To fill up on vitamins on a daily basis, the first basic rule to follow is to eat a varied and balanced diet. Each foodstuff provides specific vitamins and it is by eating a variety of foods that you have the best chance of meeting your daily requirements.
WHAT IS A VITAMIN?
Vitamins are organic substances with no energy value of their own which are necessary for the body and which humans cannot synthesise. They must therefore be supplied by the diet.
There are two types of vitamins:
- Fat-soluble vitamins: a, d, e, K
- Water-soluble vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12 and c
- Vitamins are a very diverse group of molecules and their application
is even more so. Some vitamins play a particularly important role in the
creation and maintenance of body tissues.
- Vitamin a is highly antioxidant and plays a role in many body functions. It is essential for good vision, growth and immune system. It keeps the skin healthy and protects the body against infections. It also prevents the risk of cancer and has an anti-ageing effect.
- Group B vitamins are a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that play an important role in cell metabolism. They all have properties of their own but have been shown to:
- Increase metabolism;
- Help maintain healthy skin andhealthy muscles;
- Improve the immune system;
-Improve the nervous system and delay the cognitive impairment of Alzheimer's;
- Promotes cell growth and cell division;
- Vitamins C and D ensure and preserve the structure of bones. Vitamin C also preserves the integrity and elasticity of the skin, mucous membranes and blood vessels. It boosts the body's resistance, slows down ageing and helps prevent cancer.
- Vitamin E, prevents ageing, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
IN CASE OF DEFICIENCY
VITAMIN A
Vitamin a or retinol is an anti-fatigue, anti-infectious vitamin, it allows twilight vision and its deficiency can lead to blindness. The minimum requirement of vitamin a is 0. 75 to 0. 90 mg per day.
VITAMIN D
Vitamin d is necessary for the assimilation of calcium and phosphorus. Most of the vitamin d is synthesised by the skin under the effect of exposure to the sun. Its deficiency can cause rickets but also osteoporosis. The minimum requirement of vitamin D is 0. 0025 mg per day.
VITAMIN E
Vitamin e or tocopherol is an excellent antioxidant that would have a preventive effect on cardiovascular diseases. its deficiency can lead to a hardening of the tendon sheaths or even sterility. Vitamin E requirements are 10 to 15 mg per day.
VITAMIN K
Vitamin K is an anti-haemorrhagic vitamin that has a role in the formation of factors essential for blood clotting. Its deficiency can lead to haemorrhagic disease. The requirement is 4 mg per day
