Vitamins are indispensable to human metabolism. Vitamins are present in small quantities in food and sometimes, the human body produces them. Vitamins can also be artificially created. We all need vitamins; if we don’t have enough vitamins in our diet, we run the risk of developing vitamin deficiencies that can ultimately lead to serious
ailments. If you are looking for the best diet for life it should include the food sources for each of the vitamins mentioned below.
Vitamin A: The Vitamin for the Eyes
A fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin A plays an important part in eyesight, helping us to distinguish things around us when there isn’t enough light. Vitamin A also contributes to the creation of skin, hair and mucous membranes and keeps them in good condition. Vitamin A strengthens the immune system and it is also connected with the development of bones, teeth, and epithelial cells, the cells situated on the inside and outside of body cavities such as the nose, mouth, throat, lungs, stomach, intestines, urinary tract.
Sources: Foods that contain high levels of vitamin A include orange and yellow vegetables and fruits (e.g., nectarines, cantaloupe, carrots), spinach, broccoli, butter, eggs, milk, fish oil and liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb).
Vitamin B: The Vitamin for Metabolic Activities
Vitamin B consists of several vitamins: B1, B2, B6, B12, biotin, folic acid, niacin and pantothenic acid. The B vitamins have an essential role in the human metabolism. They are responsible for transporting red blood cells, which contain oxygen, throughout the body. The B vitamins also have a major role in the process of protein synthesis and creation of energy.
Sources: Vitamin B is present in whole grains (e.g., oats and wheats), peas, beans, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, seafood, eggs and dairy products such as milk and yogurt, and meat. A type of bacteria residing in the large intestine is also capable of producing some types of B vitamins. Vitamin B deficiency is responsible for the occurrence of the so-called “Beri Beri” disease. Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency include weak muscles, cracked lips and malformed red blood cells. Vitamin B deficiency can affect a person’s normal growth and can create problems in the nervous system.
Vitamin C: The Antioxidant Vitamin
Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid. It is a water-soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties. Vitamin C plays a key role in collagen production. Collagen is a type of protein that provides strength in the case of bones, cartilages, ligaments, tendons, muscle, teeth and blood vessels. Vitamin C helps keep the gums and muscles in good shape. Vitamin C is also responsible for accelerating the healing of various wounds. Vitamin C also prevents fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin E, and other fatty acids from oxidizing.
Sources: High levels of vitamin C are present in citrus fruits (e.g., orange, lemon) and in other fruits (e.g., cantaloupe, strawberries) and vegetables (e.g., broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage). To keep your skin healthy, have enough vitamin C in your diet. Deficiency in vitamin C can lead to poor wound healing and, in extreme cases, a disease known as scurvy.
Vitamin D: The Bone Vitamin
A fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin D aids in the process of calcium and phosphorous absorption from the intestine and in bone formation. Vitamin D regulates calcium movement from bone to blood and the other way around. Vitamin D also contributes to the development of strong teeth and bones as it helps the body absorb calcium.
Sources: Egg yolk, milk and fish liver oil are rich sources of vitamin D. In the presence of sunlight and ultraviolet light, the body can synthesize vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency causes weak bones. However, too much vitamin D in the body can also be toxic, causing appetite loss, nausea, weight loss, headaches and calcium deposits in the kidneys.
Vitamin E: The Vitamin for Oxidation
Vitamin E is a valuable anti-oxidant that prevents oxidation in body tissues, contributes to red blood cell formation and protects the lungs from polluted air.
Sources: Whole grains, wheat germ, cereals, bread, nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables, egg yolks and sardines. Vitamin E deficiency can lead to diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
By: Deborah Prosser
Posts Tagged ‘Human Metabolism’
The ABCDE Of Vitamins
March 26th, 2010Posted in Articles
Tags: Abcde B Vitamins Beef Pork Body Cavities Chicken Turkey Citrus Fruits Food Sources Human Metabolism Large Intestine Leafy Green Vegetables Metabolic Activities Process Of Protein Synthesis Red Blood Cells Small Quantities Type Of Bacteria Vegetables And Fruits Vitamin B Deficiency Vitamin Deficiencies Whole Grains Yellow Vegetables
Vitamin B6 Benefits, Sources and Deficiency
September 25th, 2009Vitamin B6 is one of the eight water-soluble B vitamins. It was originally isolated in the mid-1930. Vitamin B6 has the maximum number of chemical structures – all begin with the letters “pyr,” and include pyridoxine (PN), pyridoxal (PL), pyridoxamine (PM), pyridoxine phosphate (PNP), pyridoxal phosphate (PLP), and pyridoxamine phosphate (PMP). PLP is the most active coenzyme form, and has the maximum importance in human metabolism
This vitamin was initially not known by this name, but was referred to as the “antidermatitis factor.” This was because, it was noticed that skin inflammation (dermatitis) increased whenever there was a decrease in intake of foods containing Vitamin B6.
Benefits of vitamin B6 –
* Pyridoxine helps in the proper functioning of the cells of the nervous and muscular system.
