Why do we need vitamins ???

[beahealthyperson]

Vitamins are substances that your body needs to grow and develop normally. There are 13 vitamins your body needs. They are [FONT=&quot]vitamins A[/FONT], C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). You can usually get all your vitamins from the foods you eat. Your body can also make vitamins D and K. People who eat a vegetarian [FONT=&quot]diet[/FONT] may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Each vitamin has specific jobs. If you have low levels of certain vitamins, you may develop a deficiency disease. For example, if you don’t get enough vitamin D, you could develop rickets. Some vitamins may help prevent medical problems. Vitamin A prevents night blindness.

The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods and also you can get vitamins as tablets through Online Pharmacy without prescriptions.

 

[lucaspa]

If you have low levels of certain vitamins, you may develop a deficiency disease. For example, if you don’t get enough vitamin D, you could develop rickets. Some vitamins may help prevent medical problems. Vitamin A prevents night blindness.

If you have low levels of any vitamin you will develop a deficiency disease. ALL vitamins prevent medical problems. It is just that it is very easy to get certain vitamins, B1 and B6, for example, that it is very difficult to become deficient. But still possible.

You do know that you can pick up multivitamin tablets in any grocery or drugstore, right?

Technically, vitamin D is not a vitamin. Vitamins are compounds that are necessary for metabolic processes but the body cannot make by itself. However, vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the capillaries in the skin by the action of UV radiation. However, when people moved into Northern latitudes, there was 1) insufficient sunlight and 2) too many clothes to get enough UV radiation to make sufficient levels of vitamin D. So, for people not living in the tropics, vitamin D is not made by the body.

 

[GodbetheGlory]

Much of what you both said about the need for vitamins is very true.
I personally believe getting your vitamins through food sources is much better then synthetic vitamins you get from a multi vitamin pill.
Ascorbic acid (Vit C) doesn’t grow from trees oranges do. Theirs a reason God intended us to get our nutrients from food sources.
A healthy diet with some added ‘super foods’ like; goji berries, wheat grass, soy sprouts, bee pollen, spirulina, cacao, dandelion plant, etc. will do wonders for your health.

 

[The Valkyrie]

It's easy to get B12 on a vegetarian diet. It's vegans that may need a supplement. It takes a very long time to develop a deficiency.

And don't forget about minerals too. Iron, Zinc, etc. are all necessary like vitamins.

 

[lucaspa]

<staff edit>

Actually, the definition of "vitamin" is a necessary organic substance that the body does not make itself. Vitamin D was incorrectly classified as a vitamin because the people who did the work on it were white men living in Wisconsin.

 

[lucaspa]

I personally believe getting your vitamins through food sources is much better then synthetic vitamins you get from a multi vitamin pill.

There is no difference between the vitamins in a pill and those in foods. They are the exact same chemical compound. The advantage from getting vitamins from your diet is that most vitamins are found in fruits and vegetables (except B12 which is most abundant in meat). Eating that balanced diet to get the vitamins is better for your health because it means less carbohydrates and fats. Not because "synthetic vitamins" are any different from those found in foods.

 

[Clenbut]

Vitamin term was coined by Funk, vitamin are quite essential for the body, as they are involve in the maintainable of various physiological processes of the body.
Vitamins are divided into two category according to their solubility, first are the Fat soluble vitamin,and the other category is Water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins includes Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and Vitamin E. Water soluble vitamins are Vitamin A and Vitamin B complex.

 

[DaisyDay]

Vitamin term was coined by Funk, vitamin are quite essential for the body, as they are involve in the maintainable of various physiological processes of the body.
Vitamins are divided into two category according to their solubility, first are the Fat soluble vitamin,and the other category is Water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins includes Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and Vitamin E. Water soluble vitamins are Vitamin A and Vitamin B complex.

Did you mean vitamin C for the water soluble?

One of the ramifications is that water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body while fat soluble ones are - which is why it is easier to build up toxic levels of fat soluble vitamins.

 

[wina]

Vitamins are very important to us so that we are all in good health and to prevent illness. Right?

 

[Bobbybelieve]

Which foods have vitamin b in them? I think I lack vitamin b. I have no energy at all.

