Importance and Health Benefits of Vitamins
A vitamin is an organic (carbon-containing)
chemical compound your body must have in very small amounts for normal growth,
metabolism (creating energy in your cells), and health. You need vitamins to
make enzymes and hormones—important substances your body uses to make all the
many chemical reactions you need to live. You must get your vitamins from your
food or from supplements—you can't make them in your body.
There are 13
vitamins in all, and you need every single one of them, no exceptions. Vitamins
aren't food or a substitute for food. They have no calories and give you no
energy directly—but your body needs vitamins, especially the B vitamins, to
convert food to energy.
Your body has
about 60 trillion cells in it. Every moment of every day, thousands of
different chemical reactions are happening inside each cell. To make each one
of those reactions happen, your body makes a specific enzyme just for that
particular purpose and no other. When the reaction is over, still other enzymes
break down the specific enzyme and recycle it. To make all those enzymes and
keep your body running smoothly, you need plenty of vitamins and minerals.
The vitamins are
divided into two groups: fat-soluble and water-soluble.
Fat-Soluble
Vitamins
Fat-soluble
vitamins are stored in your body, mostly in your fatty tissues and in your
liver. Vitamins A, E, D and K are fat-soluble—that is, they dissolve in fat but
not water. Because you can store these vitamins, you don't have to get a supply
of them every day. On the other hand, getting too much of these vitamins means
they could build up in your body and cause problems.
Water-Soluble
Vitamins
Water-soluble
vitamins can't really be stored in your body for very long. That's because
these vitamins dissolve in water, so any extra is carried out of your body.
Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble. Because you can't store
these vitamins, you need to get a fresh supply every day. You can't really
overdose on water-soluble vitamins. Unless you take truly massive doses, the extra
just washes harmlessly out.
There is no wonder
why every year Americans spend more than $4 billion on vitamins, minerals, and
other supplements. They're seeking better health, perhaps a longer and more
vigorous life, or maybe help for a painful health problem. If you understand
how important vitamins and minerals are and their health benefits, you
too can achieve better health.
1.Fat soluble Vitamins: (Vitamins A, D, E, and K)
2. Water Soluble Vitamins: (Vitamin C and B complex group)
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