Vitamins Essay

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Vitamins There are lots of different vitamins that the body needs to maintain healthy, however they are only needed in small amounts. The body cannot make these vitamins so therefore they must be in a person’s daily diet. Vitamins are categorized into two groups these are fat-soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins. Vitamin A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble vitamins, this means that they can dissolve in the presence of fat. • Vitamin A has different important jobs. It helps the immune system work properly to fight against infections; it keeps the skin healthy and also helps vision in dim light. Cheese, eggs and oily fish are all good sources of vitamin A along with liver which is particularly rich with this vitamin. Adult women should …show more content…

The main source of vitamin D is sunlight; however foods like oily fish and eggs are both good sources of this vitamin. Most people will get more than enough of what they need of vitamin D a day; however there are certain population groups that will be a risk of not getting enough. • Vitamin E has different jobs. It helps maintain healthy eyes and skin, keeps the immune system healthy and strong and protects cell membranes. Adult men need at least 4mg per day, and women need at least 3mg a day. Plant oils like soya and corn are the richest foods for vitamin E but nuts and seeds and cereal products are good sources. • Vitamin K is important in someone’s diet as it is needed for blood clotting and helps wounds heal properly. Green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are good sources of vitamin K along with vegetable oils and cereal grains. The amount of vitamin K adults need depends on their weight. It is around 0.001mg for each kilogram of their body weight daily. So for someone who weight 58kg they would need 0.0058mg per day. Any excess vitamin K that is not used is stored in the liver where it can be used later on. Vitamin B and C are water-soluble vitamins which mean that they can be dissolved in the presence of …show more content…

Vitamin B1 is called thiamin which keeps the nervous system healthy and working correctly and works with other forms of B vitamins to break down foods and turn them into energy to be released. B1 can be found in vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, eggs and may other foods. Women need 0.8mg a day whereas men need just a little more which is 1mg a day. Vitamin B2 is called riboflavin. This helps out bodies release energy from the foods we eat but also makes sure that the skin, eyes and nervous system are kept healthy. B2 cannot be stored by the body so it is important that it is in a person’s diet and that they get it daily. Women should be getting be getting 1.3mg of riboflavin and men should be getting 1.1mg per day. Milk and milk products are good sources of this vitamin. Vitamin B6 helps form haemoglobin, which transports oxygen in the blood but also lets the body store the energy it gains from protein foods. B6 is also known as pyridoxine and can be found in a wide variety of foods this includes meat, fish, eggs and potatoes. Daily the recommendations say that women should be getting 1.2mg and men should be getting

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