* Pyridoxine is also known as a “woman’s vitamin” because it helps relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) such as pre-menstrual fluid retention, severe period pains, emotional PMS symptoms, premenstrual acne, and nausea/vomiting in early pregnancy. It also helps balance hormonal changes in women.
* It aids in the production of DNA and RNA, the body’s genetic material.
* B6 also helps in the movement of sulfur-containing molecules around the body, as that is very important for hormonal balance and elimination of toxic substances through the liver.
* It is essential for the proper absorption of vitamin B12; as well as for the production of red blood cells (haemoglobin). Vitamin B6 also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by haemoglobin.
* B6 is also an “anti-stress” vitamin because it improves the activity of the immune system, and develops the body’s ability to resist stressful situations.
* Pyridoxine is considered beneficial for children with difficulty in learning, as well as assisting in the
prevention of dandruff, eczema and psoriasis.
* It helps maintain sodium and potassium balance in the body. Supposed to provide immunity against cancer and resist the formation of the toxic chemical homocysteine, which increases the risk of cardio-vascular diseases.
* Mood swings, irritability, depression as well as loss of sexual drive may be at times linked to B6 deficiency.
* It helps maintain the health of the lymphoid system (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) that produces white blood cells in the body. A vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease a person’s antibody production and suppress immune response altogether.
* Vitamin B6 is also very important for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (vitamin B3).
* Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to tissues. Your body needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin. A vitamin B6 deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia.
* Vitamin B6 also helps maintain the blood glucose (sugar) within a normal range. When caloric intake is less, the body uses vitamin B6 to help convert stored carbohydrate or other nutrients to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Dosage of Vitamin B 6 –
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin B6 (in milligrams) is –
* 1.3 mg for men and women under age 50
* 1.7 mg for men and 1.5 mg for women over the age of 50
* 1.9 mg for pregnant women, and
* 2 mg for lactating women.
Vitamin B6 can be found as multivitamins, B complex vitamins.
People who eat a balanced diet containing good sources of vitamin B6 should be able to meet the daily requirement without taking a supplement.
Vitamin B6 supplements should always be taken with water, preferably after a meal.
Deficiency of vitamin B6 –
Vitamin B6 deficiency symptoms are quite similar to those of B2 and B3, as B6 is needed by the body to manufacture its own B3 vitamin.
* The skin is among the first to show up deficiency of Vitamin B6. Many skin disorders have been associated with B6 deficiency, such as eczema, acne, allergies and seborrheic dermatitis. . Symptoms may include nails that are uneven, a sore tongue (glossitis) as well as changes in bones – which can include osteoporosis and arthritis.
* Kidney stones may also appear.
* Irritability, nervousness and insomnia as well as general weakness are other associated symptoms.
* Neural problems also erupt when there is a lack of Vitamin B6. Symptoms can include convulsions, confusion, and seizures in the case of severe deficiency.
* Other deficiency related problems include anemia, depression, and fatigue. When anaemia is entirely related to B6 deficiency, it is usually classified as pernicious anaemia.
Who are at risk of Vitamin B6 deficiency?
Vitamin B6 deficiency usually occurs in individuals who eat poor quality food that is scarce in many nutrients. Symptoms usually occur during later stages of deficiency, when the poor intake has prolonged for quite some time.
Alcoholics and older adults are more likely to have inadequate vitamin B6 intake. Alcohol promotes the destruction and loss of vitamin B6 from the body.
Some asthmatic children treated with a particular drug, may need to take a vitamin B6 supplement.
Rich dietary sources of Vitamin B6 -
Good dietary sources of vitamin B6 include chicken, tuna, salmon, shrimp, brewer’s yeast, lentils, soyabean, nuts, peas, walnuts, bananas, peanut butter, carrots, brown rice, bran, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and whole-grain flour.
Pyridoxine is sensitive to sunlight; cooking and processing, so watch out while cooking!
Exercising may aid the production of the active form of vitamin B6.
Do medications affect vitamin B6?
Some prescription medications lead to depletion of the body’s B6. These medications include birth control pills and oral estrogens; diuretics, anti-epileptic drugs, asthma-related drugs, tuberculosis drugs and anti-fibrotic drugs.
By: Tom alter
Posted in Articles
Tags: B Vitamins Benefits Of Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine Chemical Structures Dna And Rna Dna Rna Early Pregnancy Human Metabolism Menstrual Fluid Muscular System Nausea Vomiting Period Pains Pms Symptoms Production Of Red Blood Cells Pyridoxal Phosphate Pyridoxamine Phosphate Red Blood Cells Skin Inflammation Symptoms Of Premenstrual Syndrome Vitamin B12 Vitamin B6
Vitamins And Supplements For Weight Loss And Dieting
August 29th, 2009Vitamins for weight loss and dieting are designed to supplement what are generally poor eating habits nutritionally. The United States has more overweight and clinically obese people per head of population than practically any other developed country, and their efforts to reduce weight are leaving many short of the vitamins and minerals required for a healthy life.
