Vitamins Overview
Like with anything in nutrition, there is always something new and fascinating to learn about vitamins. Vitamins are a broad group of micronutrients that regulate many different processes in the body. There are thirteen essential vitamins, meaning we need them to live and thrive. Of these thirteen vitamins, we can only make small amounts of two (D & K) in the body. So this means we have to get practically all our vitamins from the foods we eat. If you eat a wide variety of healthy foods you can easily meet your needs.
Vitamins are broken down into two categories: fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E & K. They’re absorbed in the body along with fat that comes from the diet(meaning your body has to have some fat to be able to absorb these vitamins). Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body’s fat tissue, so we don’t have to eat them everyday. This can be an issue, should you eat more than what you can use. They can build up in fat, liver and other tissues and become toxic. Taking too many supplements(megadosing) is usually the culprit when toxicity occurs, rarely is food the cause. The most common sources of fat-soluble vitamins come from fatty meats, dairy, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, and avocados.
The water-soluble vitamins are vitamin C & the B-vitamins (B6, B12, folate, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and biotin). Water-soluble vitamins easily pass through our digestive tract and go directly into the bloodstream. These vitamins are not stored in large amounts in the body(with the exception of B-12), our kidneys filter out any excess in the form of urine. Because of this, toxicity is rare, but that also means that you need to consume these vitamins on a weekly, if not daily basis. The most common sources of water-soluble vitamins come from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats and dairy.
Just to give you a quick idea of how important vitamins are, here is a short list of some of their functions: required for eyes to adjust to changes in light, formation of blood, macronutrient metabolism, DNA replication, sperm production and healthy bones. This barely scratches the surface as far as why vitamins are vital to our health. Keep in mind that people can be deficient in one or both types of vitamins, especially if they’re malnourished or suffer from a malabsorption disorder (ex. Celiac Disease). Hope this sheds a little light on the different types of vitamins. Under Vitamins & Minerals (A-Z), you can take a closer look at each vitamin, what foods provide them and what they do for the body.