|
The ABC's of Vitamins
By Tisha Kulak Tolar
Vitamins are found in foods and are
required for biochemical reactions to occur within the body.
There are 13 different vitamins - four that are fat-soluble
(A, D, E and K) and are stored for months in the body; and
nine which are water-soluble vitamins (C, and the B-complex
vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12) which can be stored for a few weeks
in the body.
Keeping yourself healthy requires you
have a good balance between foods you eat and ensuring you get
the right amount of vitamins your body requires, and
exercise. While you can obtain vitamins from supplements, the
best source of nutrition comes from the foods you eat. The
longer your food is off the tree it grows on or out of the
ground and sitting in the grocery store - the more the
nutritional value of the food decreases. Fresh foods contain
the highest amounts of vitamins and nutrients.
Food scientists have discovered that food
simply doesn't have the nutrients it contained 50 years ago
because it travels further and sits on store shelves longer;
and also how we prepare it. Steaming broccoli for as little
as one and a half minutes will remove all of the nutrients.
What do each of the major vitamins do for
our bodies?
Vitamin A - prevents leg muscle cramps,
and is often used to treat symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and
reduce the risk of heart disease. Vitamin A helps keep skin
healthy and mucus linings healthy (like inside the nose),
strengthens immunity from infections, and improves eye sight
in dim lighting. Vitamin A is also thought to have negative
effects when taken with blood thinners, and may cause
interaction when taken with iron supplements, thyroid
medications or drugs used to lower cholesterol. If you get
too much Vitamin A in your diet, it is thought to cause weak
bones in old age.
Good sources of Vitamin A include:
• cheese
• eggs
• oily fish (such as mackerel)
• milk
• fortified margarine
• yoghurt
• liver
It is recommended that men receive 0.7 mg
a day and that women receive 0.6 mg a day of Vitamin A -
although you don't really need to have Vitamin A daily because
it remains in the body for long periods of time.
Vitamin B - The Vitamin B group of
vitamins consists of several different vitamins.
B6, also known as pyridoxine, helps the
body store and use energy obtained from protein and
carbohydrates we eat. It also helps hemoglobin carry oxygen
around the body.
B6 can be found in:
• pork
• chicken
• turkey
• cod
• bread
• whole cereals (such as oatmeal,
wheatgerm and rice)
• eggs
• vegetables
• soya beans
• peanuts
• milk
• potatoes
• and some fortified breakfast cereals
The recommended amount of B6 for adults
is 1.4 mg daily for men and 1.2 mg daily for women.
B12 helps make red blood cells and keeps
the nervous system healthy. It releases energy from the foods
we eat and processes folic acid.
Vitamin B12 is found in virtually all
meat products and certain algae such as seaweed. Good sources
include:
• meat
• salmon
• cod
• milk
• cheese
• eggs
• yeast extract
• some fortified breakfast cereals
Adults need approximately 0.0015 mg of
Vitamin B12 per day. Most people get enough of this vitamin
through their diets, but vegans may need supplements.
Vitamin C - known as ascorbic acid,
Vitamin B is found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables
including:
• peppers
• broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• sweet potatoes
• oranges
Vitamin C helps protect and keep your
body's cells healthy, and helps your body absorb iron from
food.
Adults should get 40 mg of Vitamin C per
day, and because the Vitamin is water-soluble it is not stored
in the body and is required in the diet daily. Supplements
are typically not necessary as there are so many foods
containing Vitamin C.
Vitamin D - we get most of our Vitamin D
requirement from sunlight on our skin. The vitamin forms
under the skin in reaction to sunlight. Other sources of
Vitamin D include:
• oily fish
• eggs
• fortified margarine
• fortified breakfast cereals
• powdered milk
• liver
Vitamin D helps the body regulate the
amount of calcium and phosphate is in the body. Both calcium
and phosphate are needed to keep bones and teeth healthy. If
you regularly consume more Vitamin D than your body needs, you
are likely to have weaker bones as you age. The amount of
Vitamin D people require 10 micrograms daily.
Vitamin E- is used by the body to
protect cell membranes by acting as an antioxidant. It's
found in a variety of foods including:
• plant oils such as soya, corn and
olive oil
• nuts and seeds
• wheatgerm (found in cereals and
cereal products)
Most everyone gets enough Vitamin E
directly from their diet. The recommended amounts for adults
are 4 mg per day for men and 3 mg per day for women - although
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and therefore is stored in
the body for long periods of time.
Vitamin K - is needed for blood clotting
to help wounds heal properly, and increasing evidence is
showing that vitamin K is also needed to build stronger bones.
In addition to getting Vitamin K from a
number of food sources, our bodies produce the vitamin in our
intestines by bacteria. Food sources include:
• green leafy vegetables such as
broccoli and spinach
• vegetable oils and cereals
• pork
• dairy foods
Adults need approximately 0.001 mg per kg
of body weight a day.
Tisha Kulak Tolar is a writer for
Fit4EverYoung.com, where she writes about bodybuilding,
exercise, general health and fitness, nutrition and
supplements.
