VITAMINS

The food we eat contains different ratios and types of Vitamins and until the 1900's, eating food was the only way vitamins could be obtained by the body. Vitamins as commodity chemicals have only been introduced in the last 100 years and are freely available these days in pills or liqued form. Vitamins are either water soluble or fat soluble. vitamins contain no calories. The term vitamins does not include dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids. The link between vitamins and food has long been established in history. The ancient Egyptians found that feeding a patient liver(loaded with Vitamins A), would help cure night blindness. Scottish surgeon James Lind discovered in 1747, that citrus(Vitamins C), foods helped prevent scurvy.

In humans there are thirteen vitamins, divided into two groups: four fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and nine water-soluble vitamins (eight B vitamins and vitamin C).

Vitamins A may be useful in helping to maintain the skin and mucous membranes. It may also be helpfull in maintaining the bones and teeth. It may be usefull in assisting the treatment of dry, or rough skin and other minor skin disorders. It may also be helpfull in maintaining the health of the eyes, hair and nails. Good sources of Vitamins A are oily fish, liver, egg yolk and dairy produce. Recomended Dosage : 5,000 iu. If there is a deficiency it may cause depression, anxiety, nausea or poor appetite. Good sources are meat, fish, nuts and whole grains.

B2 : Riboflavin Vitamins: Essential for healthy skin and the eyes. A deficiency may cause fatigue or eye problems. Good sources are cheese, yoghurt, milk, almonds and green vegtables.

B3 : Niacin Vitamins: This is necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates. It has been used to help lower cholesterol levels.

B6 : Pyridoxine Vitamins: Used for the metabolism of protein and formation of red blood cells. Women often use it for PMS. Smoking will increase the chance of a deficiency. Good sources are bananas, fish, meat, poultry and nuts.

B12 : Cuanocobalamin Vitamins: This is needed for the formation of red blood cells. It is also used for nerve cells and genetic materials. It helps to maintain the functioning of the nervous system. Good sources are eggs, liver, meat and milk.

Vitamin C Vitamins: Ascorbic Acid : is required for the healing and repair of tissue, formation of collagen, healthy bones, gums and teeth. It is also necessary for the absorption of iron in the body. People who smoke should take extra suopplements of Vitamin C as smoking will deplete Vitamins C supplies. However do not overdo it as excess Vitamin C may cause diarrhoea. Good sources for Vitamins C are citrus fruits, cabbage and spinach. A long term study reported in the issue of Stroke, Journal of the American Heart Association found that the higher the level of vitamins C in the bloodstream, the lower the odds of suffering a stroke. In fact, stroke risk was 70 percent higher among the group with the least vitamin C than that with the most vitamin C in their diets. But the question remains as to which factor is the white knight: vitamins C itself, a combination of diet and healthy lifestyle, or the symbiotic mix of nutrients in vegetables, with vitamin C acting as a marker of a produce rich diet. Research epidemiologists from Tokyo Medical and Dental University followed more than 2,100 men and women, age 40 and older, living in rural Japan 20 years. The more fruits and vegetables they ate, the higher their vitamin C levels. The group that ate vegetables six or seven days weekly suffered strokes at less than half the rate of the group that ate them only twice or less weekly. Medical researchers in Cambridge, England, found that people with high levels of vitamins C in their blood were less likely to die of heart disease. The physicians tracked almost 20,000 people, ages 45 to 79, for four years, checking their blood concentration of vitamin C. The researchers also kept track of any causes of death. They found that a 50-gram daily increase in fruit and vegetable intake of vitamins C was linked with about a 20 percent reduction in mortality, independent of age, blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking habits and diabetes. The physicians also noted that vitamin C was tied to a lower cancer mortality rate in men but not in women. The researchers suggest that small increases in fruit and vegetable intake -- about one serving daily -- has encouraging prospects for possible prevention of disease. They reported their findings in the British medical journal Lancet.

Vitamins D is important for muscle strength and the balance of calcium in your bones and teeth. Good sources for Vitamins D are cod liver oil, eggs, sunlight, milk and sardines.

Vitamins E helps to protect tissue from wear and tear. It also helps to prevent fats and cholesterol from causing damage to the organs. Good sources for Vitamins E are vegtables, seeds, nuts and seafoods.

Vitamins K is a fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin K is also known as the clotting vitamin because without it blood would not clot. Vitamins K has been prescribed by doctors for years to help diminish bruises. A topical ointment containing the vitamin can be prescribed if bruising is a problem. Vitamins K has also been found to reduce the dark circles that people get and seem to worsen when you reach your 40's.

Folic acid is another B Vitamins (B-9). It is the most commonly deficient vitamin in most modern diets most especially in the elderly. Deficiency in pregnancy is now much publicized as causing birth defects (neural tube defects). However, less well recognized is that folate vitamins deficiencies can also cause depression, probably because B-9 is needed in the maintenance of normal serotonin levels, another important "good mood" brain messenger chemical. Indeed, the most popular prescription anti-depressants are designed to optimize serotonin levels. As folic acid is also needed for energy production and red blood cell formation, deficiencies can also cause anemia, fatigue, insomnia, memory problems and even labored breathing.



Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight:: The Negative Calorie Effect

After you open a container of Vitamins you should throw away the cotton wool as it can attract moisture and damage the Vitamins.

Paralumun New Age Village