The human body has the capacity to manufacture only three vitamins from non-diet sources - Vitamins D, K, and the B vitamin, biotin. Most vitamins must be acquired from outside sources - the food we eat. We can augment our intake by taking vitamin supplements, but there is no substitute for getting our nutrition from food. But how do we begin to think about vitamins when news sources announce discoveries in screaming headlines, only to refute them with yet another headline? Whose advice do we follow?
An Approach to Vitamins
Scientists isolate vitamins to scientifically study the effect of an individual vitamin on the body. Through their research, we have learned a great deal about about the function of vitamins in the body, and can nourish ourselves today better than ever in history. But scientific study delves into waters that are murky for laymen, and so a simplification process is necessary for lay understanding.
Here come the headlines again, shouting the news about one vitamin as recently researched. We forget that vitamins may be studied in isolation of each other, but they work together within the body in complex chemical reactions. Some vitamins aid in the absorption of other vitamins or minerals; on the contrary some block absorption.
We read that a study of any particular Vitamin MAY prove that this vitamin protects us from heart disease, cancer, or any number of diseases, then we rush to buy the vitamin, often taking it in megadoses. A good example is Linus Pauling's belief that Vitamin C would cure the common cold. We all wanted to believe this and took megadoses of C. This has subsequently been proven erroneous.
Good nutrition is a team sport, each nutrient playing its role in the game of health. Imagine yourself at a baseball game, the home team Nutrition is playing against the opposing team Disease. The star pitcher, Vitamin C, walks out to the mound while the fans cheer. At bat is Free Radical, one of Disease's home run kings. Two powerful forces oppose each other, and the first ball is pitched. Strike one, then strike two. The third pitch, however, is a hit. It is nothing but a short field hit, easily caught by the the first baseman. Free Radical doesn't even try to run and is retired. But what if Vitamin C is alone on the field? Free Radical rounds the unprotected bases and lopes home with an easy gait. Disease wins the game.
While we are making this equation, let us also state another important nutritional fact. It is preferable to get as many nutrients as possible from food itself. Vitamins in tablet form are called supplements. This means that the supplement is an insurance policy. If what you have eaten in a day leaves your outfield less protected than you want it, the supplement is there to reinforce the line-up, not to substitute for it. Again: vitamins work within the body in complex chemical reactions.
We classify vitamins into two groups. They are either water soluble, which means they dissolve in water, or fat soluble, which means they are absorbed into the body with the help of lipids or fats.
Water-soluble Vitamins
A water-soluble vitamin is a vitamin that dissolves in water. Vitamin C and Vitamin B are water soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body for long periods of time. Water-soluble vitamins travel through your body and the whatever your body doesn't need, comes out in your urine. These kinds of vitamins need to be replaced daily.
Fat-soluble Vitamins
A fat-soluble vitamin is a vitamin that can be stored in the liver and fat tissues of your body until your body needs them. The fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K. Excess Vitamin A can be toxic to the system.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin deficiencies occur when your body doesn't have enough of the vitamins that it needs. Some deficiencies can be cured simply by eating foods that contains the vitamin that you need. Other deficiencies lead to diseases and conditions that are more difficult to treat. There can be several reasons for vitamin deficiencies. Poor diet would be the leading cause, but several drugs, among them antibiotics, deplete the body of vitamins. Smoking and excess alcoholic beverages also deplete the body. Anyone wanting to build their body through vitamin therapy should seek the aid of a professional.
Conclusion: Most health professionals recommend a multi-vitamin supplement on a daily basis. And eat those fresh fruits and vegetables as the FDA recommends in its food pyramid.
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