Vitamins explained
Vitamins are essential nutrients for everyone
Vitamins are needed by the body to operate effectively and stay healthy. Eating a varied, colourful and healthy diet is the best way to get sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals.
These micronutrients are needed in tiny amounts to perform hundreds of roles in the body from metabolising food, maintaining energy and regenerating cells to enabling memory, facilitating reproduction and bolstering the immune system.
Vitamin deficiencies can cause problems. For example you may have heard that eating carrots helps you see in the dark – not quite accurate but carrots are known to contain carotenoids, the plant source of vitamin A and a significant deficiency could cause blindness. Additionally, sailors of past times famously suffered scurvy, caused by lack of vitamin C and children with a vitamin D deficiency can develop rickets.
Vitamins are different to minerals, they are often very unstable and can be affected by their environment (air, heat) which means cooking for example can denature vitamins in vegetables. Therefore, eating lots of raw fruits and vegetables can help you get enough vitamins.
Take a look at our handy chart to see which vitamins do what, and the foods you might find them in.
This article is for information purposes and does not refer to any individual products. The information contained in this article is not intended to treat, diagnose or replace the advice of a health practitioner. Please consult a qualified health practitioner if you have a pre-existing health condition or are currently taking medication. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet.
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LoveNHSLoveYourself, Diet, Vitamins