins such as Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B7 (Biotin), Folate or Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12 and the other water-soluble vitamin is vitamin C. On the other hand, the fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E, and vitamin D. They are termed fat-and-water-soluble because they need to be dissolved in fat and water respectively before they are absorbed into the body. Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in excess and are mostly lost through urine, while fat-soluble vitamins accumulate in the body when in excess.

History On Vitamins

Vitamins were developed between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Biochemist Casimir Funk coined the word “vitamin” in 1912. He identified the needed nutritional components missing in Scurvy, Pellagra, Rickets, and Beri-Beri. He got “vita,” a Latin word that means “life” and “amine,” a nitrogenous substance needed for life to occur. Casimir Funk was then dubbed the “Father of Vitamin Therapy.”

Before the 1930s, vitamins were only gotten from the diet, and soon after, commercially made supplements of vitamins were developed to correct vitamin deficiency. During that period, the U.S. Government fortified food with specific nutrients to increase their vitamin content; examples are adding iodine to salt and folic acid to grain products to prevent goiter and defects that could arise during pregnancy, respectively. By 1948 all vitamins were discovered, and by the 1950s, they were available for sale, including multivitamins

Physicians, epidemiologists, chemists, and physiologists increased the modern knowledge of vitamins, which involved making several observations and experiments that led to trial and error. They were able to establish diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies. Soon vitamin’s chemical structure could be replicated, and the quantity of vitamins needed by the body to keep it healthy enough to avoid deficiencies was then determined.

The Various Types of Vitamins

The Water-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A

Vitamin A in the correct quantity improves eye health, increases the production and activity of the white blood cells, remodels bone structure, regulates cell growth and division needed for reproduction, and maintains healthy endothelial cells on the body’s interior surfaces. Retinol or Retinyl Ester and Provitamin A carotenoids are the two primary forms of Vitamin A. In contrast, carotenoids are naturally found in plants, preformed vitamin A is gotten from animal products, vitamin supplements, and fortified foods.

Deficiency

Deficiency of Vitamin A are more prone to western countries, and they occur due to the lack of Vitamin A in their diet; signs of deficiency include:

• Fatigue

• Infertility

• Infections

• Dry skin or hair

• Night blindness (Nyctalopia)

• Dryness of the eyes that sometimes causes blindness (Xerophthalmia)

Toxicity

Toxicity is caused by high doses of Vitamin A present in the body. This is more common in the U.S., and signs of Vitamin A toxicity include:

• Increased risk of losing bones and bone pain

• Birth defects

• Affects the benefits of Vitamin D in the body

• Higher sensitivity to bright light

• Nausea and Vomiting

• Poor vision

• Dry skin

Vitamin D

This fat-soluble vitamin improves the absorption of phosphorus and retains calcium, and it has been proven to help control infections, reduce cancer cell growth and reduce inflammation. Food is a natural way of obtaining vitamin D. Examples of food fortified with vitamin D are; salmon, tuna, fish, dairy, and plant milk. Other examples include; cereals, orange juices fortified with vitamin D, cod liver oil, egg yolk, beef liver, swordfish, and sardines.

Deficiency

The primary source of vitamin D is produced in the skin, and insufficient vitamin D will arise in places with limited sunlight. Lactose intolerant people, people who can’t eat eggs and fish, are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency include:

• Rickets (soft bone in infants and children)

• Osteomalacia (soft bone in adults)

Toxicity

Excessive intake of supplements can lead to vitamin D toxicity, and overexposure to sunlight will not; some symptoms of toxicity include:

• Weight loss

• Anorexia

• Uneven heartbeat

• Hardening of blood vessels and tissues

• Kidney and heart damage

Vitamin E

Vitamin E occurs in several forms, but alpha-tocopherol is used by the human body. The alpha-tocopherol serves as an antioxidant taking up free radicals that could damage the cells. It improves the functioning of the immune system and prevents blood clots in the arteries in the heart. Sources of Vitamin E include nuts (almond, peanut), fruits (mango, avocado), seeds (sunflower seeds), vegetables (red bell pepper, asparagus, collard greens, spinach, pumpkin, and beet greens), plant-based oils like sunflower, soybean, wheat germ, and safflower oil.

