Your body is made up of trillions of cells that require nutrients like vitamins to function correctly. Vitamins are natural substances that your body uses to complete chemical reactions and rebuild and repair cells. There are certain vitamins that your body has to have in order to work properly; vitamins are known as the essential vitamins.
The Essential Vitamins
The essential vitamins are thirteen vitamins that your body must have or you will develop symptoms associated with their deficiency. The thirteen essential vitamins are vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins. The B vitamins include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate. Each of these vitamins performs different functions in the body. The essential vitamins are generally grouped into two categories: fat soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins are stored in your body's fatty tissue, whereas water soluble vitamins must be used quickly or they are excreted through the urine.
Importance of Vitamins
Vitamins are each used in different ways in your body. Vitamin A, for example, is used to maintain and build healthy teeth, skin and soft tissues. Vitamins B6 and B12 are used in red blood cell formation and in brain function. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is important for wound healing, while vitamin D helps with calcium absorption and bone health. Another antioxidant is vitamin E, which is used by your body in red blood cell function along with vitamin K, riboflavin and folate. Biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid are used in metabolism and in cholesterol physiology. Thiamine is also used in metabolism and is important for energy production. If your diet is deficient in these vitamins it will not be able to perform these essential functions, which will have negative impacts on your health.
Sources
The essential vitamins that your body needs come from the foods that you eat. Therefore it is important that you eat a healthy and balanced diet or you will not receive the nutrition necessary for proper function and health. Vitamins are found in natural foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy vegetable oils and fish. These foods provide essential protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals and the vitamins that you need to be healthy.
Considerations
If you do not currently eat a diet that supplies all of the essential vitamins you should consider a supplement. Supplements are good ways to ensure that you get vitamins on days that you do not eat as well as you should. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that you take a daily multivitamin in addition to eating a healthy balanced diet. Although it is always better to get the majority of your vitamins from natural sources like fresh fruits and vegetables, supplements are like nutritional insurance policies that fill in the gaps in your nutrition. The bottom line is that you cannot function properly without vitamins. If you deprive your body of essential nutrition, you will develop symptoms of deficiency and ultimately of illness.
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