Types of vitamins
Vitamins are essential for our body metabolism, but humans cannot make them by themselves, so we need to supplement them. Vitamins have different functions in our bodies by type.
Vitamins are divided into fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamin.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are soluble in fat. So it can be absorbed into our body when we eat them with fatty foods. That's why it's found in fatty foods, liver, fish, milk, butter, vegetable oil and so on. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, they are stored in the liver or body fat when they are not in use. They can be rather toxic if we take excessive amounts.
| Chemical name | Daily recommended dose for adults | Deficiency disease | Food sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Retinol Carotenoids | 900 µg | Night blindness Hyperkeratosis Keratomalacia | Liver, carrots, sweet potato, spinach, broccoli |
| Vitamin D | Cholecalciferol Ergocalciferol | 10 µg | Rickets Osteomalacia | Fish, eggs, liver, muschrooms |
| Vitamin E | Tocopherols | 15 mg | Hemolytic anemia | Nuts, seeds, spinach, avocado |
| Vitamin K | Phylloquinone Menaquinoes | 120 µg | Bleeding diathesis | Spinach, cabbage, kale, soybeans |
Vitamins B and C are soluble in water. Vitamin B includes thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxin (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in our body and any excess amounts of them just pass through the body, so overdose intake of them is not toxic but useless as well. They are largely contained in grains, vegetables, fruits and so on. Water-soluble vitamins are usually destroyed when they are cooked or exposed to the air.
| Chemical name | Daily recommended dose for adults | Deficiency disease | Food sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B3 | Niacin | 16 mg | Pellagra | Turkey, chicken, peanuts, mushrooms |
| Vitamin B6 | Pyridoxine | 100 mg | Anemia Peripheral neuropathy | Turkey, beef, tuna, avocado |
| Vitamin B9 | Folate | 400 µg | Megaloblastic anemia Neural tube defects for fetus | Beans, asparagus, avocado, broccoli |
| Vitamin B12 | Cobalamin | 2.4 µg | Pernicious anemia | Fish, shellfish, milk, cheese, egg |
| Vitamin C | Ascorbic acid | 90 mg | Scurvy | Fruits and vegetables |
I did not know that water soluble vitamins are usually destroyed when cooked or when exposed to air.
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