Vitamins are natural substances essential to our bodies in small doses. There are 13 known vitamins.
Vitamins play many essential roles in our bodies, from strengthening bones and improving immunity to helping maintain overall wellness. But keeping track of which foods contain beneficial vitamins can be tricky and understanding what each one does can be confusing.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble vitamin found both in animal and plant foods, and in supplement form (retinol or provitamin A carotenoids). Furthermore, multivitamins often include Vitamin A.
Vitamin A plays a vital role in immune function, cell division, eye health, male reproductive health and maintaining overall male/female reproductive wellness. Furthermore, it plays an essential part in skin health.
Deficiencies may be uncommon, yet many individuals consume lower than optimal amounts of vitamin A. This can be an issue for those who follow a vegan diet or who suffer from food allergies or sensitivities as well as those who eat too much vitamin A – too much can lead to dry and scaly skin as well as anemia if taken during pregnancy and too much may increase birth defect risks significantly. Excess vitamin A consumption usually results in toxicities when exceed 3,000 micrograms are taken each day in stand-alone supplements or multivitamins containing preformed vitamin A content such as found within multivitamins or single vitamin supplements containing preformed Vitamin A content such as found within preformed supplements found within preformed vitamin A products like multivitamins or stand-alone supplements found within multivitamins or stand-alone supplements found within multivitamins, multivitamins etc.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin essential to the growth and repair of tissues throughout the body. It plays an essential role in producing collagen – an essential protein found in skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and immune system function – as well as healing wounds and producing certain hormones. Furthermore, its powerful antioxidant properties help safeguard cells and tissues by reacting with potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals which damage them directly.
Studies of people with the highest plasma vitamin C concentrations showed 42% lower stroke risk compared with those with the lowest. Unfortunately, clinical trials testing the use of vitamin C supplements as cancer and disease prevention measures have had mixed results, and its interactions may cause unexpected side effects when combined with certain medications, such as antibiotics or chemotherapy drugs.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin produced naturally in our skin by sunlight and consumed through food or supplements. Within our bodies, vitamin D undergoes two hydroxylation processes to form its active form known as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D or “calcitriol.”
Rickets, or severe vitamin D deficiency in children, is a condition marked by ineffective bone mineralization and soft bones. If left untreated, this condition can lead to bone deformities, pain, hypocalcemic seizures and even tetanic spasms – symptoms that require medical intervention for successful management.
Studies conducted on adults have linked low serum 25(OH)D levels with cancer risk; however, clinical trial data remains equivocal. A recent meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials that provided supplemented vitamin D3 and calcium found no evidence that they reduce incidence or mortality rates among people who already had adequate serum 25(OH)D levels at baseline.
Vitamin E
Fat-soluble vitamin E is an antioxidant (highly reactive chemical) which boosts immune systems and helps prevent heart disease by preventing blood clots. In addition, vitamin E may also help prevent certain cancers and slow their progression as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. You can find vitamin E in many food items including nuts (like peanuts and almonds), seeds, leafy vegetables and vegetable oils.
Several observational studies have shown a relationship between vitamin E intake and cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction or heart disease deaths and vitamin E intake; however, clinical trials have yet to consistently demonstrate an association.
Vitamin E is made up of eight compounds known as tocopherols and tocotrienols. Of these substances, humans typically depend on alpha-tocopherol as their source for vitamin E; other tocopherols and tocotrienols can be found at lesser concentrations in food products or supplements. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) lists alpha-tocopherol as being essential to their diets while other tocopherols or tocotrienols exist to lesser degrees.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) is an essential fat-soluble vitamin which plays an integral role in blood clotting and bone metabolism. First discovered as an antihemorrhagic factor by Henrik Dam and named after its German word of origin (“koagulationsvitamin”), vitamin K now plays a pivotal role in these areas.
Serum phylloquinone concentrations can be used as an indicator of vitamin K status; however, this method has limited sensitivity and specificity. A more reliable way is the carboxylation of osteocalcin in bone; which requires vitamin K as part of its process.
Low dietary intakes of phylloquinones and menaquinones have been linked with an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis. A longitudinal study involving 5,719 older US adults demonstrated that higher intakes of phylloquinone were linked with reduced progression to severe osteoarthritis compared to lower intakes (118). Unfortunately, an optimal dosage is currently unknown.
