Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential to your biochemistry, acting as coenzymes (things that help your enzymes do their job). Many vitamins are not able to be synthesised by us and therefore can only be introduced through our diet. Deficiencies in vitamins cause problems. Overconsumption of vitamins can also be harmful.
- Vitamin A (retinol)
- Sources: carrots, sweet potatoes.
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Sources: grains, beans.
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Sources: meat, leafy greens.
- Vitamin B3 (niacin)
- Sources: meat, leafy greens.
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
- Sources: meat.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
- Sources: fish.
- Vitamin B7 (biotin)
- Sources: eggs, nuts.
- Vitamin B9 (folate)
- Sources: leafy greens.
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
- Sources: meat.
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
- Sources: fruits (especially citrus fruits).
- Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)
- We can’t get enough of this through diet alone. We rely on sunlight exposure which drives the synthesis of vitamin D.
- Vitamin E (tocopherol)
- Sources: nuts, seeds.
- Vitamin K (phylloquinone)
- Sources: leafy greens.
Why are there so many B vitamins? For historical reasons. We thought all B vitamins were the same compound, but we found out many were distinct. Why the discontinuous numbering in B vitamins? Also for historical reasons. The number is the order of discovery, and not all discoveries in the sequence were distinct B vitamins (something like that).
Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Those that are fat-soluble are stored in your fat deposits and therefore can persist longer term. Water-soluble vitamins stick around in your bloodstream but will quickly be excreted.
- Vitamins A, D, E, K are fat-soluble.
- Vitamins C and B1, …, B12 are all water-soluble. We need to very regularly replenish their supply.