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Vitamin

Vitamins

Discover why vitamins are important for health.
Carbohydrates Discover why carbohydrates are the fuel for your body.
Protein Learn why your body needs protein on a daily basis.
Fats Discover which fats are healthy for you, and which are not.
Vitamins Discover why vitamins are important for health.
Minerals Learn why minerals keep us healthy.
Water Learn the role water plays in your nutritional health.

More in the Library!

 

Vitamins can fill the gap when you don't have an ideal diet. (And who does?)

Vitamins are crucial to the proper functioning of the body, and you need them in varying quantities. Vitamins are available in a wide variety of foods, and your best bet is to consume a diet that incorporates the three founding principles of nutrition: balance, variety, and moderation.

However, when your diet fails to achieve an optimal intake of vitamins from food, you can supplement with vitamin products.

There are essentially fourteen vitamins that you should be aware of, and they are classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble. The basic difference between the two is that excessive amounts of fat-soluble vitamins can be stored within the body, while most water-soluble vitamins are simply excreted if you take in too much.

Do you know your vitamins?

Water Soluble Fat Soluble
Thiamin Vitamin A
Riboflavin Vitamin D
Niacin Vitamin E
Vitamin B6 Vitamin K
Pantothenic Acid
Vitamin B12
Folate
Biotin
Vitamin C
Choline

Beyond deficiencies.

Vitamins have several important functions within the body, including energy production, antioxidant protection, blood formation, and several others.

Initially, attention was focused on vitamins because of the prevalence of deficiency diseases in areas around the world. And although these conditions still exist in certain places, most research on vitamins is now focused on how they enhance health and wellness.

Learn more about vitamins in the Library.
Go to the Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements section of the Healthy Eating Wellness Center.