 

[lucaspa]

I personally believe getting your vitamins through food sources is much better then synthetic vitamins you get from a multi vitamin pill.

There is no difference. In fact, most of the vitamins in the pills are purified from the natural source, not synthesized.

Ascorbic acid (Vit C) doesn’t grow from trees oranges do. Theirs a reason God intended us to get our nutrients from food sources.

There is nothing to indicate God had this intent. At the time humans were created, they simply did not have the technology to make the vitamins or purify them from their sources.

A healthy diet with some added ‘super foods’ like; goji berries, wheat grass, soy sprouts, bee pollen, spirulina, cacao, dandelion plant, etc. will do wonders for your health.

Many of those foods are expensive. Too expensive for many low income people. Vitamin pills are cheaper. So, I think it irresponsible to tell people not to use vitamins. It violates "love your neighbor" because it condemns some of your neighbors to sub-standard nutrition.

What you personally choose to do, of course, is your business.

 

[marklee]

A lot of the food that we eat today has been processed and the vitamins and minerals that was in the food have been depleted. If you are thinking of supplementing your diet, find a supplement that is not chemically made, but rather plant based. Vitamins can help boost your immune system and improved your over all health.

 

[lucaspa]

A lot of the food that we eat today has been processed and the vitamins and minerals that was in the food have been depleted. If you are thinking of supplementing your diet, find a supplement that is not chemically made, but rather plant based. Vitamins can help boost your immune system and improved your over all health.

If you are looking for vitamins, vitamins that are "chemically made" are the same as vitamins included in "plant based" material. Also, the chemically made vitamins carry a better probability that they work as opposed to those in "plant based". The FDA regulates vitamin products and ensures that the vitamins in them work. There is no such regulation in plant based pills (cranberry pills, St. John's wort, etc.) What is more, in the plant based pill you get lots of other chemicals that are in the plant or have been made by partial decomp of the plant before it got to the plant that makes the pills. You don't know what those chemicals are (because no one has even tried to characterize them) and whether they are harmful or not. When it comes to chemicals, "natural" is not always the best.

 

[bill5]

vitamin D is not a vitamin. Vitamins are compounds that are necessary for metabolic processes but the body cannot make by itself.

No offense, but these statements are both incorrect FYI. Vitamin D is a vitamin. Also, a vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient by an organism. It has nothing to do with the body being able to make it by itself (not that it would matter, since our bodies can't make Vitamin D by themselves anyway).

However, vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the capillaries in the skin by the action of UV radiation. However, when people moved into Northern latitudes, there was 1) insufficient sunlight and 2) too many clothes to get enough UV radiation to make sufficient levels of vitamin D. So, for people not living in the tropics, vitamin D is not made by the body.

?? Also not correct. First off, sunlight is not the only natural source of Vitamin D. Second, most people don't live in the tropics, yet still get more than enough sunlight to make Vitamin D. In fact ethere are exceedingly few if any areas on the planet where one cannot get sufficient sunlight to obtain sufficient Vitamin D.

Finally, your continued claims that synthetic ("man-made") vitamins are "the same" as natural ones is also not correct. They may have the same chemical compound that comprises the vitamin in them, but that does not make them "the same." In fact, few vitamin supplements have been proven to have any health benefit, while those obtained naturally in foods are well-known to.

Also, the chemically made vitamins carry a better probability that they work as opposed to those in "plant based".

???? No they don't. Some supplements can be beneficial, but again many have not been proven to be so, and some may even be harmful. But again, vitamins we get from natural sources are well-known to be beneficial, and none shown harmful. This may be in part due to how the body processes them, but also many researchers feel it's also because the value in vitamins isn't just from that isolated chemical compound itself, but in the overall plant (or animal) and how many things in that plant complement each other.

The FDA regulates vitamin products and ensures that the vitamins in them work

They are loosely regulated, and no, they do not ensure that the vitamins work.

When it comes to chemicals, "natural" is not always the best.

That is certainly true.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

No offense, but these statements are both incorrect FYI. Vitamin D is a vitamin. Also, a vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient by an organism. It has nothing to do with the body being able to make it by itself (not that it would matter, since our bodies can't make Vitamin D by themselves anyway).

