The ABC… of life’s power supply

Vitamins play an important role in maintaining our health. Today, let’s discover the numerous health benefits provided by these vitamins!

We can usually get all our Vitamins from the foods we eat. The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat balanced diet with a verity of foods.

Vitamins and their functions:

There are 13 essential vitamins and each one has a special role to play within the body, helping to regulate the process such as cell growth and repair, reproduction and digestion.

The most common vitamins that we hear about are the vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K. While vitamin B and C are water soluble (are not stored in the body and must be replaced every day), the rest are water insoluble.

Vitamin A for better vision:

Vitamin A is important for maintaining healthy eyesight and is also useful in treating night blindness, which is caused due to vitamin A deficiency. This vitamin also keeps our immune system strong.

Now, we may want to know where to get our vitamin A from: Perhaps we’d heard our grandmother say, eat carrots and we may never have to wear glasses – well, it might not be entirely true, but carrots definitely help in keeping our eyesight sharp! Make sure one or more of these vegetables/fruits are a part of your daily diet: Spinach, Sweet potatoes, Pumpkin, Mango, Red Bell, Pepper, Liver, and Lettuce.

B complex Vitamins for Energy:

Actually, vitamin B has a big family – B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, niacin and pantothenic acid – phew, that’s some group! So, vitamin B is responsible for generating energy and setting it free when the body needs it. This bunch of vitamins also helps in making red blood cells, and carrying oxygen throughout our body.

Vitamin B deficiency can lead to weakness, fatigue and in some cases we might even end up developing cardiovascular problems. We can get our B complex vitamins from: Lean meat, Legumes, Peanuts, Sunflower seeds, Sesame seeds, Soy nuts, Salmon, Shrimp, Yogurt, and Avocado.

Vitamin C for Resistance:

Vitamin C helps us build resistance against common infections such as colds, flu; helps rebuild tissues, bones and blood vessels. Researches have proven that vitamin C helps strengthen our immune system, supports our connective tissues and even prevents nasal congestion.

Get our dose of vitamin C from: Guava, Papaya, Strawberry, and Orange, Green chilies, Tomatoes, Cauliflower.

Vitamin D for strong bones:

Our body needs Vitamin D for absorbing calcium and phosphate, which in turn is necessary for the growth and development of bones. Lack of vitamin D in the body can make our bones soft and brittle and may cause osteoporosis. In addition, insufficient vitamin D in the body can lead to chronic conditions like arthritis, diabetes, blood pressure and heart disease.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in children, a disease which causes softening of bones leading to fractures or deformity.

In order to avoid this, make sure our diet comprises of the following foods: Cod liver oil, Salmon, Fortified dairy products, Egg, Mushroom, Cereal, Cheese, Shrimp, Oysters.

We can also get our vitamin D by basking in the sunlight for a few minutes every day!

Vitamin E for younger looking skin:

This one helps protect our cells and tissues from damage. The health benefits of Vitamin E come from its antioxidant properties. It promotes heart health, respiratory health and is good for our brain.

In addition, vitamin E is beneficial for skin and hair care. It is packed with antioxidants and therefore promotes blood circulation to the scalp. Vitamin E oil is known to speed up cell regeneration and is used to treat scars, acne and wrinkles. This in turn creates an anti-aging effect, making our skin look younger.

Foods rich with vitamin E include: Sunflower seeds, Pine nuts, Chili powder, Peanuts, Almonds, Cooked spinach, cooked taro root, Papaya, Kiwi, Olive oil, Wheat, Turnip greens, Dried-Apricots.

Vitamin K for blood clotting:

Remember, as a kid, how surprised we were when we got a cut and our blood acted like glue, stuck together at the surface of the cut to stop the bleeding? That’s vitamin K at work! It plays a vital role in blood clotting. It is also important for building of strong bones and preventing heart diseases.

Vitamin K helps prevent post-menopausal bone loss and calcification of arteries. Recent studies show that vitamin K may possibly provide protection against liver and prostate cancer.

Here’s where we can get our vitamin K from: Herbs, Spinach, Green beans, Lettuce, Cabbage, cucumber.

Do vitamins give energy is a question that confuses millions of people. Well, vitamins do not directly serve as a source of energy, but they aid the enzymes that generate energy from the energy producing nutrients like protein, carbohydrates and fats.

It is the deficiency of B vitamins (especially B6, biotin, inositol and folic acid) in our diet that leads to hair loss.