Vitamins
Vitamins are a vital component of a healthy diet, they are essential micro nutrients - they are essential for the body, but only in small amounts. Vitamins are essential for energy conversion and many other metabolic processes. They have antioxidant properties that many help prevent cancer, heart disease and many other disorders.
Vitamins are not a substitute for good nutrition. We should try to get our healing vitamins and minerals as much as we can from natural sources. Pharmaceutical medications, high stress levels, pollution, nutrient-depleted soils, refined and packaged food all contribute to nutritional deficiencies. It might be prudent to consume a vitamin supplement that provides the recommended daily allowance of all the vitamins and minerals. Vitamin supplements are not magic pills, but they can retard the progress of many chronic conditions. Body's needs for nutrients are especially higher when we are nursing a sickness. Consuming over the daily prescribed level may lead to toxicity. They can also cause side effects and interact with the medications that we might be taking.
Vitamin Classification
A balanced diet, eating a variety of foods prevents vitamin deficiencies. Vitamins can be classified into fat soluble and water soluble vitamins.
- Vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K are fat soluble vitamins. These vitamins dissolve in fat are stored in the liver and in fatty tissues. So, if too much fat soluble vitamins are consumed, they may accumulate and may have harmful effects. Conversely, a low fat diet may cause a deficiency. Cooking does not destroy fat soluble vitamins.
- The B vitamins - B1(thiamine), B2(riboflavin), B3(niacin), B5(pantothetic acid), B6(pyridoxine), B9(folic acid) and B12(cobalamin) and vitamin C are water soluble vitamins. They dissolve in water and are eliminated in urine, they leave the system more quickly than the fat soluble ones. Water soluble vitamins are destroyed when food is highly processed. Refrigerating fresh produce, storing milk and grains out of strong light and using the cooking water from vegetables can help prevent the loss of vitamins.