Our bodies can make Vitamin D from cholesterol, which is why it is not a true vitamin. A true vitamin requires supplementation.

?? Also not correct. First off, sunlight is not the only natural source of Vitamin D. Second, most people don't live in the tropics, yet still get more than enough sunlight to make Vitamin D. In fact ethere are exceedingly few if any areas on the planet where one cannot get sufficient sunlight to obtain sufficient Vitamin D.

Yeah, sunlight is not the only source of Vitamin D. Most people that live in climates where they are able to show skin make enough Vitamin D themselves. But people who stay indoors or live in climates that don't receive a lot of sunlight can become deficient in Vitamin D if they don't have a dietary source.

Finally, your continued claims that synthetic ("man-made") vitamins are "the same" as natural ones is also not correct. They may have the same chemical compound that comprises the vitamin in them, but that does not make them "the same." In fact, few vitamin supplements have been proven to have any health benefit, while those obtained naturally in foods are well-known to.

What are you talking about? If a synthetic vitamin has the same chemical formula and stereochemistry, it has the same biological effect as those obtained in food.

???? No they don't. Some supplements can be beneficial, but again many have not been proven to be so, and some may even be harmful.

Cite your sources. I don't see how supplementing a vitamin that someone is deficient in can be a bad thing.

But again, vitamins we get from natural sources are well-known to be beneficial, and none shown harmful. This may be in part due to how the body processes them, but also many researchers feel it's also because the value in vitamins isn't just from that isolated chemical compound itself, but in the overall plant (or animal) and how many things in that plant complement each other.

That's complete crap, no offense. Ever heard of an "active ingredient"? The research is done to find out which molecule in the mixture actually does the work. We know that Vitamin D is a specific molecule, and that supplementing the specific molecule works.

Compare it to this: alt med people love to talk about "natural" cures. Well, if you want to eat some lobster, would you prefer to buy a lobster or a cubic meter of ocean water?

 

[bill5]

Our bodies can make Vitamin D from cholesterol, which is why it is not a true vitamin. A true vitamin requires supplementation.

Yes, and that supplementation in your case is the sun. The cholesterol in our bodies can't make Vitamin D without it.

Yeah, sunlight is not the only source of Vitamin D. Most people that live in climates where they are able to show skin make enough Vitamin D themselves. But people who stay indoors or live in climates that don't receive a lot of sunlight can become deficient in Vitamin D if they don't have a dietary source.

Yep!

What are you talking about? If a synthetic vitamin has the same chemical formula and stereochemistry, it has the same biological effect as those obtained in food.

No it doesn't. Note my links below. Have evidence to the contrary?

Cite your sources. I don't see how supplementing a vitamin that someone is deficient in can be a bad thing.

I didn't say that. It depends on the specifics. I said some can be harmful and my broader point is that generally there's considerable evidence that at most they don't do any good.

Sorry I'm not allowed to post links, but if you google things like "vitamin supplement studies" you'll find lots (and some of these have links within them as well):

That's complete crap, no offense. Ever heard of an "active ingredient"?

Yeah but thanks for the snarky condescending tone. Sorry you're still oversimplifying. Try doing some research on it and you'll see what I mean. If what you say is true, we could just live on supplements. Give that a whirl and let us know how it works out. I don't think you'll care for the results.

The research is done to find out which molecule in the mixture actually does the work. We know that Vitamin D is a specific molecule, and that supplementing the specific molecule works.

In Vitamin D's case, that seems to hold generally true. Not so for all the others per se.

Compare it to this: alt med people love to talk about "natural" cures. Well, if you want to eat some lobster, would you prefer to buy a lobster or a cubic meter of ocean water?

I have no idea what point you're trying to make but I tend to take the hard-core "alt med people" very lightly, frankly, based on my interactions with them.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

Yes, and that supplementation in your case is the sun. The cholesterol in our bodies can't make Vitamin D without it.

Everything in the body can regress to a point where you need something externally supplied for it to work. Look, amino acids have similar nomenclature. An essential amino acid is one that requires dietary supplement (like a vitamin). Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid, because it can be made from Phenylalanine. But Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, and you must have it in your diet. Tyrosine is still non-essential though, even though its precursor is essential. Same goes for Vitamin D. It's not a vitamin in the same way Tyrosine is not an essential amino acid.

