The benefits of vitamins are many fold because they act as barriers against many diseases. Our overall health depends on dietary vitamins consumption as they assist in the smooth functioning of our body. The importance of vitamins can be appreciated by the fact that without them our bodies cannot function at all. Our metabolism totally depends on them.
Vitamins do not have any common chemical structure. They are chemical compounds existing in the form of acids or alcohols. They are present in foods but are not food in the sense that they do not supply any energy. They exist in the form of enzymes or part of them. Vitamins are organic substances that play a crucial role in our body’s metabolism. Vitamins are bio- catalysts that facilitate certain metabolic activity crucial to body’s growth and maintenance. They are like lubrication oil that keeps the machine running smoothly without which the machine would stop after sometime.
There are two categories of vitamins namely water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins. Water soluble vitamins as the name suggest dissolve in water hence excess amounts are excreted through urine. They are as follows.
VITAMIN-B complex group act as a team and is vital for the normal functioning of metabolism. The vitamins in this group are folicacid,pantothenic acid,biotin,thiamine(B1),riboflavin(B2),niacin(B3),pyridoxine(B6),cobalamin(B12).
Folicacid helps in nervous system maintenance and also essential for the production of red and white blood cells. It also helps in stress relief. Foods rich in folicacid are beans,white bran and liver and grains and turnip greens. Folicacid deficiency can cause anemia.
Pantothenic acid is present in almost every food and deficiency is uncommon but if it occurs it can cause sleep disorders,fatigue,stomach cramps and vomiting.
Biotin is essential to our health. Biotin deficiency can cause sore muscles,depression,fatigue and appetite loss. Foods rich in biotin are chocolate,beans,nuts,cauliflower,milk,yeast and meat.
Vitamin-B1 deficiency can cause Beri-Beri disease characterized by extreme fatigue. Vitamin-B1 is also known as thiamine. Foods rich in vitamin-B1 are soybean flour,pork,liver,yeast and rice husk.
Vitamin-B2 is also known as riboflavin. This vitamin is essential for the maintenance of skin and nervous system. Foods rich in Vitamin-B2 are milk and milk products,yeast,liver and kidney. Vitamin-B2 deficiency may cause skin scaling,inflammation in mouth and eyes.
Vitamin-B3 is also called Niacin. This name is used for both nicotinic acid and niacinamide. Niacin is produced within the body from the amino acid tryptophanin conjunction with vitamins B1,B2 and B6 if present. Foods rich in vitamin-B3 are milk,pork,beef,kidney,liver,and poultry.
Vitamin-B6 is readily available in meat,whole grain,corn,kidney,liver and egg yolk. Excess dosage of this vitamin is harmful. Vitamin-B6 is also known as pyridoxine.
Vitamin-B12 deficiency may lead to a type of anemia,nervous disorders,mental disturbances and spleen enlargement. Vitamin-B12 is essential for the maintenance of nervous system,production of red and white blood cells. Foods rich in vitamin-B12 are salmon,herring,oysters,clams,crabs,eggs,kidney and liver.
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