Vitamins That Are Easily Digested

There are two types of vitamins, water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are not easily stored by the body, and any extra you take in are flushed out in your urine. Your body is able to digest, absorb and store fat-soluble vitamins in your liver and fatty tissue. That way, your body can simply pull them out of storage and use them anytime without having to go through the entire digestion process again.

Vitamin A

Vitamins A, D, E and K are the fat-soluble vitamins. Your body uses bile to digest fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, and then absorbs them through the small intestine and stores extra in body fat, where it can be easily accessed whenever needed. Vitamin A is important for vision, cell reproduction and fetal development. Vitamin A is found in meat, eggs, dark green, leafy vegetables, fruits and dairy products.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D's main function is to maintain normal blood levels of phosphorus and calcium. By helping your body to absorb calcium, it contributes to the formation and maintenance of strong bones. You get vitamin D from eating eggs, fish, cod liver oil and products like milk that are fortified with vitamin D. Spending at least 10 minutes a day in the sun helps your body make vitamin D, too.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps the immune system stay strong to protect your body from bacteria and viruses. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which means that it neutralizes free radicals. Free radicals are substances that harm your body's tissues. Vitamin E also helps make red blood cells and widens blood vessels to prevent clots. Vitamin E assists the body in using vitamin K, which is another fat-soluble vitamin. Some sources of vitamin E include nuts, mayonnaise, eggs, liver, sunflower seed, dark green, leafy vegetables, avocado and yams.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K's main contribution to the health of the body is to help blood clot properly. It also plays a role in bone health. Vitamin K not only is found in foods; the bacteria in your intestines can make vitamin K. Leafy green foods are good sources of vitamin K, as are green tea and beef liver.

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 is different than other water-soluble vitamins. Your body stores vitamin B-12 in the liver, just as it does with the fat-soluble vitamins. Other B vitamins act like regular water-soluble vitamins and excess amounts leave the body through urine. Vitamin B-12 plays a role in metabolism, making red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system. It is found in eggs, milk products and meat naturally, plus it is often added to foods like soy milk.