I think the term "vitamin" is useless. It says very little about their function. The B vitamins are coenzymes, A and D modulate gene expression, and C and E are antioxidants (among other things). We use the term "vitamin" similar to the term "essential amino acid"...as in, you need to supply it in the diet and it is necessary for life.

I didn't say that. It depends on the specifics. I said some can be harmful and my broader point is that generally there's considerable evidence that at most they don't do any good.

Supplementing a deficiency rectifies the mistake. Take scurvy and Vitamin C supplementation. But giving an over-abundance of water-soluble vitamins does nothing (you pee them out), whereas with fat-soluble vitamins they get toxic.

Sorry I'm not allowed to post links, but if you google things like "vitamin supplement studies" you'll find lots (and some of these have links within them as well):

Are you talking about supplementation to correct deficiencies, or something else?

Try doing some research on it and you'll see what I mean. If what you say is true, we could just live on supplements. Give that a whirl and let us know how it works out. I don't think you'll care for the results.

Isn't that all that eating really is? Supplementing ourselves with the necessary organic and inorganic materials required to live?

In Vitamin D's case, that seems to hold generally true. Not so for all the others per se.

All of the other vitamins have been extensively researched. The B vitamins are cofactors in enzymes, and we know exactly how they work. The fat soluble vitamins are pretty well-understood as well. I don't see what point you're making. That taking a Vitamin C pill when you have scurvy is not as potent or effective as eating an orange?

 

[DaisyDay]

But again, vitamins we get from natural sources are well-known to be beneficial, and none shown harmful.

Water soluble vitamins are less likely to be harmful, while fat soluble A and E are more likely to cause harm.

Look up the effects of eating bear and seal liver.

The Vitamin A Content and Toxicity of Bear and Seal Liver (pdf)

It has long been known among Eskimos and arctic travellers that the ingestion of polar-bear liver by men and dogs causes severe illness. It has also been reported that the liver of a certain seal (Phoca barbata) is poisonous, although opinion on this point, is less unanimous.

Richardson [1861] recounts that when members of an expedition led by Barentzoon to Novaya Zembla in 1596 ate bear liver they all became ill. In three cases the illness was severe, with logs ofskin from head to foot.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

There's a classic medical board exam question where a hunter gets hypervitaminosis A from eating bear liver

 

[lucaspa]

No offense, but these statements are both incorrect FYI. Vitamin D is a vitamin. Also, a vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient by an organism. It has nothing to do with the body being able to make it by itself (not that it would matter, since our bodies can't make Vitamin D by themselves anyway).

Vitamin D was mistakenly called a vitamin.

"A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism.[1] In other words, an organic chemical compound (or related set of compounds) is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. " Vitamin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But yes, our bodies do make vitamin D by themselves. UV light cleaves 7- dehydrocholesterol in the blood vessels in the skin to make vitamin D or cholecalciferol. Vitamin D is then hydroxylated in the liver to form 25 hydroxy cholecalciferol. 25 OH cholecalciferol is then hydroxylated in the 1 position in the liver to form 1.25 dihydroxycholecalciferol, which is the active form. Vitamin D - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In essence, Vitamin D is a steroid hormone. The reason it was mistakenly called a vitamin is because all the work was done by white men living in northern climates with long cold winters requiring a lot of clothes. Under these circumstance, people do not receive enough sunlight to synthesize enough cholecalciferol. They require dietary supplementation or the result is rickets.

Finally, your continued claims that synthetic ("man-made") vitamins are "the same" as natural ones is also not correct. They may have the same chemical compound that comprises the vitamin in them, but that does not make them "the same."

LOL! Yes, having the same chemical compound does indeed make them the same.

In fact, few vitamin supplements have been proven to have any health benefit, while those obtained naturally in foods are well-known to.

Where in the world did you get that information? You do realize that milk is supplemented with synthetic Vitamin D, right? That health benefit in preventing rickets is well-documented.

Some supplements can be beneficial, but again many have not been proven to be so, and some may even be harmful.

All the synthetic vitamins have been proven to be beneficial. They have to be, since they are IDENTICAL to the compounds that are found in food.

Vitamins are regulated by the FDA.