Essential Vitamins Your Body Needs
Probably you are wondering about getting the essential vitamins for your healthy living. Well, there are
different types of vitamins that we know but not all of them are necessary for
our bodies. As we all know, vitamins are required in our bodies for different
purposes that ensure our bodies are functioning normally. Lack of correct
amount of vitamins, therefore, may lead to some diseases or abnormal functioning
of our body. Everyone who is looking to maintain his or her health should keep
in mind a balanced diet containing these important vitamins. The list below
contains ten essential vitamins your body needs for optimal health.
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A has a lot of health benefit in our bodies. It is antioxidant, which is responsible
for maintaining normal eyesight, facilitate the growth of cells and boost our immunity.
To obtain vitamin A it is necessary to have a regular diet rich in vegetables
and fruits. Some of these vegetables include; spinach, squash, carrot and other
leafy vegetables. Remember, we can also obtain it from animal products such as
eggs, liver, and milk. Deficiency of Vitamins in our bodies would lead to
health complications such as poor eyesight, infections, and skin damage.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is antioxidant, also referred to ascorbic acid. It facilitates the regeneration of tissues,
the formation of blood vessels, bones and skin. Vitamin C also helps in reducing LDL
cholesterol. You do not need to worry about the sources as you can easily find
in most fruits and vegetables. Some of these fruits include; berries, lemons, oranges,
and apple. The vegetables that contain vitamin C include; kale, spinach,
tomatoes and potatoes. Deficiency of Vitamin C causes a disease condition known
as scurvy.
3. Vitamin D
You may be surprised that most people lack vitamin D in their bodies. The main reason is that,
they take for granted the fact that we can obtain it through the sunshine.
Normally, nutritionalist recommends at least ten minutes of sunshine, each day
in order to obtain vitamin D. Sunshine converts chemicals in our skin to a
Vitamin D. Alternatively, you can get it through food sources such as milk and
cod liver oil. This vitamin is essential in our bodies in fighting diseases
such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
4. Vitamin E
Many processes take place in our bodies. This include; neurological, enzymatic and activities
of different organs. In order to attain optimal functionality, our bodies
require vitamin E to facilitate these processes. The nutrient is responsible
for preventing the blocking of arteries, heart diseases, and high blood pressure.
You can find vitamin E in fruits, grains, nut oil and wheat.
5. Vitamin K
Vitamin K is useful in causing blood to clot whenever there is a cut or exposure of blood.
This normally helps to prevent excessive bleeding. It is also useful in
facilitating bone metabolism and regulating the calcium level in our bodies.
Unlike other vitamins, vitamin K is not obtained directly from plants. When we
take food from plants, it is acted upon by bacteria in the intestine, which
convert them to vitamin K. It is then absorbed through the intestine and stored
in the body fat. Lack of Vitamin K would result in prolonging bleeding which
would lead to the loss of excess blood.
6. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is crucial in our bodies for the production of red blood cells, healthy nerves and improves
brain functionality. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin useful in the circulation
of oxygen in the body. Lack of Vitamin B12 would, therefore, result in a
condition known as Anemia. If you are a lover of meat, you probably have enough
vitamin B12 in your body. The sources of vitamin B12 include; beef, poultry,
pork, milk, and egg. However, you can also obtain it from a food supplement.
7. Vitamin B1
Our bodies need Vitamin B1 in order to metabolize carbohydrate to generate energy. There is no denying that we
require enough energy in our bodies. It also helps to improve the nerve system. You
probably have seen some pregnant mothers with unusual nerves inflammation. Well,
this is because of the lower level of vitamin B1 in their bodies. Vitamin B1 is
therefore required to prevent the condition. Vitamin B1 also helps to boost the immune
system and improve brain functionality. You can obtain it from beans, yeast, and
liver. Deficiency of this important nutrient would lead to weight loss, lack of
appetite and nerve inflammation.
8. Vitamin B2
For you to have healthy blood cells, you must have sufficient vitamin B2. It is also required to improve energy level
and activities of the organs. Vitamin B2 helps in converting energy after
digestion into ATP for the purpose of storage. We should make sure that vitamin
B2 is sufficient for our organs to function effectively. Deficiency
results in anemia and damage of nerves.
9. Vitamin B3
It is another water-soluble vitamin, which is essential for improving body metabolism by regulating the level of cholesterol.
It helps boost the brain, maintenance of healthy skin and prevent diabetes. You
can obtain it from fish, meat, mushrooms and seeds. We should purposely ensure
that we keep ourselves healthy by having a balance diet including the above
food.
10. Vitamin B5
This type of vitamin is found in all living cells in our bodies. It is the most useful nutrient to have because of
the roles it plays. These include; regulating the level of cholesterol in the body,
regulating blood pressure and facilitating production of energy. It also helps
in improving body immunity and aid indigestion. The source of vitamin B5
include; meat, raw milk, legumes, nuts and eggs. One can easily suspect
deficiency of vitamin B5 through symptoms such as fatigue, muscle cramp and insomnia.
Of course, you may not like to be in these conditions when you can actually
prevent it.
There is no denying that essential
vitamins play big roles in preventing diseases in our bodies. It is better to
prevent than to cure. We can actually keep ourselves healthy by adhering to the
balanced diet, which includes the above essential vitamins.