Our bodies rely heavily on vitamins to function optimally, with most individuals getting most of the necessary vitamins from eating a well-rounded, healthy diet; otherwise, a physician or registered dietitian may suggest supplements as needed.
There are 13 essential vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in fat reserves in your body (fat soluble vitamins), while water-soluble ones will eventually leave through urine excretion. Most people can obtain all 13 essential vitamins through eating a healthful and well-balanced diet that includes lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (also referred to as ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus fruits, berries, vegetables and leafy greens. As humans cannot produce or store this nutrient on their own, daily ingestion through food must occur for it to have any beneficial impact. Essential for cell function as well as maintaining connective tissues like skin and blood vessels it also acts as an antioxidant protecting cells against damage by free radicals.
Vitamin C has long been used to prevent and treat various health conditions, including the common cold, some cancers, cardiovascular disease and age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Unfortunately, large-scale prospective studies have not proven these claims; instead high intakes of supplemental vitamin C were linked with an increase in cardiovascular disease risk in some individuals.
Vitamin C appears safe when taken orally up to 2000 mg daily and during gestation. An excessive intake may cause diarrhea.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin essential to maintaining bone health. It plays an integral part in managing calcium homeostasis through sunlight UVB radiation or through our diet and once produced is then converted by our bodies into the active form – 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D].
Studies have linked low serum concentrations of 25(OH)D with poor cognitive function. Vitamin D intake has also been associated with improved insulin sensitivity and pancreatic b-cell function in those at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Individuals with dark skin, those who do not receive sufficient sunlight exposure, and digestive conditions that interfere with fat absorption such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis may all have difficulty in attaining enough vitamin D. Long-term vitamin D supplement use has been linked with lower risks for multiple sclerosis; however more research needs to be conducted.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that works to protect body tissue by neutralizing free radicals that damage it, while simultaneously improving immune function and helping prevent blood clots in heart arteries. You’ll find Vitamin E naturally present in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, leafy greens and some meat products as well as fortified cereals – it is also available as dietary supplements.
Although some observational studies demonstrate a heart-protective effect of vitamin E supplements, most clinical trials have not provided such evidence. [1] Furthermore, high dose vitamin E may even increase your risk of death.
Vitamin E’s best form, alpha-tocopherol, is only found in plasma. Dietary supplements often include all-rac-alpha-tocopherol or dl-alpha-tocopherol; its esterified form has increased stability but eventually hydrolyses into active vitamin. Vitamin E deficiency can occur more frequently among those suffering from cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease or rare inherited disorders like abetalipoproteinemia. It’s essential that healthy people receive enough of this vitamin! Deficiencies tend not occur among healthy individuals but more frequently among those suffering from medical conditions that affect fat malabsorption caused by cystic fibrosis or Crohn’s disease or rare inherited disorders like abetalipoproteinemia.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, bone metabolism and helping prevent calcium buildup in arteries – not to mention brain and cardiovascular health. It comes in two forms known as vitamins K1 and K2. Phylloquinone is an abundant dietary source of this form, as is menaquinones from its breakdown in large intestines; menaquinones may also be produced during fermentation processes in animals as well as commercial preparations like margarine.
Get enough vitamin K if you are taking blood thinners such as warfarin or Coumadin to prevent excessive bleeding (hemorrhage). Infants, newborns and pregnant women often receive inadequate levels of this essential nutrient; an insufficient supply may result in hemorrhaging and necessitate an early shot after delivery. Always speak to your healthcare provider prior to starting any supplementation for best results as too much vitamin K could interfere with certain medications.
