Why Vitamins Are Vital for Us?

INTRODUCTION
Vitamins are organic compounds required for metabolic reactions as well as protection of our body from foreign diseases. These are the essential chemical compounds which must be present in the daily diet. Vitamins are required in very small amount for our body. Each vitamin has specific functions and no vitamin is a substitute for other. As our body cann't synthesizes maximum vitamins so we need to take them with diet. Vitamins and their derivatives generally act as co-enzymes. Both the excess amount of vitamins in the body (hypervitaminosis, except water soluble vitamins) as well as deficiency of vitamins (hypovitaminosis) causes serious problems in our body. Water soluble vitamins like vitamin-B Complex and Vitamin-C are excreted out from the body if become excess.

HISTORY : WATCH FOR KNOWING INTERESTING FACTS
Scientist Casimir Funk in 1912 isolated some active chemical in rice polishing that could be used for the treatment of Beriberi. Since the chemicals are essential for life i.e. vital and were found chemically amine. Later it was discovered that all such compounds are not chemically amines. In 1920, scientist Sir Jack Drummond coined the term 'Vitamin' removing the letter 'e'. As vitamins are made up of different functional groups so giving a specific chemical name was not correct. Since his experiments to isolate vitamin B₁, a cure for dietary diseases such as Beriberi, it was found that human beings require 13 different vitamins, which have different functions and chemical structures. They were initially lettered from A to P as they were identified, but F, L, and P were later found not to be vitamins. Vitamin-H (biotin) and Vitamin-G (Niacin) and Vitamin-M (folic acid) are now included under the group of vitamin B-Complex.

SALIENT FEATURES OF VITAMINS
1. Vitamins are very much essentials for our body for maintaining metabolic activities and protection of body from different diseases.

2. Vitamins are required in very low amount and they can act in very low concentration.

3. Vitamins are organic catalysts. Some of them are fat soluble and some are water soluble.

4. Vitamins are present in general foods in low amount.

NOTE : Some organic chemicals almost structurally equivalent with a vitamin but not functionally. These are called Pseudovitamins. For example, Methaylcobalamin is a pseudovitamin of Vitamin B₁₂. Many vitamins are synthesized from other chemicals called Provitamins. For example, Carotene is the provitamin of Vitamin-A. Some chemicals destroy a vitamin, called an anti-vitamin. For example, Galactoflavin is the antivitamin of Riboflavin.

VITAMIN-A or RETINOL

1. This vitamin is also called anti-xeropthalmic vitamin and it is of two types A₁ and A_2. The molecular formulae of vitamin-A₁ and vitamin-A₂ are C₂₀H₂₉OH and C₂₀H₂₇OH respectively.
2. Plant sources of Vitamin-A are Carrot, Tomato, Spinach, Pea pods, Cabbage etc.
3. Animal sources of Vitamin-A are Liver extract oil of Cod, Shark, Halibut (very high amount) fishes, milk, egg yolk, fishes, butter etc.
4. Main functions of Vitamin-A are :
a) Helps in the formation of rod cells of Retina of eye.
b) Helps in the formation of epithelial tissues.
c) Maintain the activities of nerve tissue and the normal action of bone cells.
5. Deficiency diseases :
a) Night blindness or nyctalopia.
b) Drying of cornea or Xeropthalmia.
c) Keratomalacia-ulceration and softening of cornea.
d) Degeneration of nerve tissue, renal stone etc.
e) Phrynoderma or toad skin.

VITAMIN-D or CALCIFEROL

1.This vitamin prevents Rickets so also called anti-rachitic vitamin. The molecular formula of Calciferol is C₂₈H₄₃OH.
2. Sunlight converts 7-dehydro-cholesterol(in skin) and ergosterol (in vegetable oils) into vitamin-D. These are called provitamins of Vitamain-D₃ and Vitamin-D₂ respectively.
3. Plant source of Vitamin-D is rare. But it is found in some vegetable oils.
4. Animal sources of Vitamin-D are Liver extract oil of Cod, Shark, Halibut (very high amount) fishes, milk, egg yolk, fishes, butter etc.
5. Main functions of Vitamin-D are :
a) Helps in the formation of teeth and bones.
b) Helps in the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus.
c) Controls the activity of Parathyroid gland.
6. Deficiency diseases :
a) Rickets in young and Osteomalacia in adults.
b) Prevention in growth of teeth and teeth decaying.