It is possible to adopt a nutritionally healthy diet that contains low calories, and many fail to understand the simple mathematical formula of calories and exercise. In a nutshell, in order to lose weight your calorie intake through food must be less than the calories you burn through exercise. There are charts for both that will enable you plan your eating and exercise, but most people ignore the science.
Theoretically, therefore, it is not necessary to adopt a diet that is low in nutrition. However, many do, because they want to lose weight without exercise. There are also many that are unable to exercise, and they need some means of losing weight while maintaining a healthy diet. That involves the use of the most appropriate mineral and vitamin supplements for those whose natural intake is reduce by a diet. So what are the best vitamins to make up for what is lost through weight loss and dieting?
In fact every vitamin is important to the human metabolism, so the term ‘best vitamins for weight loss’ is invalid. However, assuming that a person is dieting and their natural vitamin intake is not as it should be, then what are the best supplements? These supplements might not only be vitamins, and the following recommendations are made with the assumption that at least some of the common vitamin intake is as normal. Most recommended supplements will be for water soluble vitamins, since it is assumed here that the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are being stored in the body during dieting. This is generally the case.
The most abundant of the water soluble vitamins are the B vitamins and they will quickly be leached out of the body. They will therefore need replaced quickly since they are essential to life. Vitamin B2 is riboflavin, and is essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland and the metabolism (the basic life chemical processes). Vitamin B3, or Niacin, is also essential for the thyroid, and it plays an important part in the control of blood sugar levels. Pantothenic acid, otherwise known as vitamin B5, helps to control the use of fat and generation of energy and Vitamin B6, Pyridoxine, is again essential for the thyroid function and the metabolism.
So you can see that without the B complex vitamins, life could not exist. The B vitamin missing is B12, but that is not as essential as the others where weight loss is concerned. The other two parts of the B-complex are Choline and Inisitol that are not true vitamins since they are manufactured in the liver. True vitamins are not produced in the body. However, these two are necessary for the effective use of fats so are included here since their absence will help to promote obesity.
The other essential water soluble vitamin in dieting is vitamin C. This vitamin provides a large number of benefits, and its absence will cause a number of problems even before the well known scurvy sets in, when the teeth start to fall out of the gums. Vitamin C has a part to play in weight loss, and a supplement is generally necessary during a diet that is short of fresh fruit and vegetables as some are.
If you are overweight and diet without a proper vitamin intake, you are in an invidious situation because vitamins are essential for the chemical reactions that make up your metabolism. These reactions are carried out by enzymes that rely on vitamins for their proper functioning. The calories you eat are either used for energy or are stored in the form of fat. If you do not have a proper intake of vitamins, you cannot convert the calories to energy, so it is stored as fat. The more you diet, therefore, the fatter you can get!
There are also a few minerals essential to life that you can fall short of during a poorly designed diet. Zinc is essential for the production of thyroid hormones, which it forms in association with vitamins A and E. Chromium, however, is probably more important than zinc. Chromium is a necessary element in the metabolism of sugar, and it has been studied closely in relation to its association with insulin. Without chromium your food will not be efficiently used as fuel for the metabolism, and will be stored as fat. Studies have proved that a chromium supplement can result in a weight loss over three months of ten times that without it.
Incidentally, if your diet is giving you any digestion problems, a few fennel seeds will sort the problem out. Fennel is an excellent natural remedy for digestive problems and can even help in the weight loss process. Fennel tea is useful to provide you with a good supply of vitamins and minerals while dieting.
Another supplement that might be of great benefit to you while trying to lose weight is Coenzyme Q10. This is a substance that is present in all the cells of your body, so you would think that a supplement would not be necessary. Wrong! Studies have proved beyond doubt that taking a Coenzyme Q10 supplement while dieting can help you to lose twice as much weight as without it. This might not happen with everybody, but it is certainly worth a try. It also provides you with health benefits, being a strong antioxidant and helping with certain problems with degeneration of the brain.
There is a little known fruit used in Indian cooking called garcinia cambogia that, if you can find it, is great for diets. The hydroxy citric acid that it contains not only acts as an appetite suppressant but also helps your body to convert carbohydrates to energy rather than to fat, and seems to reduce the tendency to create cholesterol. It is a dream fruit that also tastes great.
These are just a few of the vitamins and supplements for weight loss and dieting that can be used to enable you to diet safely without suffering from a deficiency or, in the extreme, actually put weight on and defeat the object.
By: Darrell Miller
Posted in Articles
Tags: Best Supplements Best Vitamins For Weight Loss Calorie Intake Calories And Exercise Calories Exercise Developed Country Eating Habits Fat Soluble Vitamins Healthy Diet Human Metabolism Mathematical Formula Natural Vitamin Recommended Supplements Vitamin Intake Vitamin Supplements Vitamins And Minerals Vitamins And Supplements Vitamins Minerals Vitamins Supplements Water Soluble Vitamins
