Vitamins are the stars of the nutrition scene. Nutrition, the science of food, is the study of the nutrients and substances in foods. Scientists examine how the balances of food compounds relate to health and disease, and explore how they interact during the process of ingestion, absorption, utilization, and excretion.
There are six essential nutrients for health and body maintenance: vitamins, minerals, water, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. They are the building blocks of life, and we obtain them through our diet. Our bodies don't make them.
At this time, it is known that there are fourteen vitamins required by humans. Vitamins, first discovered in the late 1800s, are organic compounds found in foods. Since they are organic - containing carbon - they can be destroyed by heat, unlike their companion essential nutrient group, the incombustible minerals.
In the early 1900s, when scientists were continuing to discover new vitamins, they named newly found compounds by alphabet: A, B, C, D, E~. K. Note: The compounds that had been named F, G, H, I, J were later disqualified as vitamins, not fitting the definition: organic compounds needed in small quantities for life growth and maintenance. Compounds that have been given letters with numbers, B-1, B- 2~ were originally thought to be one compound, but later determined to be several different compounds with specific functions for each.
Vitamins are in one of two classes: fat soluble or water soluble. Vitamin C and the B vitamins (such as niacin and riboflavin) are water soluble. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble. Which type of solubility each vitamin has will indicate which foods contain them. Basically, non-fat food has no fat soluble vitamins. However, highly colored vegetables like carrots do contain beta-carotene - a proto- vitamin which can be converted to active vitamin A.
Water soluble vitamins are easily shed by the body and lost from foods during preparation. Since they aren't stored by the body, we need to ingest them every day. Nevertheless it is best to avoid taking them excessively. On the other hand, fat soluble vitamins are readily stored by the body. Thus caution is necessary to avoid excessive quantities; it is possible to build up toxic levels of the fat soluble vitamins.
People commonly wonder if they need to take vitamin supplements, and which vitamins should be taken for good health. The situation today is that our foods are coming to us from conditions that previously were never the case for humans. Modern food is highly processed, and is frequently grown in depleted soils. Our foods are picked unripe and therefore incomplete from the standpoint of nutrition. Then they are shipped and handled more than the ideal. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the average person's diet provides sufficient amounts of necessary nutrients - vitamins and minerals in particular. Instead, we are consuming excessive amounts of harmful compounds like preservatives and refined sugars.
A suggestion. Do your own research project. Keep track of what you eat for a week or two. Eat normally, and just write down what you ate and how much of it. Then either buy or check out from your library a book on vitamins that will tell you approximately what you got from each food source. Add it up and compare to the recommended daily allowances. See how you're doing, and if you think it's a good idea to make some improvements, consult with a professional nutritionist, naturopathic physician, or other healthcare professional to come up with a good plan of diet and nutritional supplements. You'll see what a profound difference good nutrition can make in your health.
Carina Snowden writes on topics related to vitamins. Her articles are published in the news at alta vitamin the single on-line resource for a world of news about vitamins. Be sure to refer to all Carina's articles at the news at alta vitamin
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..Ideally, humans would eat wholly nutritious diets rich in protein,... Read More
L-tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that plays a role... Read More
In a 2002 study, a group of researchers used oral... Read More
When looking for health care supplements Texas residents can enjoy... Read More
"Anybody who tells you that disease has only one cause,... Read More
Amino acid supplements and amino acid food intake can bring... Read More
Nutritional vitamin fiber supplements come in a variety of types,... Read More
You've probably been eating blueberries since you were a little... Read More
Taurox is an excellent way to find true and healthy... Read More
This article will reveal one easy change you can make... Read More
Should I Take Vitamins With My Low Carb Diet?Most low... Read More
Zma is a unique combination of vitamins and minerals that... Read More
MSM is a wonderful supplement with a low toxicity rating... Read More
Benefits of using Vitamin A products:Retinol is pure and active... Read More
In parts one and two of this series, titled "Take... Read More
Over recent years, mens herbal health care has become big... Read More
Considering that the Health and Wellness industry is currently a... Read More
Your body produces over 20 separate digestive enzymes that are... Read More
A fat burner supplement operates by breaking down body fat... Read More
We all know that vitamin C is one of the... Read More
ZMA is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral formula containing zinc... Read More
Does this describe you: You walk into the living room... Read More
Because whey protein products have a wide variety of uses... Read More
Best liquid calcium with boronNo longer is the search for... Read More
Nutritional supplements can play a key role in the health... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..Liquid vitaminsHardly does a day pass without the liquid vitamins... Read More
Simply stated, the Greek word glyco refers to "sweet." Hence,... Read More
After nearly 4 years of research and development, Flavonoid Sciences... Read More
Rarely has a fruit that has been so unknown to... Read More
L-carnitine is a nutritional supplement that has been touted by... Read More
Vitamin B is no small time player in the high... Read More
Vitamins and Minerals Can Improve SleepTaking proper vitamins and minerals... Read More
The initial success of penicillin generated an assumption which has... Read More
I often hear people say that they have smoked for... Read More
Three Important Nutrients - Vitamin E, Selenium, and Sodium and... Read More
Nutritional vitamin fiber supplements come in a variety of types,... Read More
It is well known and scientifically proven that vitamins and... Read More
HGH is an exciting new phenomenon, which aspires to help... Read More
The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and... Read More
It seems today that for every mood swing, inconvenient behavior,... Read More
Vitamin B1 also called as thiamine is one of the... Read More
There is no doubt that Omega 3's can not only... Read More
Vitamin supplement ratings quite clearly show just how popular nutritional... Read More
When I began to study nutrition, I too believed that... Read More
Benefits of using Vitamin A products:Retinol is pure and active... Read More
Vitamin smoothies are a great way to enjoy a cold... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about weight loss supplementation,... Read More
AMLA ( EMBLICA OFFICINALIS ) FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTYAMLA, proudly... Read More
Many people take amino acids for height growth these days.... Read More
What if there was a solution to protecting and restoring... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |