Nutritional News
Vitamin Fundamentals
A vitamin is a small molecule that your
body needs to carry out a certain
reaction. Your body has no way to
create vitamin molecules itself with the
exception of a couple such as vitamin D,
which the body can product so the
required vitamins must come from food.
The human body is known to need at
least 13 different vitamins.
The body uses vitamins in extraordinary
ways, for example, vitamin A is required
in order to produce retinal. Retinal is
used within your eyes to sense light. Your
body would not be able to produce
retinal without vitamin A and without
retinal you cannot see. This is just one
example of many of how your body uses
the vitamins it requires.
Our bodies need Vitamins A, B-complex
(thiamine-B1, riboflavin-B2, niacin-B3,
pantothenic acid-B5, pyridoxine-B6,
cyanocobalamin-B12, folic acid, and
biotin), C, D, E and K. Daily requirements
of vitamins vary depending on your age
sex and special needs. Your family
doctor is a good place to get the
recommended daily allowance that is
right for you.
Vitamins contain carbon and are
classified as either water soluble or fat
soluble. It’s important to note that
carbon containing molecules can be
inactivated and changed by oxygen,
heat, light and chemical processes. The
amount of vitamins a food contains
depends on the growing conditions,
processing, storing and cooking
methods.
Volu me
Minerals do not contain carbon and
are not destroyed by heat or light as
easily as vitamins are.
Fat Soluble Vitamins
Fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E
and K. When you eat foods that
contain these vitamins they move from
the mouth to the stomach to the small
intestine. Fat soluble vitamins have the
ability to dissolve in fat so that they
can be absorbed by the body. They
are able to move across the cell walls
of the small intestine and enter the
body’s general circulation. Any
vitamins dissolved in that fat are
absorbed into the body as well. The
dietary-fat vehicles carry the vitamins
through the intestine, into the
bloodstream, then into the liver where
they are stored until the body needs
them. A small amount of healthy fats,
from plant sources like coconut and
avocado will help you absorb these
vitamins.
Water Soluble Vitamins
Water soluble vitamins, C and Bcomplex are different because they
are not stored as much in the body
but travel through the bloodstream;
they get used as they are consumed.
What is not used is excreted through
urination. Your body needs water
soluble vitamins more often.
There are many vitamins in the market
place that make claims that they will
boost your energy level, help you lose
weight, reduce stress etc. but when
you break through the hype and
understand how your body uses
vitamins and what it requires to work
well, you may be more selective when
choosing a product to supplement
your diet. While it’s true that your
probably cannot consume the
amount of food required to fulfill the
daily requirements suggested by
Health Canada, supplements may
help you fill in the gaps.
Resources:
Web MD – Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD
Inner Body – Jill Wiesenberger, MS, RD, CDE
5│I ssue
3
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Dec,
2014
Fun Food Facts!
In 18th century, Sauerkraut
and citrus fruit were taken
along on English ships bound
on long voyages in order to
ward off scurvy.
It wasn’t until 1932 that the
chemical in these foods
named ascorbic acid was
purified in a laboratory.
Helpful Tips
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Fill your grocery cart with a
variety of nourishing,
nutrient-rich, whole foods.
Log the foods you’re currently
eating, evaluate what’s
missing and choose
supplements to help meet
those needs.
A daily vitamin may be a safer
bet than a cocktail of
individual supplements that
can exceed the safe upper
limits of the recommended
intake for any nutrient.
Respect the limits.
Supplements can fill in where
your diet leaves off but they
can also build up and
potentially cause toxicities if
you take more than the 100%
of the RDV.
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