Example Of Essay On Vitamins and Health

Vitamins can be defined as a class of food which offers essential micronutrients to the body to enable it perform various functions. The body requires vitamins in small quantities unlike other groups of nutrients. Vitamins are divided into two groups: the ones that dissolve in fat like vitamin A, D, E and K and vitamins which dissolve in water like vitamins C and B-complex.
Vitamins which dissolve in fat are provided by the body and must not be eaten. They can become toxic if taken in excess, however when taken in a balanced diet by healthy person they do not become toxic. Vitamin K is divided into three categories: vitamin k-1, commonly known as phylloquinone. Vitamin K-2, commonly known as menaquinones ; found in fermented products and vitamin K-3 which is a synthetic form of vitamin .Vitamins have been known from ancient time though not in their categories. From the ancient Egyptian, people have known that eating certain foods could cure or prevent certain diseases. It is until 1880s that researchers started to understand that certain diseases could be prevented by trace amounts of essential substances.
The importance of Vitamin K cannot be underestimated. They play a vital role in clotting of blood hence facilitates healing of wounds. They also help in the well-being of the teeth and healthy bones. Apart from supplements of vitamin K, certain foods are a source of vitamin K. They are found in cauliflower, beef liver, green tea, cabbage, fortified cereals, green leafy vegetables and fortified oils. Due to the chlorophyll in dark green vegetable they contain abundant vitamin K.
Since vitamin K is fat-soluble it is stored in large amounts in the body hence vitamin K deficiency is a rare occurrence. The people who are at risk of vitamin K deficiency are usually those with liver problems and newborns because they have a problem in absorbing fats. The symptoms of vitamin K are bleeding gums, easy bruising, frequent nosebleeds, heavy menses and blood in stool or in the urine. The treatment is usually by receiving high doses of vitamin K, as it is normally done in all the infants born in the United States.
Vitamin C dissolves in water. It is also called ascorbic acid and it is an essential requirement of the body in forming collagen in cartilage, bones and blood vessels; it also facilitates the absorption of iron. Vitamin C has an important function of protecting cell damage by radicals in the body and in the environment. The main sources of Vitamin C are fresh fruits and vegetables.
Vitamins C is one of the most essential and effective nutrients for the body. The benefits that are associated with vitamins C include the protection against cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problem, eye disease, immune system deficiencies and skin wrinkling. People who eat fruits in large quantities regularly are rarely attacked by a common disease like colds and flu and reduce the like hold of getting a heart attack.
The issue on how much vitamin C is enough has generated a lot of debate among the health professionals. According to one researcher (Moyad) the body requires approximately 500 daily milligrams of vitamins and eating of five servings of vegetables and fruits to stay healthy. According to American Dietic Association it recommends eating of nine servings of vegetables and fruits to get a healthy dose of vitamins besides getting an abundance of other vitamins and minerals that are good in prevention of diseases and the overall health of the body. Lack of vitamin C in the body causes scurvy, though it is a rare occurrence, it can cause death in some cases depending on its severity. Persons with scurvy are normally treated with administration of vitamin C and should be under supervision of a health expert.