Vitamins are one aspect of nutrition, the other four being carbohydrates, protein, fats and minerals. Vitamins are essential for health, as the body uses them to perform necessary daily processes. In fact, vitamins play a role in every bodily function. Most people in the United States do not receive proper amounts of vitamins per day. Whereas many do not ingests the necessary foods to garner nutrition, others to not properly absorb nutrients in the food they eat due to influences like pollution, stress, some medical treatments and illness.
Vitamin A
Fruits are among the most nutritious foods, as they have high proportions of both vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A, or retinol, is necessary for healthy eyes and bone development while boosting immunity as well as acting as an antioxidant. Retinol is a less common vitamin among fruits, appearing mostly in tropical fruits, such as watermelon, guava, papaya, tomato, cantaloupe, grapefruit and passion fruit. Vitamin A is far more prevalent in vegetables, appearing in at least twelve varieties. Some nuts, meats and dairy contains vitamin A as well.
B-complex Vitamins
B-complex vitamins, commonly associated with meats, appear prevalently in fruits. You can find vitamin B-1, or thiamine, in boysenberry, cherimoya, date, grapefruit, loganberry, mango, orange, watermelon, avocado, breadfruit, grapes, guava and pineapple. Thiamine is essential for cardiovascular function, vascular function and nervous function and is important for energy synthesis. Vitamin B-2, or riboflavin, which is essential for growth, blood cell production and energy synthesis, appears in avocado, bananas, grape, date, passionfruit, pomegranate, prickly pear, lychee, mulberry, mango and cherimoya. Niacin, or vitamnin B-3, is necessary for skin, nerves and digestion. You can find it in boysenberry, avocado, lychee, mango, peach, nectarine, passionfruit, cherimoya, breadfruit, loganberry, guava and date. Vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, is essential for the formation of good cholesterol and hormones, while assisting with metabolism. It appears in black currant, cherimoya, gooseberry, grapefruit, guava, starfruit, watermelon, raspberry, date and avocado. Pyridoxine, or vitamin B-6, plays a role in the manufacture of antibodies, maintains nervous function and assists in the formation for red blood cells. It is also required to utilize proteins. You can find pyridoxine in banana, avocado, date, cherimoya, breadfruit, guava, lychee, grape, passionfruit, mango, lychee, watermelon, pomegranate and pineapple. Vitamin B-9, or folate, appears in boysenberry, avocado, blackberry, guava, date, breadfruit, papaya, orange, lychee, loganberry, pineapple, passionfruit, strawberry and raspberry. Folate differs from folic acid in that it is naturally occurring, while folic acid is manufactured, but they play the same role with equal efficacy. It is necessary for the creation of DNA, maintain components of the nervous system, maintaining neurological function and is an essential constituent of spinal fluid. Vitamin B-12 is the only B-complex vitamin that does not appear in any fruits.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is necessary for blood clotting, blood calcium level regulation and bone health. It appears in blueberry, avocado, Chinese pear, grape, cranberry, blackberry, kiwi, pear, mulberry, plum, mango, raspberry, loganberry, pomegranate and tomato. Vitamin K is one of the most prevalent vitamins among foods. Accordingly, it appears in every type of food, including meat, nuts, dairy and a long list of vegetables.
Vitamin D
The body creates vitamin D naturally following sun exposure. Thirty minutes to an hour of exposure throughout the week is enough to maintain necessary vitamin D levels without supplementation from foods. Nonetheless, many foods are fortified with vitamin D, as delegated by the FDA, including milk and cereals. However, it also appears in many types of meats, including beef, chicken, eggs, fish and pork. Alternately, vitamin D does not appear in fruits.
Vitamin H
Vitamin H, or biotin, is not an essential vitamin. However, the body does use it to metabolize and synthesize fats and proteins. Nonetheless, biotin does not appear in fruits, or any foods aside nuts and legumes. Appropriate for its lack of necessity, biotin is among the rares nutrients.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the nutrient most commonly associated with fruits. It is prevalent among fruits and it among the most important of nutrients. This is because it's used in a myriad of processes, but it's primary effect is acting as powerful antioxidant. In this way, it prevents and reduces damage to cells while boosting immunity. Furthermore, there is evidence that vitamin C is antiviral, as well. It may even prevent or counteract cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C appears most in grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, kiwi, black currant, breadfruit, papaya, passionfruit, strawberry, pineapple, mango, lychee and guava.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant akin to vitamin C, with a similar degree of necessity. Additionally, it is important for the development of red blood cells as well as the utilization of vitamin K. It can also reduce scarring and wrinkles. Vitamin E also shares vitamin C's prevalence among fruit, appearing in blackberry, loganberry, blueberry, boysenberry, cranberry, mulberry, raspberry, avocado, black currant, breadfruit, guava, kiwi, mango, nactarine, papaya, peach and pomegranate.
Member Comments