Vitamins
Vitamins: Vitamins what they are and how they work
A vitamin is an organic molecule whose insufficiency in
the diet can result in disease. This concept has led to the
misinterpretation by some, that a vitamin must only be derived from the
diet. Vitamins are “micronutrients”, required in amounts less than one
gram daily – usually less than one milligram. Some vitamins can be
synthesized by the organism: vitamin A can be produced from beta carotene,
niacin from the amino acid, tryptophan; and vitamin D through exposure of
skin to ultraviolet light. To ensure adequacy, vitamins should be obtained
through the diet. The term, vitamin, does not encompass other essential
nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids or essential
amino acids, nor is it used for the large number of other nutrients that
are merely health-furthering, but not strictly essential. For humans, we
recognize 13 different vitamins.
The word vitamin was coined by the Polish biochemist Kazimierz Funk in
1912. Vita in Latin is life and the -amin suffix is short for amine; at
the time it was thought that all vitamins were amines. Though this is now
known to be incorrect, the name has stuck.
List of Vitamins:
More Info On Vitamins here from Wikipedia
Source:
Wikipedia
Vitamin Totally Explained
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