The ABC's of
Vitamins
By Tisha Kulak Tolar
Vitamins are found in foods and are
required for biochemical reactions to occur within the body.
There are 13 different vitamins - four that are fat-soluble
(A, D, E and K) and are stored for months in the body; and
nine which are water-soluble vitamins (C, and the B-complex
vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12) which can be stored for a few weeks
in the body.
Keeping yourself healthy requires you
have a good balance between foods you eat and ensuring you get
the right amount of vitamins your body requires, and
exercise. While you can obtain vitamins from supplements, the
best source of nutrition comes from the foods you eat. The
longer your food is off the tree it grows on or out of the
ground and sitting in the grocery store - the more the
nutritional value of the food decreases. Fresh foods contain
the highest amounts of vitamins and nutrients.
Food scientists have discovered that
food simply doesn't have the nutrients it contained 50 years
ago because it travels further and sits on store shelves
longer; and also how we prepare it. Steaming broccoli for as
little as one and a half minutes will remove all of the
nutrients.
What do each of the major vitamins do
for our bodies?
Vitamin A - prevents leg muscle cramps,
and is often used to treat symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and
reduce the risk of heart disease. Vitamin A helps keep skin
healthy and mucus linings healthy (like inside the nose),
strengthens immunity from infections, and improves eye sight
in dim lighting. Vitamin A is also thought to have negative
effects when taken with blood thinners, and may cause
interaction when taken with iron supplements, thyroid
medications or drugs used to lower cholesterol. If you get
too much Vitamin A in your diet, it is thought to cause weak
bones in old age.
Good sources of Vitamin A include:
• cheese
• eggs
• oily fish (such as mackerel)
• milk
• fortified margarine
• yoghurt
• liver
It is recommended that men receive 0.7
mg a day and that women receive 0.6 mg a day of Vitamin A -
although you don't really need to have Vitamin A daily because
it remains in the body for long periods of time.
Vitamin B - The Vitamin B group of
vitamins consists of several different vitamins.
B6, also known as pyridoxine, helps the
body store and use energy obtained from protein and
carbohydrates we eat. It also helps hemoglobin carry oxygen
around the body.
B6 can be found in:
• pork
• chicken
• turkey
• cod
• bread
• whole cereals (such as oatmeal,
wheatgerm and rice)
• eggs
• vegetables
• soya beans
• peanuts
• milk
• potatoes
• and some fortified breakfast
cereals
The recommended amount of B6 for adults
is 1.4 mg daily for men and 1.2 mg daily for women.
B12 helps make red blood cells and keeps
the nervous system healthy. It releases energy from the foods
we eat and processes folic acid.
Vitamin B12 is found in virtually all
meat products and certain algae such as seaweed. Good sources
include:
• meat
• salmon
• cod
• milk
• cheese
• eggs
• yeast extract
• some fortified breakfast cereals
Adults need approximately 0.0015 mg of
Vitamin B12 per day. Most people get enough of this vitamin
through their diets, but vegans may need supplements.
Vitamin C - known as ascorbic acid,
Vitamin B is found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables
including:
• peppers
• broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• sweet potatoes
• oranges
Vitamin C helps protect and keep your
body's cells healthy, and helps your body absorb iron from
food.
Adults should get 40 mg of Vitamin C per
day, and because the Vitamin is water-soluble it is not stored
in the body and is required in the diet daily. Supplements
are typically not necessary as there are so many foods
containing Vitamin C.
Vitamin D - we get most of our Vitamin
D requirement from sunlight on our skin. The vitamin forms
under the skin in reaction to sunlight. Other sources of
Vitamin D include:
• oily fish
• eggs
• fortified margarine
• fortified breakfast cereals
• powdered milk
• liver
Vitamin D helps the body regulate the
amount of calcium and phosphate is in the body. Both calcium
and phosphate are needed to keep bones and teeth healthy. If
you regularly consume more Vitamin D than your body needs, you
are likely to have weaker bones as you age. The amount of
Vitamin D people require 10 micrograms daily.
Vitamin E- is used by the body to
protect cell membranes by acting as an antioxidant. It's
found in a variety of foods including:
• plant oils such as soya, corn and
olive oil
• nuts and seeds
• wheatgerm (found in cereals and
cereal products)
Most everyone gets enough Vitamin E
directly from their diet. The recommended amounts for adults
are 4 mg per day for men and 3 mg per day for women - although
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and therefore is stored in
the body for long periods of time.
Vitamin K - is needed for blood clotting
to help wounds heal properly, and increasing evidence is
showing that vitamin K is also needed to build stronger bones.
In addition to getting Vitamin K from a
number of food sources, our bodies produce the vitamin in our
intestines by bacteria. Food sources include
• green leafy vegetables such as
broccoli and spinach
• vegetable oils and cereals
• pork
• dairy foods
Adults need approximately 0.001 mg per kg
of body weight a day.
Tisha Kulak Tolar is a writer for
Fit4EverYoung.com, where she writes about bodybuilding,
exercise, general health and fitness, nutrition and
supplements.
Courtesy by
www.infosecrets.mobi
|