Deficiency

Vitamin E deficiency is prone to people with a digestive disorder who cannot absorb fat properly; these disorders include cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, celiac disease, etc. Common signs of a deficiency include;

• Irregular immune function

• Damaged retina (Retinopathy)

• Damaged peripheral nerves (Peripheral Neuropathy)

• Loss of the ability body movements (Ataxia)

Toxicity

Naturally, vitamin E cannot be found in the body, but if a dose of 1000mg vitamin E is taken daily and taken with blood-thinning medication like warfarin, there could be a risk of excessive bleeding.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential in forming blood clots and building bones as it is needed to make proteins needed for blood clotting. Prothrombin and Osteocalcin are vitamin K dependent and necessary for blood clotting. Vitamin K can be gotten as either phylloquinone, present in green leafy vegetables, and menaquinones in fermented food and animal food. The latter is the primary type of vitamin K. The former is produced by bacteria present in the human body.

Vitamin K is found in the liver, heart, brain, bone, and pancreas and can be broken down and excreted in the form of urine or stool. The regulation of vitamin K into urine or stool allows it to rarely reach toxic levels in the body even when taken in excess.

Deficiency

Vitamin K deficiency is prone to newborn babies because the placenta lacks it and is in insufficient quantity in breast milk. Although rare, deficiency in adults is a result of medications that block the metabolism of vitamin K. Common signs of a deficiency include;

• Prolonged prothrombin time, which would lead to excessive bleeding and a longer time for blood clotting

• Osteopenia or osteoporosis

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B

8 known types of vitamin B assist in enzymatic functions in the body. It could be from transporting oxygen to releasing energy from fat and carbohydrate, transporting it around the body, and breaking down amino acids. These 8 vitamins are:

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

Vitamin B1 is essential for the growth and function of various cells. [A small amount is stored in the liver, which is why daily intake of vitamin B1-rich foods is necessary.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Vitamin B2 is a component of some coenzymes necessary for the energy production, growth of cells, and the breakdown of fats and steroids. Excess amounts could cause the urine to become bright yellow.

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

The two most common forms of niacin are nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, which are present in the diet and supplements. Although the body can also convert tryptophan to an amino acid and finally to nicotinamide.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Pantothenic acid is used to produce coenzyme A (CoA) (it helps to break down fatty acids and performs certain metabolic functions).

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Known for its ability to reduce some types of cancer and heart disease, vitamin B6 can be obtained naturally from bananas, tuna, liver, salmon, poultry, dark leafy greens, and chicken pea.

Vitamin B7 (biotin)

Vitamin B7 assists in the enzymatic breakdown of other biological compounds like fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in food. It also aids in regulating signals conducted by the activity of genes and sent by cells.

Vitamin B9 (folate [folic acid])

This is the natural form of vitamin B9 that is naturally found in different food but is also sold in supplements. Its absorption rate is exceptionally high compared to other food.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Vitamin B12 is naturally found in the diet but can be added to the diet and taken as a supplement. It is needed to produce DNA and red blood cells, and it aids the development of brain and nerve cells.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has been promoted in megadoses since the 1970s and was introduced by Linus Pauling, a double Nobel laureate. Megadoses make up to 12 to 24 oranges and are taken to prevent chronic diseases and cold. Commonly called Ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin needed by the body’s tissue but cannot be stored in the body tissues. It was discovered in 1932 and can be gotten from supplements or the diet. It aids in the healing process of wounds and collagen production. It controls infections, neutralizes dangerous free radicals, and improves hormonal and chemical messengers of the nervous system.

Deficiency

Here are the most common signs of vitamin C deficiency;

Scurvy (the most crucial deficiency) leads to loss of collagen, causing the following:

• Hair loss

• Fatigue

• Anemia (Iron deficiency)

• The prolonged healing process of skin wounds