Benefits and deficiencies of Vitamins

Saturday, 8 August 2009

Vitamins are compounds found in food
which help us to be fit and healthy. These organic compounds help in the functioning of the various metabolic systems of our body. Vitamins are found naturally in the various foods
which we consume and we can also obtain vitamins in the form of vitamin supplements. Vitamins also help to protect our body from diseases and infections. Vitamins are also essential for the formation of various enzymes and hormones of the body which control the metabolic activities such as digestion
circulation excretion etc. There are about eleven types of vitamins
which are essential for the human body. Vitamin A is essential for the proper functioning of our eye and it also acts as an anti oxidant preventing certain oxidizing chemical reactions
which cause harm to our body. Vitamin A can be obtained from green leafy vegetables
broccoli
carrot
sweet potatoes
pumpkin
papaya etc. The B group vitamins include thiamin
riboflavin
niacin
folic acid
cyanocobalamin and biotin. These are essential for the proper functioning of our nervous system and for the conversion of food in to energy by the body. It is also essential for the proper functioning of various metabolic activities of our body. Vitamin B is available from whole grains
beans
fish
lean meat
fruits and vegetables
dry fruits
nuts
milk
egg
soy beans
etc. Vitamin B-12 can be obtained only from animal sources such as liver
egg
meat
cheeses etc. B group vitamins are essential for the amino acid metabolism
nitrogen metabolism
and for the healthy skin. Vitamin C can be obtained from citrus fruits such as lemon
sweet lime
oranges
grapes
grapefruit etc. Vitamin C is essential for the prevention of diseases and infection. It also helps in the absorption of iron. Vitamin D can be obtained from sunlight. It is essential for the bones and teeth. It is also needed for the growth of our body. Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant. It can be obtained from whole grains
asparagus
wheat germ
corn
green leafy vegetables and seeds.

If you do not take a proper nutritious diet then you may suffer from vitamin deficiency health problems. Lack of Vitamin A can cause problems related to eyesight such as night blindness. Insufficient Vitamin B can cause diseases like Beriberi
Anemia
poor resistance to diseases
etc. Lack of Vitamin C causes gum bleeding
weakness
loss of appetite
tiredness etc. Insufficient vitamin D causes deformation of bones and teeth. Deficiency of vitamins in food leads to poor health. An effective way of filling the nutritional gaps due to poor eating habits is the use of vitamin supplements. These vitamin supplements can help us to boost our immune system and to build up stamina.

It is always better to take vitamins as a whole from food sources rather than synthetic vitamins. Taking synthetic vitamins is more like taking half vitamin and our body treats natural and synthetic vitamin differently. It is very essential to provide our body with natural nutrients for protecting various organs and body functions. Our body needs whole vitamins
which are found naturally in the foods such as grains
vegetables and fruits rather than vitamin supplements. Our body utilizes the natural vitamin more efficiently than the synthetic vitamin.

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