An organic compound contains carbon. When an organism (living thing) cannot produce enough of an organic chemical compound that it needs in tiny amounts, and has to get it from food, it is called a vitamin.
Sometimes the compound is a vitamin for a human but not for some other animals. For example, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a vitamin for humans but not for dogs, because dogs can produce (synthesize) enough for their own needs, while humans cannot.
This Information article provides details on what vitamins are, the different types of vitamins (fat soluble and water soluble vitamins), and a list of different vitamins.
What are vitamins?
A vitamin is one of a group of organic substances, present in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs, that are essential to normal metabolism; insufficient amounts in the diet may cause deficiency diseases.
Put simply, a vitamin is both:
- An organic compound (contains carbon).
- An essential nutrient the body cannot produce enough of on its own, so it has to get it (tiny amounts) from food.
There are currently 13 recognized vitamins.
Fat soluble and water soluble vitamins
There are fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.
Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fat tissues of our bodies, as well as the liver. Fat-soluble vitamins are easier to store than water-soluble ones, and can stay in the body as reserves for days, some of them for months.
Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats (lipids).
Water-soluble vitamins do not get stored in the body for long - they soon get expelled through urine.
Water-soluble vitamins need to be replaced more often than fat-soluble ones.
Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.
Vitamins C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble.2
List of vitamins
The best way to get enough vitamins is to follow a healthy diet that includes a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin A
- Chemical names - retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids (including beta carotene).
- Fat soluble. Health Tips for Today - What are Vitamins.
- Deficiency may cause night-blindness and keratomalacia (eye disorder that results in a dry cornea)
- Sources include: liver, cod liver oil, carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheeses, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon, milk.
Vitamin B1
- Chemical name - thiamine
- Water soluble
- Deficiency may cause beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome
- Sources include: yeast, pork, cereal grains, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver, and eggs.
Vitamin B2
- Chemical name - riboflavin
- Water soluble
- Deficiency may cause ariboflavinosis
- Sources include: asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, chard, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, fish, and green beans.
Vitamin B3
- Chemical names - niacin, niacinamide
- Water soluble
- Deficiency may cause pellagra
- Sources include: liver, heart, kidney, chicken, beef, fish (tuna, salmon), milk, eggs, avocados, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and brewer's yeast.
Vitamin B5
- Chemical name - pantothenic acid
- Water soluble. Health Tips for Today - What are Vitamins
- Deficiency may cause paresthesia
- Sources include: meats, whole grains (milling may remove it), broccoli, avocados, royal jelly, fish ovaries.
Vitamin B6
- Chemical names - pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal
- Water soluble
- Deficiency may cause anemia, peripheral neuropathy
- Sources include: meats, bananas, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts. When milk is dried it loses about half of its B6. Freezing and canning can also reduce content.
Vitamin B7
- Chemical name - biotin
- Water soluble
- Deficiency may cause dermatitis, enteritis
- Sources include: egg yolk, liver, some vegetables.
Vitamin B9
- Chemical names - folic acid, folinic acid
- Water soluble
- Deficiency may cause pregnancy deficiency linked to birth defects
- Sources include: leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, baker's yeast, some fortified grain products, sunflower seeds. Several fruits have moderate amounts, as does beer.
Vitamin B12
- Chemical names - cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin
- Water soluble. Health Tips for Today - What are Vitamins.
- Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia
- Good sources include: fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and dairy products. Some fortified cereals and soy products, as well as fortified nutritional yeast.
Vegans are advised to take B12 supplements.4
Vitamin C
- Chemical names - ascorbic acid
- Water soluble
- Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia
- Sources include: fruit and vegetables. The Kakadu plum and the camu camu fruit have the highest vitamin C contents of all foods. Liver also has vitamin C.
Vitamin D
- Chemical names - ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol
- Fat soluble
- Deficiency may cause rickets, osteomalacia
- Sources: produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources. Also found in fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms.
Vitamin E
- Chemical names - tocopherols, tocotrienols
- Fat soluble
- Deficiency is uncommon. May cause mild hemolytic anemia in newborns
- Good sources include: kiwi fruit, almonds, avocado, eggs, milk, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ, and wholegrains.
Vitamin K
- Fat soluble. Health Tips for Today - What are Vitamins
- Deficiency may cause bleeding diathesis
- Good sources include: leafy green vegetables, avocado, kiwi fruit. Parsley contain a lot of vitamin K.
The US National Library of Medicine3 says that the best way to get enough vitamins for good health is to follow a balanced diet with a wide range of foods. Some people may need to take a daily multivitamin.
Vitamin Wheel
Use this easy-to-reference diagram to learn about the vitamin groups and common foods containing them.
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