Essential vitamins are nutrients essential to human metabolism that must be provided via diet or supplements in small amounts for human life to run optimally. Since essential vitamins cannot be synthesized within the body, their consumption should come via balanced eating or supplements.
Folate (folic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin that assists with developing healthy red blood cells and prevents birth defects like spina bifida. It can be found in egg yolks, milk, meat and some cereals as well as some vegetables.
Magnesium
Magnesium is essential to the body, from nerve and muscle function to blood sugar regulation and may help prevent bone loss. Higher dietary magnesium intake has been linked with improved bone mineral density (BMD) in some observational studies of older adults; more research needs to be conducted to ascertain if magnesium supplements reduce fracture risk.
Magnesium supplements may cause toxic build-up in people with kidney disease who are unable to flush extra magnesium out of their system through urine. Prolonged high dose magnesium use may also prevent effective absorption of certain medications like antidiabetics and diuretics.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for cell growth and development, helping prevent night blindness while supporting skin, lung, eye, liver, kidney health and the immune system. It may even reduce cancer risks. Vitamin A comes in two forms – preformed found in liver, poultry, fish dairy products eggs; provitamin A found in leafy green vegetables carrots squash mangoes fortified cereals etc;
Overdoing preformed vitamin A intake from supplements or food sources such as liver can have severe negative repercussions, including blurred vision, nausea and muscle aches. Furthermore, pregnant women could become vulnerable to birth defects caused by this excess Vitamin A.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B refers to a group of water-soluble vitamins that include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate (also referred to as folic acid). They play an integral part in many bodily processes including helping form red blood cells, turning glucose into energy and producing DNA.
Vitamins cannot be stored by the body and must therefore be regularly consumed to avoid deficiency. Dietary sources should always be prioritized over vitamin supplements as overusing these may actually mask any actual nutritional deficits in the body.
As humans age, their nutritional requirements change accordingly. A lack of pantothenic acid could result in anemia.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, one of the best-known vitamins, strengthens blood vessels and tendons while helping the body absorb iron and acting as an antioxidant. Furthermore, it may even shorten colds by helping reduce duration.
Certain populations are at a greater risk for vitamin C deficiency, including seniors and those without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Not getting enough Vitamin C through food alone may result in scurvy.
Water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate/folic acid), do not store in your body and any excess amounts leave through urine. Therefore, these must be consumed daily to remain in good health and keep you feeling your best!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, essential for bone health. A deficiency can result in rickets while an adequate intake is linked to reduced risk of bone fractures and cancer as well as increased strength and improved mood.
Vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish, beef liver and egg yolks can provide an abundant supply, but our bodies also create it with exposure to sunlight. Supplements may be taken in order to reach an adequate intake; however, taking too much vitamin D could result in severe side effects including renal failure, soft tissue calcifications and valve calcifications, skeletal hypertrophy, hypercalcaemia as well as kidney damage.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant, helping widen blood vessels and keep the blood from clotting within. Furthermore, Vitamin E plays an essential role in cell health.
Nuts and seeds, particularly almonds and sunflower seeds, are among the richest dietary sources of vitamin E. Vegetable oils such as wheat germ and corn oil also contain abundant amounts of this essential nutrient, while you’ll likely also find traces of vitamin E in breakfast cereals, margarines and spreads, vegetable juices and leafy green vegetables.
Vitamin E supplements may provide relief to women suffering from dysmenorrhea. A 2018 study demonstrated that taking 200 IU of vitamin E daily reduced menstrual pain intensity significantly.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential to making blood clotting proteins and building strong bones, as well as for absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins.
Henrik Dam first isolated and described this vitamin in 1930, labeling it an antihemorrhagic factor from Danish word koagulationsvitamin). Although fat-soluble, unlike many other fat-soluble vitamins it does not reach toxic levels in your body even with high intakes.
Vitamin K can be found naturally in foods like beef liver, green tea, broccoli, turnip greens, cabbage and kale; additionally it is produced in our digestive tract by bacteria.
