Diet is your best way of getting vitamins and minerals. If taking dietary supplements, ensure they’re of high-quality; and always consult your physician prior to beginning any new regimens.
Vitamins are vital nutrients obtained primarily through food sources. They perform multiple vital functions that contribute to overall wellbeing; any deficiencies can result in illness.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient, providing vital benefits for vision, immunity and the growth and development of tissues and organs. Found naturally in many foods as well as available as a dietary supplement in forms like retinol, retinyl palmitate and provitamin A beta-carotene; stand-alone supplements typically offer at least 3,000 mcg (33% of Daily Value, or DV), while many multivitamins and prenatal vitamins contain it as well.
Too much preformed vitamin A can cause birth defects. Unfortunately, preformed vitamin A taken before or during pregnancy doesn’t appear to reduce miscarriage rates or premature infant deaths; nor does it reduce risks of intestinal parasite infection in children. Furthermore, taking large doses has not proven effective at increasing survival in head-and-neck cancer or decreasing tumor counts in lung cancer cases.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin essential for optimal growth and development, from helping absorb iron to creating collagen for bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. Furthermore, its antioxidant properties may help mitigate free radical damage caused by free radicals; best sources include citrus fruits, red and green peppers, tomatoes, berries, leafy vegetables such as broccoli as well as some juices or cereals fortified with this vital nutrient.
Studies suggest that high-dose vitamin C supplements may benefit heart health and can even prevent cancer; however, other studies haven’t proved this. Speak with your physician before beginning. Vitamin C could interact with chemotherapy drugs, while it may raise blood sugar levels among people living with diabetes.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin produced endogenously when ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight interact with skin tissue. Additionally, some food sources and nutritional supplements contain Vitamin D for supplementation purposes.
Observational studies suggest that higher serum 25(OH)D levels reduce cancer risk, although clinical trials provide inconclusive findings.
Most people can produce enough vitamin D in their skin during autumn and winter to meet their needs, while some may require supplementation. A daily dosage of 10 micrograms should be enough to meet most people’s requirements without adverse side effects; those with conditions that impair fat absorption such as fat malabsorption syndromes may require higher amounts. Too much supplemental vitamin D can lead to hypercalcaemia which results in calcium deposits on kidneys, heart, joints or nerves (hypercalcaemia) leading to bone loss as well as nerve and muscle damage from hypercalcaemia causing hypercalcaemia). Too much vitamin D supplementation can result in calcium deposits on kidneys heart and joints (hypercalcaemia), leading to bone loss as well as nerve and muscle damage from hypercalcaemia causing hypercalcaemia causing calcium deposits that lead to hypercalcaemia causing hypercalcaemia which in turn leads to bone loss from nerve and muscle damage caused by over calcium deposits on organs (hypercalcaemia), leading to calcium deposits being made available through food sources.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant with numerous health advantages. It can be found naturally in some food products and added to others; additionally, supplements containing this compound are available. Vitamin E comes in eight chemical forms (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienol as well as alpha-tocopherol), each having different biological activities [1].
Numerous randomized clinical trials assessing vitamin E’s ability to prevent cardiovascular disease have produced inconsistent findings. Both Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) and HOPE-TOO trials, which included participants known to be at high risk of cardiovascular events, found that routine supplementation with 400 IU of natural vitamin E every alternate day did not significantly lower rates of nonfatal heart attacks, strokes, unstable angina or cardiovascular deaths among high risk populations.
Vitamin K
One type of vitamin K known as phylloquinone or vitamin K1 can be found in leafy green vegetables. Meanwhile, bacteria that colonize the large intestine can produce long-chain menaquinones known as vitamin K2, with side chains consisting of 1-13 repeats of 5-carbon units (1-13 MK-13). (1,2)
Vitamin K is essential to both blood clotting and bone health, with studies linking higher intakes of phylloquinone with reduced risks for osteoporotic fractures (114).
The Nurses’ Health Study found that postmenopausal women who consumed high doses of phylloquinone, also known as vitamin K, had a 30% decreased risk for hip fracture than those who consumed lower amounts. Vitamin K helps form proteins which block arterial calcification associated with heart disease.
