Vitamins

Vitamins are found in a vast array of foods and have many functions in the body. For example, they aid in bone strength, hair and nail health, skin turgor, and hormone regulation, among many other important functions. Due to the vitamins promoting many benefits to a person’s overall health, this article will discuss names of each vitamin, the primary functions that vitamins have in the body, and the food sources for the vitamins. 

The vitamins found in the diet are vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K. These vitamins are divided into two main categories, water-soluble or fat-soluble vitamins, due to how the vitamins are absorbed in the intestine. The water-soluble vitamins include vitamins B-complex and vitamin C, as they are freely absorbed throughout the small intestine. The fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. These fat-soluble vitamins are also absorbed in the small intestine; however, a small amount of fat is required for them actually be absorbed into the body. Therefore, consuming some type of fat with the fat-soluble vitamins will aid in absorption of these vitamins. There is an infinite number of benefits that the vitamins give to the body, the following lists the most valuable effects that the vitamins have on the body:

-       Vision health (1)

-       Cellular repair, integrity, and differentiation (2)

-       Efficiency of nutrient metabolism (3)

-       Energy production (3)

-       Bone and collagen maintenance, structure, and strength (4)

-       Gene expression (1)

-       Red blood cell synthesis and maturation (5)

-       Immune function (6)

-       Neurological health (7)

-       Antioxidant characteristics (8)

-       Hormone regulation (7)

-       Maintenance of blood clotting and pressure (9)

Understanding the valuable effects that these vitamins cause in the body help illustrate just how important implementing these vitamins in the diet is. So, in that case, what are some good food sources for these vitamins? As a matter of fact, beef liver has some amount of almost all vitamins. I don’t know about you, but I do not plan to eat liver any time soon. Here is a list of food sources that contain one or more vitamins (6):

-       Liver

-       Dairy

-       Eggs

-       Fish

-       Fruits

-       Vegetables

-       Meat (chicken, poultry, & red meat)

-       Nuts and seeds 

-       Oils

-       Fortified foods

As you can see from the list above, most whole foods contain some amount of the vitamins in them. When a food product is fortified, it means that that the food was enriched with one or more micronutrients during the processing of that food. You would be able to see the micronutrients that the food product was fortified with would be listed on the nutrition label. Overall, by adding more whole foods into your diet (you do not only need to eat salads!), you will be providing these micronutrients to your body and promoting positive benefits to your overall health. 

Written by: Siri Pederson

Last edited: 05/11/2022