Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

All rights reserved with siahmsr digital healthcare[siahmsr wellness]

Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

Vitamins

   Vitamins are micronutrients that protect our body from infections and maintain health of all body systems involving in complex metabolic processes.

How do vitamins help our body?

·        Vitamins boost the immune system & protect from infection.

·        strengthen our bones and teeth.

·        Calcium is a mineral essential for bone health. Vitamin D helps in calcium absorption

·        Vitamin A,C &E are major vitamins for maintaining health of  our skin and hair

·        Vitamin E &B complex groups of vitamins biotin & folates  are essential for the health of reproductive organs

·        Vitamin C and B complex groups of vitamins help the body metabolize proteins and carbs

·        Vitamin B12, vitamin K  and folates are so crucial  blood formation& clotting

·        Vitamin A plays a key role in the health of eyes & vision.

·        Vitamin E & B complex groups of vitamins help brain and nervous system function well involving in many complex metabolic pathways.

Classification of vitamins

There are 13 essential vitamins that nutritionists divide into two groups: fat soluble and water soluble vitamins.

1.Fat soluble vitamins

·        Vitamin A

·        Vitamin D

·        Vitamin E

·        Vitamin K 

2 .Water soluble vitamins

1]  Vitamin B Complex

·        B1 (thiamin)

·        B2 (riboflavin)

·        B3 (niacin)

·        B5 (pantothenic acid)

·        B6 (pyridoxine)

·        B7 (biotin)

·        B9 (folate [folic acid])

·        B12 (cobalamin)   

     2] Vitamin C

Sources of vitamins

   Vitamins are essential nutrients which sustains our bodily and intellectual functions in the proper way. To get these essential nutrients for our body, we must choose foods from both animal and vegetable sources. Pure vegetarians must depend on vitamin fortified foods or supplements for obtaining well balanced nutrition adequate in all vitamins necessary for healthy living. Important sources of vitamins are:

·        Milk and other dairy products

·        Nuts and seeds

·        Vegetables

·        Leafy greens

·        Fruits

·        Poultry, lean meat

·        Fortified bread and cereals

·        Egg yolks

·        Whole grains

·        Beans and legumes 

FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Vitamin A 

‘Vitamin A ‘is a micro nutrient which is often linked with vision and eye sight. But its role in our body is much more than that. It is a vitamin which has great role in protecting our body from infections and many forms of cancers.

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. The two main forms of vitamin A in the human diet are preformed vitamin A (retinol, retinyl esters), and pro vitamin A carotenoids such as beta-carotene that are converted to retinol.

Preformed vitamin A comes from animal products, fortified foods, and vitamin supplements. Carotenoids are found naturally in plant foods. There are other types of carotenoids found in food that are not converted to vitamin A but have health-promoting properties; these include lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Vitamin A is an important vitamin for immune function, cellular communication, growth and development.

[ Read more ]

Vitamin D

 It is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body in absorbing and retaining calcium and phosphorus.

Vitamin D is also known as” sunshine vitamin” as it is formed in the skin .The precursor for it is the UV activated dehydrocholesterol of skin.

Vitamin D3 is formed when a chemical reaction occurs in human skin, when a steroid called 7-dehydrocholesterol of skin is broken down by the sun’s UVB light.

Vitamin D can be obtained from dietary sources also. Butter, egg yolk, oily fish oysters, cod liver oil, salmon, swordfish, tuna fish, sardines, mackerel, blue fish etc. are rich sources of vitamin D.

Vitamin D production in the skin is the primary natural source of vitamin D. But many people nowadays  have insufficient levels of vitamin D as they live in places where sunlight is limited due to prolonged winter, or  limited sun exposure as they spend inside much of the time indoors.

 People with darker skin tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin D as the melanin of skin acts like a shade; reducing production of vitamin D. (it is also reducing damaging effects of sunlight on skin, including skin cancer)     [ Read more ]

Vitamin E

  Vitamin E is a micronutrient that is very much essential for your skin health, reproduction, and the health of your blood, brain and nervous system.

 Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin which exists in several forms, but alpha-tocopherol is the only one used by the human body.

It is abundantly available from natural sources and is very vital for the health of our body. Natural vitamin E sources like organic fruits and vegetables do not cause toxicity even if you take a little more. But taking supplements should be only in  moderate doses,  as directed by your health care provider.

 Vitamin E has a great role in keeping your skin soft, smooth and supple. It is essential for hair growth also.

 Vitamin E is an effective antioxidant. Antioxidants are substances that might protect your cells against the injurious or harmful effects of free radicals. Free radicals cause multiple organ damages in your body and play a significant  role in heart diseases, cancers and many other types of morbidities.

Antioxidants protect your skin from premature ageing from intrinsic and environmental factors.

 Foods rich in vitamin E include:

 canola oil, olive oil, margarine, almonds and peanuts, some vegetables and fruits, Plant oils – sunflower, soya, corn and olive oils,nuts and seeds, Wheat germ oil, Sunflower seeds,Avocado,Beet greens, collard greens, spinach, Pumpkin.  [ Read more ]

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat soluble group of vitamins that help your body for blood clotting, wound healing etc. Vitamin K has an integral role in bone health also.

Vitamin K is required for the formation of some proteins helping blood clotting and the building of bones. Prothrombin is a vitamin K-dependent protein directly involved with blood clotting. Osteocalcin is another protein that requires vitamin K to produce healthy bone tissue.

 Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in two forms. The predominant form is phylloquinone, found in green leafy vegetables like collard greens, kale, and spinach. The other type, menaquinones, are found in some animal foods and fermented foods. Menaquinones can also be produced by bacteria in the human body.

Sources of vitamin K

  Green leafy vegetables – Phylloquinone form is chiefly found in green leafy vegetables including collard and turnip greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuces and spinach, Vegetable oils, Cereal grain, Soybean and canola oil.   [ Read more ]

WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS

1. Vitamin B Complex

The B-vitamins comprise a group of eight water soluble vitamins that are essential for many metabolic processes of the body and functions of heart, brain and nervous system.

Vitamin B Complex includes:

·        B1 (thiamine)

·        B2 (riboflavin)

·        B3 (niacin)

·        B5 (pantothenic acid)

·        B6 (pyridoxine)

·        B7 (biotin)

·        B9 (folate [folic acid])

·        B12 (cobalamin)

General sources of vitamin B include: 

Fortified breakfast cereals, pork, fish, beans, lentils, green peas enriched cereals, breads, noodles, rice sunflower seeds and  yogurt.     [ Read more ]   

 Vitamin C

  Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin and delivered to the tissues and cells in the dissolved form .This vitamin is not well stored in our body, and hence it must be taken daily through foods or supplements.

  Vitamin C is very much essential for the structural and functional well-being of our body. It plays a pivotal role in our immunity & healing of wounds. It also helps in controlling infections .Your vitamin C level determines the severity of infections and speed of recovery from them.

   It is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize the effects of free radical attack on your body. Vitamin C helps the body to repair the damage caused by oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species free radicals.

The free radical mediated injury or damage is the ground for many chronic diseases of our organ systems.

Vitamin C protects our body not only from acute infections by boosting immunity, but also from chronic diseases, fighting against free radicals.

  Vitamin C is a very important for your skin and hair. It is essential for the formation of collagen, a fibrous protein in connective tissue that is weaved throughout various systems in the body; Collagen fibres form extensive and robust networks providing the dermis of your skin with strength, firmness and elasticity Collagen is an essential component of nervous system, immune system, bones, cartilages, blood etc.

 The vitamin also helps in the formation of several hormones and chemical messengers used by the brain and nervous system.

 Free radicals can cause changes in cells and DNA that can lead to illnesses, including cancer. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which protects against cancers. Vitamin C is an integral part of the immune system, which defends against viruses, bacteria, and other microbes. 

  Vitamin C is heat sensitive .Cooking may reduce the amount of vitamin C in fruits and vegetables. However, steaming or microwaving these foods may retain the most of the vitamin.

Sources of vitamin C are guava ,bell pepper ,tomatoes ,oranges ,strawberries ,papaya ,potato ,broccoli, kiwi fruit etc.       [ Read more ]

Who should take vitamin supplements?

Most people do not need to take vitamin supplements and can get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Vitamin supplements are recommended in certain groups of people like:

·        Women expecting pregnancy

   It’s recommended that pregnant women take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement every day until 12 weeks pregnant. Folic acid may reduce the risks of preterm birth, heart irregularities, and cleft palate. Women planning on getting pregnant should take folic acid supplements to reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida, arising in the developing fetus. Folic acid intake reduces spinal cord or neural tube defects in fetus. Along with folic acid many other nutrients are recommended for expecting mothers as wells as breast feeding women.

·        Vitamin D supplements

Vitamin D is chiefly synthesized by your skin from exposure to sun light. During autumn and winters adequate sun light is not received for vitamin D production by your skin .It is difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.

·        Osteoporosis and supplements of vitamin D &calcium

In patients with osteoporotic fractures vitamin D and calcium supplementation is part of treatment protocol in most of the countries. Recent evidence regarding the effects of vitamin D and calcium supplementation is inconsistent. In the absence of clear evidence on supplementation, it is better to ensure that dietary recommendations on calcium and vitamin D intakes are met through food and supplementation.

Old age and supplements

Old age is associated with low nutritional status and lowered immunity. It makes them predisposed to many infections and difficulty in recovering from infections. Vitamin supplementation is recommended after assessing the deficiencies with lab tests under the guidance and direction of a physician or health care provider.

Old age requires vitamins like vitamin D, B6, B12 for fighting with age related degenerative changes. Try to meet the need of nutrients from natural sources like foods, vitamin fortified foods and take supplements if it is directed by your consulting physician , based on criteria of deficiency of particular nutrients.

    It is very crucial to understand that the need for nutrient supplements is different in countries where nutrition deficiency is common. Ensuring adequate nutrition through food fortification and nutrient supplementation is important to prevent serious adverse outcomes of nutrient deficiencies in low and middle income countries with high mortality rate from malnutrition.

     However, current evidence does not support recommending vitamin or fish oil supplements to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases [cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes etc.] in populations without clinical nutritional deficiency.

   Continued research studies are mandatory to further understand the potentially different roles of nutrients from foods versus supplements in general health promotion of people as well as individuals or groups with specific nutritional needs from all societal strata.

 

 

References

·        https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/dietary-supplements-older-adults 

·        https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2511

·        Text book of social&preventive medicine. Park