Monday 12 October 2015

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds which cannot be produced by the body and must be supplied in small amount in diet for the normal health, growth and maintenance of body.
Vitamins are essential to us for the normal and proper functioning of the body.  The absence or deficiency of a vitamin can cause specific diseases.

In 1912, Sir H G Hopkins first identified vitamins in milk. The name ‘vitamins’ was given by Casmir Funk.


Vitamins are classified into two types,

  • Water soluble vitamins
  • Fat soluble vitamins


Water soluble vitamins


Vitamin B complex and vitamin c are water soluble.

Fat soluble vitamins



Vitamins A, D, E and K  are fat soluble vitamins.



Sl.No.
Vitamins


Deficiency diseases
1
Vitamin B1
Thiamine (aneurin)

Beriberi
2
Vitamin B2
Riboflavin (lactoflavin)

Chillosis

3
Vitamin B3
Niacin

Pellagra

4
Vitamin B5
Pantothenic acid

Parasthesia

5
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine

Dermites

6
Vitamin B7
Biotin

Seboria

7
Vitamin B9
Pholic acid

Megaloblastic anemia

8
Vitamin B12
Cyanocobalamin

Pernicias anemia

9
Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid
Scurvy

10
Vitamin A
Retinol

Nightblindness, xerophthalmia, xerosis

11
Vitamin D
Calciferol

Rickets

12
Vitamin E
Tocopherol

Sterility

13
Vitamin K
Phylloquinone
Bleeding