VITAMIN-E or TOKOPHEROL

1. Vitamin E is of three categories, á, â, and ã. The molecular formula of this vitamin is C₂₈H₄₈O₂. This vitamin is also called anti-sterility vitamin.
2. Plant sources of vitamin-E are Lactuca, the germinating seed of Wheat, Pea pods, vegetative oils.
3. Animal sources of Vitamin-E are rare, but found in egg yolk and milk.
4. Main functions of Vitamin-E are :
a) Controls the normal growth of muscles.
b) increases fertility power of adults.
c) prevents sterility (research works on rats)
d) Its functions are still not properly known in human body.
5. Deficiency diseases :
a) sterility and metabolic disorder.
b) decreased lactation.
c) the normal growth of embryo in uterus is hampered.

VITAMIN-K or PHYLLOQUINONE

1. Scientist Dam discovered this vitamin in 1933. It is of two types, K₁ and K₂. The molecular formula of this vitamin is C₃₁H₄₆O₂. This vitamin is also called anti-hemorrhagic vitamin.
2. Plant sources of Vitamin-K are Cabbage, Cauliflower, Tomato, Gram, Soya bean, leafy vegetables.
3. Animal sources of Vitamin-K are Eggs, milk, liver extract oil of pig, fishes etc.
4. Main functions of Vitamin-K are :
a) This vitamin controls the normal amount of Prothrombin in blood, so helps in the blood clotting after an injury.
5. Deficiency diseases :
Prolonged bleeding after an injury.

VITAMIN-C or ASCORBIC ACID

1. This vitamin is destroyed if heated. It is also called anti-scorbutic vitamin because it prevents Scurvy disease. The molecular formula of Ascorbic acid is C₆H₈O₆.
2. The plant sources of this vitamin are mainly comprises of sour fruits like Guava, Lemon, Orange, Amla, Mango. This vitamin is also found in Papaw, Tomato, germinating gram, green chilly.
3. In animal sources of food this vitamin remains in very low amount. In milk (unboiled), egg, fishes this vitamin is present in very low amount. The breast milk of mothers contains this vitamin.
4. Main functions of Vitamin-C are :
a) Helps in the formation of Red blood corpuscles and Platelets.
b) Keeps the gums healthy.
c) Increases immunity power of the body.
5. Deficiency diseases :
a) Scurvy occurs due to which teeth become ugly and spongy, gum bleeding occurs.
b) Wounds do not heal properly.
c) A tendency to be affected by cold.
d) Anaemia occurs.

VITAMIN-B-COMPLEX

1. This is a group of vitamins composed of several vitamins. These are listed below :
A. Vitamin B₁ or Thiamine or aneurine.
B. Vitamin B₂ or Riboflavin or Lactoflavin.
C. Lipoic acid or thio-acetic acid.
D. Vitamin B₃ or Pantothenic acid.
E. Vitamin G or Niacin or Nicotinic acid.
F. Vitamin B₆ or Pyridoxin.
G. Vitamin-M or Folic acid.
H. Vitamin B₁₂ or Cyanocobalamin.
I. Vitamin-H or Biotin.
J. PABA or Para amino benzoic acid.
K. Inositol.
L. Choline.
M. Vitamin B₄ (Helps in the growth of Pigeon).
N. Vitamin B₅ (Helps in the growth of Pigeon).
2. General Plant sources of the vitamins of B-Complex are Pulses, rice processed by Husking-pedal, nut, carrot, germinated seeds, yeast, gram, pea pods, Soya beans, leafy vegetables etc.
3. General Animal sources of vitamins of B-Complex are eggs, milk, meat, goat liver, fishes etc.
4. Main functions of Vitamin-B complex are :
A. Vitamin B₁ : Co-enzyme in cellular respiration.
B. Vitamin B₂ : Helps in cellular respiration.
C. Lipoic acid : Normal growth.
D. Vitamin B₃ : Helps in growth and nutrition.
E. Vitamin G : Mainly helps in normal growth, and skin care.
F. Vitamin B₆ : Synthesis of Haemoglobin, metabolism of Protein.
G. Vitamin-M : Formation of RBC.
H. Vitamin B₁₂ : Formation of blood cells, synthesis of Nucleic acids, regulation of nerve activity, and controlling of normal growth of body.
I. Vitamin-H : Normal growth.
J. PABA : Not properly known.
K. Inositol : Not properly known.
L. Choline : Not properly known.
M. Vitamin B₄ : Helps in the growth of Pigeon.
N. Vitamin B₅ : Helps in the growth of Pigeon.
5. Deficiency diseases :
A. Vitamin B₁ : Beriberi
B. Vitamin B₂ : Stomatitis and ulcer on tongue.
C. Vitamin B₃ or Pantothenic acid : Dermatitis and nerve disorder.
D. Vitamin G : Pellagra.
E. Vitamin B₆ : Anaemia, Nerve disorder.
F. Vitamin-M : Anaemia.
G. Vitamin B₁₂ or Cyanocobalamin : Pernicious Anaemia.