Vitamin is a kind of natural compound that we need in small amounts to survive....Most vitamins must come to the body through food....because either the human body does not produce enough vitamins or it does not produce them at all.

Each animal needs different vitamins....For example, humans need vitamin C or ascorbic acid, but dogs don't....Dogs can produce as much vitamin C as they need, but humans cannot.

Most of the vitamin D needed by the human body comes from exposure to sunlight because there is not enough of it in food. However, the human body can produce it through exposure to sunlight.

Different vitamins have different tasks and the required amount of each one is different.... In this article, we answer these questions about what a vitamin is, what it does, and which foods contain which type of vitamin.

Short facts about vitamins

In the following, we mention some key points about vitamins... More explanations and additional information are provided in the text of the article.

• To date, 13 types of vitamins are known.
• Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble.
• It is easier for the body to store fat-soluble vitamins than water-soluble vitamins.
• Vitamins always contain carbon.
• Food is the best source of vitamins.. but the doctor may advise some people to take supplements.

Learn more:What are the benefits of quinoa?

What is a vitamin?

Vitamins are organic substances that are found in small amounts in natural foods.. Vitamins are essential for normal metabolism.... If any type of vitamin does not reach the body enough, we will get sick.

Vitamin has the following two features:

• It has an organic composition.
• It contains an essential nutrient that the body cannot produce in sufficient quantities and must do so through food.

Currently, 13 types of vitamins are known.

water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fatty tissue of the body or the liver....Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.... This vitamin is easier to store than water-soluble vitamins and can be stored in the body for several days (sometimes even several months).

Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the digestive tract with the help of fat or lipids.

water-soluble vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins do not remain in the body for a long time. The body cannot store this type of vitamin and they are quickly excreted through urine. For this reason, it is necessary to replace water-soluble vitamins more than fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamin C and all types of B vitamins are soluble in water.

Types of vitamins

In the following, we refer to the types of vitamins.

Vitamin A

Chemical name: retinol, retinal and four carotenoids including beta-carotene.

• Soluble in fat
• Its deficiency leads to nystagmus and keratomalacia (a type of eye disorder that leads to dry cornea).
Among foods rich in vitamin A are liver, cod liver oil, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, butter, cabbage, spinach, pumpkin, green cabbage, some cheese, eggs, apricots, cantaloupe and milk.

For more reading, refer to the article on the properties of castor oil.

Vitamin B

Chemical name: thiamine

• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin leads to Beriberi disease and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Foods rich in vitamin B include yeast, pork, breakfast cereals, sunflower seeds, brown rice, fortified wheat, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver and eggs.

Vitamin B-2

Chemical name: riboflavin

• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin leads to ariboflavinosis.
Foods rich in vitamin B-2 include asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, beets, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, fish, and green beans.

Vitamin B-3

Chemical name: niacin, niacinamide

• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin leads to plague with symptoms of diarrhea, dermatitis and mental disorder.
• Among foods rich in vitamin B-3 are liver, heart, kidney, chicken, beef, fish (tuna, salmon), milk, eggs, avocado, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole grains, beans and legumes..

Vitamin B-5

Chemical name: pantothenic acid

• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin leads to impaired touch or tingling sensation.
• Foods rich in vitamin B-5 include meat, whole grains (grinding the seeds destroys the vitamin), broccoli, avocado, royal jelly, and caviar.

Vitamin B-6

Chemical name: Pyridoxine, Pyridoxamine, Pyridoxal

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• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin leads to anemia, peripheral neuropathy or damage to parts of the nervous system except the brain and spinal cord.
Foods rich in vitamin B-6 include meat, bananas, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts... When milk is dried, it loses half of its vitamin B-6.... Freezing and canning milk also reduces the vitamin.

Vitamin B-7

Chemical name: Biotin

• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin causes dermatitis or enteritis (intestinal inflammation).
Among the foods rich in vitamin B-7 are egg yolks, liver, and some vegetables.

Vitamin B-9

Chemical name: folic acid, folinic acid

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• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin during pregnancy is related to congenital insufficiency....Women are advised to use folic acid supplement one year before pregnancy.
• Foods rich in vitamin B-9 include leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, bread yeast, some fortified cereals, and sunflower seeds. Some healthy foods and beer contain moderate amounts of vitamin B-9.

Vitamin B-12

Chemical name: cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, methylcobalamin

• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin causes megaloblastic anemia... In this case, the bone marrow produces red blood cells in an abnormal amount and shape.
Foods rich in vitamin B-12 include fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products, some fortified breakfast cereals, and fortified nutritional yeast.

Vegan people are advised to use vitamin B-12 supplement.

Vitamin C

Chemical name: ascorbic acid

• Soluble in water
• Deficiency of this vitamin causes megaloblastic anemia.
Among the foods rich in vitamin C, we can mention fruits and vegetables... Kakadu plums and camo camo fruit contain the highest amount of vitamin C among foods... The amount of vitamin C in the liver is also high... Cooking food destroys vitamin C.

Vitamin D

Chemical name: Ergocalciferol, Calcalciferol

• Soluble in fat
• Deficiency of this vitamin causes rickets and osteomalacia or soft bones.
• Good sources of vitamin C include exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun or other sources of vitamin D absorption in the skin. Fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms also contain vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Chemical name: tocopherol, tocothyronol

• Soluble in fat
• Deficiency of this vitamin is not common.. but it causes hemolytic anemia in babies.. In this condition, the red blood cells are destroyed very quickly.
Foods rich in vitamin E include kiwi, almonds, avocados, eggs, milk, nuts, leafy and green vegetables, unheated vegetable oil, wheat germ, and whole grains.

Vitamin K

Chemical name: phylloquinone, menaquinone

• Soluble in fat
• Deficiency of this vitamin causes bleeding disorder....the person in this condition is prone to bleeding.
Foods rich in vitamin K include leafy and green vegetables, avocados, and kiwis.. Parsley contains large amounts of vitamin K.

We recommend consulting GCORP LLC's list of the best nutritionists for a proper diet that includes all the vitamins and minerals.

Source: medicalnewstoday