Vitamins don't provide energy, like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, but they are essential compounds that help the body grow and function optimally. Thirteen essential vitamins help boost your immunity, strengthen your bones, heal wounds, bolster your eyesight and assist you in obtaining energy from food among multiple other functions. Without adequate vitamin intake, you may feel lethargic, be vulnerable to infection and develop other serious complications that can endanger your health and life.
Vitamins are classified as fat-soluble or water-soluble, referring to where they are stored in the body. Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K and are stored for up to six months in your various fat stores. Water-soluble vitamins circulate through your blood and include the B vitamins namely B-6, B-12, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folate, and vitamin C. Your body doesn't store water-soluble vitamins, so you must replenish them regularly.
Inadequate vitamin intake risks your health, as you'll be more vulnerable to heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. A deficiency in B vitamins can lead to permanent nerve damage and anemia. Get too little vitamin C and your body can't produce collagen, the primary tissue in the body. In severe cases of vitamin C deficiency, people develop scurvy, characterized by muscle and joint pain, fatigue, spongy and swollen gums, and red spots on the skin. Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children, which manifests as bone pain, deformations, and poor growth and may contribute to poor bone health in adults as well as high blood pressure, some cancers, and autoimmune diseases.
A diet rich in a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, fortified dairy, whole grains, dried beans and lentils, and lean meat and fish helps you get all the vitamins you need. Whole foods, rather than a supplement, provide an optimal synergy of compounds that your body absorbs and uses. If you're unsure if you're getting an adequate number of vitamins, consult with your doctor. Overdosing on vitamins through supplements can be dangerous.