Health and Fitness

Vitamins what they do and why you need them

All the vitamins with an explanation of why you need them, recommended amounts and deficiency symptoms.

Vitamin A For healthy eyesight amongst other things.
Vitamin B1 Thiamine A water soluble Vitamin.
Vitamin B2 Plays a major role in the process of cellular oxidation.
Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine One of the most important vitamins among the Vitamin B complex.
Vitamin B12 Helps in the synthesis of DNA.
Vitamin C The most famous vitamin, found in oranges amongst other things.
Vitamin D For strong bones.
Vitamin E Tocopherol a natural antioxidant.
Vitamin K Helps blood clot.
Niacin Essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, skin, and intestines.
Pantothenic acid An organic acid that serves many physiological functions.

All the above Vitamins help make up a healthy balanced diet.

Niacin or nicotinic acid

Niacin is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, skin, and intestines. It is also required by the body for the normal metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. An essential amino acid, tryptophan, serves as the precursor of this vitamin and this is how it differs from the other vitamins of the vitamin B complex groups. Moreover, it does not get excreted in urine and is metabolized in the body.

Dietary sources

Meat, liver, kidney, poultry, fish, groundnuts and legumes are rich in niacin. Although milk is a poor source of niacin, but the milk proteins are rich in tryptophan that is converted into niacin ultimately. Also many cereals like maize contain niacin in bound form and therefore it becomes unavailable to the consumers.

Deficiency diseases

The deficiency of niacin causes pellagra. The disease is mainly prevalent among the poor and the malnourished who subsist on maize diets and consume very little or no milk and foods of animal origin. Pellagra is characterized by diarrhea, dermatitis and dementia. Along with these, stomatitis and glossitis are usually seen. The dermatitis is usually seen among those body parts which are exposed to sunlight. Some mental changes like depression, delirium and irritability may also occur.

Daily requirement

The daily allowance of niacin is 6.6 mg/1000 kcal of energy intake.

A good balanced diet containing milk and or meat provides enough niacin that is required for the treatment and the prevention of pellagra. Also, total dependence on maize to be avoided to prevent the niacin deficiency.