Vitamins

Vitamin (organic compound) is commonly recognised as one of the food category to maintain health. Unlike the big three of carbohydrate, protein and fat, vitamin is only required in small amount as nutrient. Vitamin is vital as it cannot be adequately produced by our body, hence it must be ingested through our daily diet. At the moment, there are 13 vitamins considered to be crucial to human health. They are Vitamin A, Vitamin B complex (variant in B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12), Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Tips: Only vitamin B and C are soluble in water. The rest are soluble in fat. Malay, you can easily remember the word ADEK, Vitamin A, D, E and K are the vitamins soluble in fat.

It is a group of complex organic compounds that are needed in small quantities by living organisms because vitamins can be reused in body metabolisms. Vitamins do not provide energy to body metabolism and vitamins are non-protein organic compounds. Living organisms cannot synthesise vitamins. Vitamins can be only obtained from diet. It is essential to maintenance of good health, normal growth and efficient metabolism. There are two categories in vitamins: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble Vitamins

Types of Vitamins A (retinol)

Sources Milk, carrots, tomatoes, eggs, fish oil, green vegetables, butter

Functions

Effect of deficiency

- Builds visual pigments - Night blindness on retina for night vision - Xerophthalmia (cornea becomes dry) - Immunity - Growth of epithelial cells - Antioxidant - Scaly skin

D (calciferol)

- Build body resistance to diseases Formed - Enhances absorption of - Rickets (weak bones) (skin) during calcium and phosphorus the presence - Osteomalacia of sunlight, - Build strong bones and (softening of bones) fish liver oil, healthy teeth egg yolk, cheese

E (tocopherol)

Palm oil, - Preserves healthy - Premature aging cereals, nuts, muscular system, blood green circulatory (red blood - Low fertility vegetables, cells) and nervous system olive oil, - Slow wound healing milk- Antioxidant - Maintain healthy function of the reproduction system - Helps in blood clotting - Detective blood clotting - Anaemia

K (phylloquinone) Green vegetable, totatoes

As a health tip, make sure you don't ingest too much fat-soluble vitamins, as they can be stored in your body. A condition called hypervitaminosis can occur if you have too much vitamin stored in your body, and that condition is potentially harmful to your body. So remember that, moderation is the best way to go in life.]

Water-soluble Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins are vitamins that are soluble in water. While it sounds obvious but its implication is large. Because it is water-soluble, it has to be replaced daily as the body does not store them or absorbed in the fat globules. Since it is replaced daily, you will need to ingest them on a daily basis.

Types of Vitamins B1 (thiamine)

Sources

Functions

Effect of deficiency - Beri-beri (muscle weakness, nerve disorder) - Fatigue

B2 (riboflavin)

- Precursor of a coenzyme Milk, - Coenzyme for carbohydrates legumens, wheatgerm, metabolisme yeast extract, nuts, whole grains Milk, - Component of wheatgerm, coenzyme liver, eggs - Healthy nervous system

- Sore eyes - Skin lesions at the corner of mouth, nose and ears - Inflammation of tongue and lips

B3 (niacin)

B5 (pantothenic acid)

Liver, rice, legumes, fish, yeast extract Fish, egg yolk, liver, meat

- Component of coenzyme

- Pellagra (skin and gastrointestinal lesions)

- Healthy nervous system, skin and intestines - Component of coenzyme for carbohydrates, protein and fatty acids metabolism

- Muscle cramps - Fatigue - Grey hair

B6 (pyridoxine)

Fish, liver, milk, potatoes

- Coenzyme in amino acid metabolism

- Low immunity - Kidney stone - Muscular twitching - Diarrhea - Miscarriage birth - Cleft lips - Limb defects of babies - Pernicious anaemia - Neurological disorders - Nausea - Fatigue

- For red blood cell formation

B9 (folic acid)

Green vegetables

- For DNA and RNA

- For red blood cells formation

- Regulating the function of iron

B12 (cobalamin) Cheese, milk, metabolism egg, meat H (biotin) Legumes, vegetables

- Coenzyme in nucleic acid

- For red blood cells formation - Coenzyme in the synthesis of fat, glycogen and amino acid

C (ascorbic acid) Orange, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower

- Fats and protein metabolism - Energy production

- Muscular pains - Scurvy (bleeding gums and bruised skin)