The ABCD of Vitamins...







A,B,C,D,E,K These are not random alphabets,these are vitamins and just like letters makes words,these are the building block of our body.


The value of eating a certain food was discovered much before vitamins were identified.The ancient Egyptians knew that feeding liver can help with night blindness but they donot know about the vitamins inside it.
The term 'vitamin' was derived from "vitamine",a compound word coined by Casimir Funk in 1912.

So what really vitamins are?? and Why we consume them??
A vitamin is an organic compound and essential micro-nutrient that our body needs for proper functioning.They are body's builders,defenders and maintenance workers,helping it to build muscle and bones,make use of nutrients ,use energy and heal wounds.
There are 13 types of vitamins known today.


While other organisms like fungi,bacteria and plants can produce their own vitamins but our body cant so we need to get them from other sources.

Vitamins comes in two categories :

  1. Fat-soluble:Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed with the help of fat and can remain inside the  body for longer period of time.
  2. Water soluble:Water soluble vitamins dissolve easily in water and are excreted from the body through urine.As they are not stored readily,they are needed to take on regular basis.

One question is why vitamins are directly skipped from E to K ?? Or why there are no vitamins like F,G,H etc?? This is because vitamins from F-J were reclassifieds ,discarded or renamed  because of their relation with vitamin B.

Does consuming more amount of vitamins harmful ?? Definitely yes,consuming overdose of vitamins is equally dangerous as lack of vitamins.That is why sometimes supplements are considered harmful.

List of Vitamins:

VITAMIN
Year of discovery
Chemical name
Solubility
Deficiency disease
Vitamin A
1913
Retinol
Fat
Night-blindness
Vitmin B1
1910
Thiamine
Water
Beriberi
Vitamin B2
1920
Riboflavin
Water
Glossitis
Vitamin B3
1936
Niacin
Water
Pellagra
Vitamin B5
1931
Pantothenic acid
Water
Paresthesia
Vitamin B6
1934
Pyridoxine
Water
Anemia
Vitamin B7
1931
Biotin
Water
Dermatitis
Vitamin B9
1941
Folates
Water
Megaloblastic anemia
Vitamin B12
1948
Cyanocobalamin
Water
Pernicious anemia
Vitamin C
1920
Ascorbic acid
Water
Scurvy
Vitamin D
1920
Cholecalciferol
Fat
Rickets
Vitamin E
1922
Tocopherols
Fat
Infertility
Vitamin K
1929
Phylloquinone
Fat
Bleeding diathesis


For the persons who are not able to consume vitamins from their regular diet supplements are recommended.But as mentioned above taking overdose is harmful.
So its better to maintain balance and live life happily...

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