Importance of Vitamins in a Diet

By Health & Medical Last updated Saturday, April/20/2024

Types of Vitamins

Vitamins are either fat soluble, or water soluble. The fat soluble vitamins can linger in the body until used, whereas the water soluble vitamins travel throughout the bloodstream. Fat soluble vitamins can stay in the body until their use is necessary. Water soluble vitamins, on the other hand, are excreted if the body has enough of it. Translation: consuming 250 percent of one's vitamin C in a glass of orange juice is great, but the body gets rid of 150 percent of it on the next trip to the bathroom. Vitamins B and C are water soluble, while vitamin A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.

Vitamin A improves eyesight, hair, skin and nails. Any fruit or vegetable with a lovely orange or green color naturally contains vitamin A---the list includes carrots, squash, papaya, cantaloupe, spinach and many more. B vitamins are important for breaking down carbohydrates into energy. They also play a critical role in building muscles and supporting organs like the liver and skin. Many are familiar with B vitamins under different names: niacin, cyanocobalamin, folic acid and thiamin are all in the B family. This group is found in fortified cereals, meat, eggs and milk. Vegans can find their B dose in brewer's yeast or leafy greens. Vegans need to be especially careful about B12 intake---some take a supplement, while others get it from products like Bragg's Liquid Aminos or kombucha tea. Though rare, B12 deficiency can result in neurological damage.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps the body fight free radicals. The American Dietetic Association explains that a free radical is just an oxygen molecule that is released when the body digests food, but this stray molecule can either steal a spare oxygen molecule from the body, which causes damage, or a vitamin can forfeit its own molecule to stabilize it. Vitamin C helps tissue repair and regenerates skin. This nutrient is found in citrus, peppers, strawberries, leafy greens and a host of other fruits and veggies.

This vitamin is nicknamed as the "sunshine vitamin" since the sun provides it naturally. When the sun penetrates the skin, it infuses the surface with a dose of D vitamin. The National Institute of Health recommends staying in the sun for just 10 minutes a day to get a healthy dose. Otherwise, vitamin D can be found in meat and dairy. Vegans can drink milk substitutes like soy or almond milk---both are fortified with vitamin D. This nutrient keeps bones strong by assisting with calcium absorption.

Vitamin E can be found in spinach, nuts, seeds and some fruits like mango and kiwi. Vitamin E acts as a bodyguard to vitamin A by protecting it from oxidation. Be cautious when cooking foods, as this vitamin is extremely sensitive to heat and light. Therefore, raw oils will contain higher levels of vitamin E than cooking oils. Vitamin K helps the blood to clot properly. This nutrient also assists with making bone proteins. Vegetables like spinach, kale, cabbage and others are great sources of vitamin K.

Before purchasing vitamins, consider the following: the body only has roughly 30 minutes to absorb a vitamin's nutrients before it gets passed along to be digested. Therefore, how well it breaks apart within the first 30 minutes is critical to its effectiveness. A basic acid test can be performed to judge a vitamin's potency: drop the pill in a cup of vinegar. Gently swirl the liquid over five minutes. If the vitamin does not dissolve in 30 minutes, consider another brand of vitamin. With vitamin supplements, bigger is not always better.

Vitamin overdose is possible, but rare---one has to consume an inordinate number of pills to overdose. Water-soluble vitamins, like B and C, are just flushed down the toilet if an overdose occurs. An overdose of fat-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, can be problematic because the body can store these vitamins for a long time. Symptoms of overdose on vitamin A include blurry vision, cracked skin and poor nails. Similarly, the benefits gained from vitamin D start reversing if one overdoses. Symptoms of a vitamin E overdose include fragile, softened bones and calcium deposits on one's organs. Vitamin K overdose can cause jaundice.