Vitamins and roughage are essential for health and prevention of disease. Vitamins are micronutrients you need in small amounts for growth and development of cells, tissues and organs and to support energy metabolism. Roughage, or dietary fiber, is the indigestible substance in foods that plays a vital role in controlling blood sugar and cholesterol and excretion of waste from your body. Consult your nutritionist about your diet and your need for vitamins and roughage.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K dissolve in dietary fat and oil, which enables you to absorb these micronutrients into your body. Each fat-soluble vitamin has specific roles in your body. Vitamin A supports vision and stimulates your immune system to fight infections. Vitamin D enhances intestinal absorption of calcium and supports bone growth and maintenance. Vitamin E protects your cell membranes from harmful chemicals. Vitamin K helps your blood to clot to stop bleeding. Your body can store excess amounts of fat-soluble vitamins for future use; ingesting to much of a fat-soluble vitamin, particularly from supplements, can be toxic to your body.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins include the B vitamins and vitamin C. The eight B vitamins are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folate and methylcobalamin. The B vitamins function as coenzymes, nutrients that assist enzymes in chemical reactions to produce certain substances that help your body obtain energy from food, produce red blood cells and DNA and support a healthy nervous system. Vitamin C supports the formation of connective tissue, including collagen, tendons and blood vessels, stimulates the immune system and enhances wound healing. Your body does not store water-soluble vitamins, so you need to replenish your supply each day.
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber stimulates the transit of food and waste through your intestinal tract. Eating foods that contain high amounts of insoluble fiber can help you sustain regular bowel movements and reduce your risk of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticular disease, a condition characterized by pouches forming in your colon that can become inflamed. Insoluble fiber also removes toxins from your body and reduces the risk of pathological microorganisms from colonizing and growing in your intestines.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber helps you control your blood sugar by slowing down the absorption of sugar from foods into your body. Soluble fiber also can help you lower your blood cholesterol by reducing the amount of dietary cholesterol from foods that your body absorbs. Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found that a high dietary intake of soluble fiber can improve blood sugar and lower blood cholesterol in Type 2 diabetics, according to their research published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" in May 2000.
References
- McKinley Health Center University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Vitamins and Minerals; 2008
- Mayo Clinic; Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; 2009
- Colorado State University; Fat-Soluble Vitamins; 2010
- Colorado State University; Water Soluble Vitamins; 2010
- HealthCastle Nutrition; Fiber 101: Soluble Fiber vs. Insoluble Fiber; Gloria Tsang; 2005
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; What I Need to Know About Diverticular Disease; 2007
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