Fat and Water Soluble Vitamins: Overview

Fat and Water Soluble Vitamins Sheila Grant SCI/241 December 23, 2012 Tia Patterson Fat and Water Soluble Vitamins All types of vitamins are essential for everyone to include in their diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They are classified into two different classifications. There is fat soluble which are A, D, E and K. The other classification is water soluble vitamins, which is vitamin C and B. Vitamin C and B are also known as complex group vitamins. Vitamins are crucial for the human body to properly function. Foods we eat have different kinds of vitamins, some may have one and some many have multiple vitamins.

Watching what you eat will ensure the body is getting plenty of vitamins for your body to function properly. Our body does not make the vitamins we need to sustain life; therefore we need vitamins to maintain proper function of the body system. Vitamins we consume from the foods we eat are one part of a healthy diet. Vitamins help our body function like cell growth, energy metabolism, immune system, nervous system, circulatory system and reproduction system. Vitamins help fight off infections and as we get older the risk for infections increase. Vitamins are just as important to babies as it is the elderly.

Everyone will benefit and have a healthy diet if vitamins are crucial in their diet. The fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. Vitamin A is a crucial vitamin because it helps the eyes and skin to be healthy. Vitamin A is important because it helps teeth and bones to be strong. Vitamin A is also beneficial to the bodies reproductive and immune systems. There are some ideal sources of vitamin A for a healthy diet. They are carrots, sweet potato, tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, and spinach. The deficiency of Vitamin A could cause diarrhea, intestinal infections, inflammation of the eyes and keratinization of skin and eyes.

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An individual who consumes too much Vitamin A could cause, blurred vision, enlargement of liver and spleen, loss of hair, skin changes, and increased pressure of skull. Vitamin D vitamins help regulate the use of phosphorous for our body. According to Nutrition, "Active vitamin D is needed to maintain normal blood levels of the minerals calcium and phosphorus. Calcium is important for bone health, but it is also needed for proper functioning of nerves, muscles, glands, and other tissues" (Grosvenor & Smolin, 2006). Vitamin D can be made in the body and can be absorbed through the skin by sun exposure.

When the body has low levels of Vitamin D, the body stores inactive Vitamin D and activategbs it through the liver and kidneys. Vitamin D deficiency in children will cause rickets which is smaller rib cages and bowed legs. Deficiency in adults is Osteomalacia, which causes bone loss. When an individual consumes an excessive amount of Vitamin D, they can have high amounts of calcium in the blood and urine. It also could cause heart problems. Some excellent sources of Vitamin D are salmon, eggs, milk, tuna, and cod liver oil.

Vitamin E maintains the nerves and the reproductive system to help keep them healthy. The benefit of Vitamin E is it promotes healthy skin. There are excellent sources of Vitamin E found in food, they are; sunflower seeds, almonds, turnip greens and mustard greens. Deficiency of Vitamin D could cause anemia in low birth weight babies. This would happen if starvation was a cause though. Overconsumption of this vitamin causes massive nausea and digestive track conditions. “Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that is needed by the body for blood clotting and other important process. (Leopold, 2010) The benefits of vitamin K are used in management of extreme bleeding. Too much bleeding can occur from a deficiency of vitamin K mainly with the use of blood thinning agents. Some symptoms related to the deficiency of vitamin K are; nose bleeds, broken blood vessels, blood in urine and bleeding gums. Some problems with vitamin K when excessively taken is upset stomach and really high doses the person may have an allergic reaction. Excellent sources for Vitamin K are, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, celery, tomatoes and spinach.

Water-soluble vitamins are B-complex and Vitamin C. These two vitamins are not stored in the body and will need to be replaced every day. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and therefor they are eliminated in urine. B-complex groups have eight water-soluble vitamins which are; niacin, folate, biotin, pantothenic acid, thiamin and riboflavin. The sources of the vitamins are found in, grains, vegetables, meats, eggs, milk and dairy. B-complex vitamins help the body get energy from the food we eat. It also helps aid in protein metabolism, and helps many body functions.

Citrus fruits like oranges are ideal sources for Vitamin C. Vitamin C help maintain blood vessels, bones and teeth. Vitamin C gives us protection again immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease and prevents skin wrinkling. In some countries beriberi, pellagra and pernicious are three common B-vitamin deficiencies. When people overeat certain types of food the deficiency can cause cracks at corners of mouth, impaired growth, mental confusion and eyes sensitive to light. Deficiency to Vitamin C could cause bleeding gums, sore joints, increased infections and easily bruised.

Toxicity among the two vitamins can cause diarrhea, bloating, kidney stones, abnormal liver function and irritability. In some cases Vitamin C has the power to diminish the threat of different types of cancer, heart disease and cataracts. Vitamin C serves as an antioxidant as it can fight off infections they may cause harm to our bodies. References Leopold, D. C. (2010, December). Vitamin and Lifestyle Guide. Retrieved from http://webmd. com/vitamins Grosvenor, M. B. , & Smolin, L. A. (2006). Nutrition: Everyday choices. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

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