Vitamins

Introduction

• Vitamin is one of the most essential organic compounds that organisms require for the growth and maintenance of the body.
• Unlike other nutrients, vitamins are classified by their biological and chemical activity, instead of their structure.

• The term vitamin was derived from a compound word namely “vitamin.”
• The Polish biochemist Kazimierz Funk, first used the compound word ‘vitamin’ in 1912.
• Usually, vitamins are represented by the English capital letters, e.g. A, B, C, E, etc.
• The body of a human being stores different vitamins widely; the vitamins A, D, and B12 are stored in substantial amounts, generally in the liver.
• Deficiency of vitamins causes disease.
• Based on solubility, vitamins are classified as water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins.
• Water-soluble vitamins can dissolve easily in water.
• On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins can be dissolved easily in fat.
• Further, fat-soluble vitamins get absorbed easily through the intestinal tract.

List of Vitamins

• By the time, thirteen vitamins are comprehensively recognized.
• The following table illustrates the list of vitamins with their properties −

Vitamins	Chemical Name	Solubility	Deficiency disease
Vitamin A	Retinol	Fat	Night blindness, keratomalacia, etc.
Vitamin B1	Thiamine	Water	Beriberi
Vitamin B2	Riboflavin	Water	Ariboflavinosis, glossitis, etc.
Vitamin B3	Niacin	Water	Pellagra
Vitamin B5	Pantothenic acid	Water	Paresthesia
Vitamin B6	Pyridoxine	Water	Anemia
Vitamin B7	Biotin	Water	Dermatitis
Vitamin B9	Folic acid	Water	Megaloblastic anemia
Vitamin B12	Cyanocobalamin	Water	Pernicious anemia
Vitamin C	Ascorbic acid	Water	Scurvy
Vitamin D	Cholecalciferol	Fat	Rickets
Vitamin E	Tocopherols	Fat	Hemolytic anemia (in children)
Vitamin K	Phylloquinone	Fat	Bleeding diathesis

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Functions of Vitamins

• Vitamins have different biochemical functions, significant of them are −
  • Like hormone, vitamin D regulates and helps in mineral metabolism
  • Vitamin D also regulates and helps cells and tissue growth
  • Vitamin C and vitamin E act as antioxidants
  • Vitamin B complex acts as co-enzymes or the precursors of enzymes and helps them as catalysts in metabolic activities.