Vitamins


Vitamins.



What is Vitamin?
there are four ingredients of food.
1) Protein
2) Fats
3) Carbohydrates
4) Salts
But they are not enough to maintain good health. There are some chemicals substances which are necessary for health and growth. They are called Vitamins.The precise chemical nature of the vitamins is not known. But generally speaking we may define vitamins as chemical substances which are found in very small quantities in certain food and are important for growth and health. These vitamins are of two kinds:
1) fat-soluble
2) Water-soluble.
1) Fat-Soluble Vitamins:
The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D and E. Vitamins A is present in large quantities in cod live oil and in smaller amounts in butter and green vegetables. Absence of this vitamin results in stuned growth, reduced resistances to diseases, and impaired vision. Vitamin D is also found in oils and fats but not in vegetables. It is essential for the growth of bones. Its absence causes rickets in children. The body obtains its vitamin D by two channels: by the mouth and the skin. So apart from diet, this vitamin can also be obtained directly from the sunlight or by rubbing irradiated oil on the body. Vitamin E is also known as anti-sterility. This is found in the majority of common foodstuffs and more especially in leaves and seedlings. Its absence can badly affect the reproductive system in animals and human beings. As it is thought that human infertility is due to the deficiency of Vitamin E, wheat-germ oil which is rich in vitamin E, is sometimes given to the childless couples.
2) Water-Soluble Vitamins:
The chief water-soluble vitamins are B and C. The richest source of vitamin B is yeast. But it is found also in various types of grain. It also contains as many as six different substances of varying importance. The absence of this vitamin causes of the diseases called beri-beri and pellagra. Vitamin C is present in fresh vegetables, in germinating, peas, beans and in some fruits, especially in lemons and oranges. Its deficiency causes scurvy.

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