Vitamins

Vitamins are a group of natural organic substances. They are necessary to the human organism in order to properly complete some essential metabolic processes.

Vitamins do not release energy and they do not have plastic roles. Because most of these vitamins are not made by the organism itself, they have to be supplemented by a vitamin based diet.
There are 13 essential vitamins without which the organism can’t function properly : A, C, D, E, K, tiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin(B3), pantotenic acid, biotin, B6, B12, folic acid.

Vitamins have complex functions including : hormone or hormone-like functions (Vitamin D) , antioxidants (vitamin E) and the list does not stop here.

Vitamins are grouped in two categories (from a nutritional point of view):
- fat-soluble ( A, D ,E K) which are found in fat tissues and liver.
- water-soluble ( C, P, B) which the organism consumes immediately otherwise they are lost through urine.
The only water soluble vitamin which can be deposited in the organism for years is the vitamin B12 .
Water-soluble vitamins are soluble in fat and insoluble in water and their digestion and assimilation depends on the organism’ capacity to process food.