Vitamins are substances your body needs in small amounts but does not have the cellular machinery to produce. By definition, you need vitamins for normal body functioning. Not consuming enough vitamins in your diet causes deficiencies. Various abnormalities develop with vitamin deficiencies, depending on the vitamins you lack. You can obtain the vitamins you need through your diet if you follow a nutrition plan that includes the recommended daily servings from each of the major food groups.
Immune System Function
Several vitamins support your immune system, which protects you from infections with viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Your first line of defense against these invaders is your skin and the lining of your respiratory and digestive tracts, which form physical barriers. Vitamins A and B-2 support the integrity of these barriers. White blood cells are your second line of immune defense, fighting off invaders that slip by your outer barriers. Most white blood cells are short-lived, necessitating rapid replacement. Vitamins B-6, B-12, C and D are essential for the ongoing production and normal function of your white blood cells.
Oxygen Transport
Your body tissues require a steady supply of oxygen to survive. Red blood cells circulating in your bloodstream transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. The production of red blood cells requires vitamins B-6, B-12 and B-9, also known as folate. A deficiency in one or more of these B complex vitamins can lead to anemia, or a low red blood cell count. With severe anemia, your body organs may suffer damage due to oxygen deprivation.
Utilization of Food
Eating initiates a series of complex chemical processes in which your body transforms the proteins, carbohydrates and fats contained in food into energy and tissue building blocks. Several vitamins are required for these processes to occur, including vitamins A, B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-6. Inadequate intake of these vitamins reduces the metabolic efficiency of your body systems and may compromise organ function. Although multiple, severe vitamin deficiencies are uncommon in the United States, they can occur if you have severe malnutrition caused by a medical condition or an eating disorder.
Maintenance of Body Structure
Similar to the foundation that supports a building, your bones, muscles and soft tissues provide the structure that supports your body and organs. Vitamins D, C and A, along with calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, are essential for bone formation and strength. Vitamin C is required for the production of cartilage, which enables movement by cushioning the sites where bones meet in your joints. Additionally, your body requires vitamin C to manufacture collagen, the substance that helps knit your tissue back together after an injury.
Protein Production
Your body has the capacity to manufacture at least 20,000 different proteins, according to the Human Genome Project. Each unique protein has a specific function, which explains why so many are needed. Different vitamins are required for the production of different proteins. For example, your body requires vitamin K to produce proteins called coagulation factors, which gel together and form blood clots to stop bleeding. Vitamins A, C and the B complex vitamins aid in the production of other essential proteins.
References
- "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010: Introduction"; U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; 2010
- Colorado State University Pathophysiology Hypertext; Vitamins: Introduction and Index; Richard A. Bowen, D.V.M., Ph.D.; August 2003
- "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals"; Vitamin Deficiency, Dependency and Toxicity: Introduction; Larry E. Johnson, M.D., Ph.D.; April 2007
- Human Genome Information Project: How Many Genes Are in the Human Genome?
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
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