Vitamins & Nutrition

Answer 1

Vitamins are natural compounds required for all animals to live, grow, and reproduce. Vitamins help to process and regulate the chemical activities that take place in the body for various functions necessary for health and survival. Vitamins work in close conjunction with other nutrients in that make up our food, specifically fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Vitamins and nutrients help to build tissue and produce energy. The body is able to use vitamins several times over before they are either destroyed or eliminated from the body. However, because they eventually are eliminated in one way or another, they must be constantly replenished. Some vitamins can be produced by the body, such as vitamin D when the skin is exposed to UV sunlight, but most must come from outside sources. Medical scientists have discovered a total of thirteen vitamins used by the human body. The vitamins are as follows: Vitamin A B complex vitamins _ B6, B12, biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and thiamine. Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K How Vitamins Work Body tissues are built and energy is produced by fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in the body. Chemical reactions are required for this process to occur. The chemical reactions begin by the catalytic action of enzymes. Other enzymes accelerate the chemical reactions. These enzymes are produced by vitamins. Vitamins are divided into two major categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble. The water-soluble vitamins are the B complex vitamins and vitamin C. The others are only soluble in fats. Water-soluble vitamins are usually absorbed into the body through the intestinal wall. They are then carried through the circulatory system to where they are needed. The B vitamins are called co-enzymes because they bond with proteins to form a complete active enzyme. These active enzymes help the chemical reaction that transfers energy from food. Most of the water-soluble vitamins are excreted in the urine and must be replenished on a daily basis. The fat-soluble vitamins are highly specialized. They are also absorbed into the body through the intestinal wall, but they are carried through the body by the lymphatic system. These vitamins help maintain the structure of the body's cells. At the same time, they help the body to produce various enzymes. The body can store large amounts of these vitamins in fatty tissues of the body. The liver is greatest storage area for vitamin A and vitamin D. Vitamin E is stored throughout the body's fatty tissues. Because vitamins cannot provide energy on their own, they must be taken with food. Many people mistakenly believe they can live healthily on vitamins alone.