Different Types Of Vitamins

I’m pretty sure, you have been told “you need vitamins”, “take your vitamins” or “eat your greens they contain vitamins”. However, do you actually know what they are or what they do? Probably not. Well read on to learn different types of vitamins and the remarkable benefits they have on us. And also why we need them to function, maintain a healthy body, skin, teeth, bones etc.

 Vitamins are grouped into 2 categories. These being lipid soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins. The difference between the two is the way the body transports and stores vitamins.

The water soluble Vitamins

These are vitamins that dissolve in water, even though they’re easily transported they cannot be stored in the body. These are vitamin B complex and vitamin C.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B further includes

– B1 (Thiamine) is a vitamin that helps in the development of the nervous system and having a deficiency of it causes beriberi.

-B2 (Riboflavin) is a vitamin that important for the red blood cells formation and iron metabolism.  B2 deficiency will cause a person to have anaemia

–B3 (niacin) This vitamin helps protect the heart and reduce bad cholesterol

-B5 (pantothenic acid) helps in the production of stress, sex hormones and has anti-aging properties.

-B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine) strengthens the immune system and its deficiency will cause anaemia and skin disorders.

-B7 (biotin) It helps in maintaining good skin and nails.

-B9 (folic acid) has a role in red blood cell synthesis and having a deficiency of vitamin B9 can lead to anaemia. It is important for pregnant women to take B7 in order to avoid brain and spinal cord defects in their unborn fetus.

-B12 (cobalamin) helps with the formation of red blood cells and nervous system development. Having a B12 deficiency will lead to anaemia, depression and dementia

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C helps maintain strong bones, cartilage, teeth, immune system, and formation of collagen, absorption of iron and in wound healing. Its deficiency causes scurvy, connective tissue defects, impaired wound healing and malnutrition.

Around 73% of these vitamins come from food and vegetable intake. Prolonged Deficiency of any of these vitamins can lead to irreversible damage to the body. Make sure you detect deficiency early so that you can treat yourself well.

Fat soluble vitamins

Fat soluble vitamins dissolve in the fat tissues in our bodies and exist in foods containing fats. The fat soluble vitamins are Vitamins A, D, E and K.

Vitamin A (retinoid)

Vitamin A forms and maintains a healthy skin. Resists from infections, acts as an antioxidant, it forms visual purple, which is a pigment that allows us to see in dim light. Helps our bodies to grow and develop well.

Having a deficiency in vitamin A causes poor growth in children, dry and rough skin, birth defects in babies, hair loss, skin disorders, night blindness and severe deficiency may lead to sight loss.

Vitamin D ( cholecalciferol)

This vitamin helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus for strong teeth and bones. Our skin can produce vitamin D by absorbing it from the sunlight. A deficiency in vitamin D causes weak bones and teeth, softening and weakening of bones leading to rickets, stunted growth and osteomalacia.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and helps to maintain healthy nerves and muscles. Having a deficiency in this vitamin will lead to a rapture of red blood cells (haemolysis), anaemia and nerve diseases.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is good for normal blood clotting and having a deficiency of it will lead to excessive bleeding of wounds. We get it from mostly green leafy vegetables and legumes.

Where to get vitamins?

In order for our bodies to function well we need vitamins. Below are the sources of all the vitamins we need in our bodies.

Vitamin B

• Asparagus
• Chicken breast
• Lean rib
• Almonds
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Beef liver
• Beef
• Beets
• Black eyed peas
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Chinese chestnut
• Crustaceans (crab)
• Dates
• Dried fruits
• Eggs
• Cereal
• Green peas
• Lentis
• Lettuce
• Milk
• Mangoes
• Oily fish

Vitamin A

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Squash
• Tuna fish
• Sweet potatoes
• Turkey liver
• Turnip green
• Beef liver
• Broccoli
• Butter
• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Cod liver oil
• Dandelion greens
• Dark leaf greens
• Dried apricot
• Dried basil
• Eggs
• Mangoes
• Mustard greens
• Papaya
• Paprika
• Peaches
• Red pepper

Vitamin C

• Acerola cherry
• Amalaki
• Berries straw
• Black currant
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cilantro
• Oranges
• Guava
• Kale
• Kiwi fruit
• Melons
• Papaya
• Peas
• Dried tomatoes
• Yellow bell pepper

Vitamin D

• Beef liver
• Cod liver oil
• Egg yolk
• Fatty fish
• Fish roe
• Milk
• Cereal
• Mushrooms
• Plain soy yoghurt
• Orange juice
• Sunshine
• Tofu

Vitamin E

• Sweet potato chips
• Taro
• Almonds
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Caviar
• Cooked spinach
• Jlapeno peppers
• Kiwi fruit
• Olive oil
• Parsnips
• Rainbow trout
• Shrimps
• Pumpkin
• Sunflower seeds

Vitamin K

• Asparagus
• Bok Choy
• Brassica vegetables
• Cauliflower
• Chili spices
• Collard green
• Cream cheese
• Dried basil
• Dried fruit
• Ham
• Kale
• Olive oil
• Oysters
• Parsley
• Pepperoni
• Pickles
• Salad
• Soybeans
• Split peas