Vitamins

Introduction to Vitamins

Vitamins are a group of organic compounds that are essential for normal growth and nutrition.
They are required in the diet because they cannot be synthesised in the body, or cannot be synthesised in amounts sufficient for good health.

Vitamins are classified into two groups: fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.
Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, and are absorbed along with fats in the diet and can be stored in the body’s fatty tissue.
Water-soluble vitamins have to dissolve in water before the body can absorb them, they include vitamin C and all the B vitamins. These vitamins cannot be stored in the body and need to be taken in the diet regularly.

Vitamins often act as coenzymes or parts of coenzymes and catalyse specific reactions in metabolic pathways.
For example, vitamin B2 or riboflavin is part of the coenzymes FAD and FMN, important for energy production.
The active form of vitamin D, calcitriol, regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, ensuring healthy bones and teeth.

Lack of vitamins can lead to various deficiency diseases. For instance, lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy, while lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Most vitamins cannot be manufactured by the body and therefore need to be obtained from the diet in the form of different foods or, if necessary, as dietary supplements.

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is necessary for healthy skin and eyes, as well as boosting the immune system.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and a required coenzyme for multiple metabolic reactions. It is also important for wound healing and healthy skin.
Vitamin E is mainly known for its antioxidant activities and protecting the body from free radicals.
Vitamin K is essential in the process of blood clotting and contributes to maintaining bone health.