Vitamins

Little-known Wonders

By Stuart Hardy

Even though they are essential to human life, vitamins are some of the least understood substances on the planet. One thing that is known is that vitamin deficiencies do not only endanger sporting performance levels, but also, in extreme cases, life itself.

Most people have heard a lot about vitamins, in theory, but know little of their actions or how to make best use of them. The first step to taking advantage of their health benefits is to demystify them. Knowing how they function in the body gives us valuable information, which can help us optimise our bodily functions through vitamin supplementation.
The easiest way to think of vitamins is as organic chemical substances. They are made from compounds containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and are found in all living organisms, both plants and animals included.
Vitamins regulate numerous functions in the human body. They are essential to the construction of tissue such as skin, bone, nerves and blood, and they are also involved in the metabolism of food, converting proteins, carbohydrates and fats into useable energy. Their presence also prevents the risk of certain diseases, some of which can be very serious indeed.
The human body requires at least 13 specific vitamins to remain healthy and function properly. They are:

Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Vitamin C
Thiamine
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin B6
Folate or folic acid
Vitamin B12
Biotin
Pantothenic acid
Water- and Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Basically vitamins can be divided into two groups: those that dissolve in water (hydro-soluble), and those that dissolve in fat (lipo-soluble).

Fat-Soluble Vitamins: A, D, E & K.
Water-Soluble Vitamins: C & the B-group vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate, biotin & pantothenic acid).

Simply knowing which group they belong makes the planning the administration and dosage of vitamins much easier and more effective for the following reason: lipo-soluble vitamins are stored in fatty tissue in the body and are expelled slowly, which means they can accumulate and become toxic if excessive amounts are ingested over a prolonged period, whereas hydro-soluble vitamins do not accumulate, because any excess is eliminated in the urine. Hydro-soluble vitamins therefore have the advantage of causing unwanted secondary effects, but also the inconvenience of having to be ingested on a daily basis to avoid deficiency.
The RDI, or recommended daily intake, of vitamins in calculated to prevent deficiency as well as any dangerous side effects, such as the toxicity caused by excessive doses of fat-soluble vitamins. If your diet does not cover the minimum requirements or, on the other hand, you ingest extreme amounts of vitamins, you may be exposed to an increased risk of certain disorders. Fortunately in our society we have a great variety of foods available, such that problems of deficiency are few and far between.
Ultimately, a healthy, balanced diet would cover all your vitamin requirements. 

Additional Vitamin Requirements
Is there any reason to justify a mega-dose of vitamins? Of course, and it may well be the case for any of you reading this magazine. While everyone has his or her own physiological characteristics and way of life, a very active individual will have an elevated vitamin requirement. This may also be caused by the consumption of various medicines or of nicotine.
Smokers need large amounts of vitamin C to counteract the depletion of reserves in their body. It has been shown that just one lungful of smoke can destroy various milligrams of vitamin C instantly. Furthermore, chemical substances in tobacco smoke promote the creation of free radicals, thus increasing smokers’ needs for antioxidants like vitamins A and E.
Pregnancy also implies a greater vitamin requirement, due to increased demands on the metabolism and energy systems of the woman. Here, of course, precaution must be taken when deciding to raise the milligram dose of certain vitamins. Vitamin E helps build new tissue, vitamin C passes through the placental membrane between the mother and child, and boosting riboflavin and folic acid protects the foetus against certain structural abnormalities, such as a cleft palate or malformed heart. However, an excess of any of those can have disastrous consequences.

When it comes to health, the best way forward is to accurately determine the RDI of vitamins given the individual’s age and activity level. Any readers who are pregnant, lactating, following a course of medication or are smokers would do well to consult their GP regarding the appropriate dosage of particular vitamins that they need, taking into account any relevant personal characteristics and circumstances. 

Properties of Vitamins
Let’s take a look at the specific properties of the essential vitamins in the human diet.

Vitamin A: a moisturising nutrient. Keeps the skin and mucous membranes moist, smooth and elastic. Also relevant to eyesight, healthy growth of the skeletal dental systems, proper genital function and the body’s defence mechanisms.

Vitamin D: this is the bone and teeth vitamin, as it constitutes the only method of calcium absorption. Essential to bone health.

Vitamin E: essential to good genital health. Reduces the danger of cardiac disorders. Strengthen the immune system, destroying free radicals resulting from a polluted environment, stress, and chemical substances.

Vitamin K: responsible for the coagulation and formation of blood plasma, and essential to the creation of bone and liver tissue.

Vitamin C: essential to the development and creation of connective tissue, fat, muscle and bone. Accelerates healing processes. Acts as an antioxidant to prevent free radical combining with other molecules and forming harmful compounds. Combats infection and reduces the extent of allergic reactions. Also plays a role in hormone synthesis.

Thiamine (B1): stimulates appetite and takes part in at least four different processes through which the body obtains energy from carbohydrates. Also acts as a mild diuretic.

Riboflavin (B2): without this the body would be unable to digest nutrients or make use of proteins or carbohydrates. Also important to the good health of mucous membranes, such as the moist tissue in the eyes, mouth, nose, throat, vagina and rectum.

Niacin: essential to growth, playing an integral role in enzymatic processes that allow the absorption of oxygen into body tissues. Stimulates appetite and takes part in the metabolism of sugars and fats.

Vitamin B6: metabolises proteins and fats and I essential for obtaining nutrients from food. Plays an important role in eliminating excess homocysteine from the blood, which are closely linked to heart disease.

Folate, or folic acid: involved in the formation of DNA, and in the metabolism of proteins and amino acids needed from the production of new cellular tissue. Fundamental to healing processes and the creation of new foetal tissue.

Vitamin B12: Essential to the creation of healthy red blood cells. Also maintains myelin, the fatty layer that covers nerves and permits the transmission of electrical impulses.

Biotin: a B-group vitamin that helps metabolise fats and carbohydrate, and is crucial to the formation of fatty acids and amino acids necessary for growth.

Pantothenic acid: makes the use of carbohydrates possible, and the creation of biochemical steroids, such as hormones. Also aids the stabilisation of blood sugar levels, protects against infection and preserves the proteins in red blood cells.

There is a quick guide to the properties of vitamins, but there is much more useful data available about them and their natural complements, minerals. Understanding the properties of these substances is essential to good health, as well as optimum performance levels in any physical activity. The more you know about vitamins and their properties, the more control you have over your body and your life.