The body needs fat-soluble vitamins to function properly. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissue for long periods of time and are eliminated slowly. A well-rounded diet can provide all the fat-soluble vitamins an individual needs to stay healthy. Deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins, while rare, can occur due to a poor diet.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A (retinol) is necessary for vision, bone growth, tooth development, reproduction, cell division and gene expression. It is also involved in keeping the tissues of the mouth, nose, throat and lungs moist. Vitamin A can come from animal sources in the form of retinoids or from plant sources as carotenoids. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the foods that contain the highest amounts of vitamin A are organ meats like liver and kidney, carrot juice and sweet potato. Other food sources of vitamin A are eggs, dairy products, pumpkin, dark greens and apricots. A vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness, unhealthy skin and poorly developed teeth.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium, which helps form bones and teeth and helps the body to use phosphorus. Most Americans get vitamin D from milk, dairy products and cereal that has been fortified, a process that involves adding vitamin D to a food that does not naturally contain it. Vitamin D does occur naturally in oily fish, like herring, salmon and sardines. Dr. Michael Holick, a researcher at the Boston University Medical Center, published a study in 2004 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" that reported that vitamin D may reduce the risk of certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis. A vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children, a disease characterized by bowed legs, and weak muscles and bones in adults.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that prevents the destruction of vitamin A, vitamin C, red blood cells and essential fatty acids, according to a publication by Colorado State University. A 2008 article published in "Current Opinion Lipidology" reported that a decreased risk of chronic diseases is associated with vitamin E intake. In the U.S., over 60 percent of vitamin E in the diet comes from vegetable oil and products containing vegetable oil. According to the USDA, vitamin E occurs in the highest amounts in sunflower seeds, almonds, fortified cereals and sunflower oil. Vitamin E can also be found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and other seeds.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is naturally produced by bacteria in the intestines, but also comes from food. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and bone and tissue growth; a deficiency can increase the risk of hemorrhaging. Animal foods contain very little vitamin K. The best foods for vitamin K are green vegetables, like turnip greens, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, dark-colored berries and soybean oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and olive oil.
References
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Vitamin D: Importance in the Prevention of Cancers, Type 1 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Osteoporosis; March 2004
- "Current Opinion in Lipidology"; Vitamin E Revisited: Do New Data Validate Benefits for Chronic Disease Prevention? M. G. Traber, et al,; February 2008
- "Fat Soluble Vitamins"; J. Anderson, L. Young; August 2008
- Medline Plus: Vitamins
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
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