Vitamin B2
Introduction Riboflavin is essential for normal growth and development, reproduction, lactation, physical performance, and well-being. It also keeps our skin, nails and hair healthy. Vitamin B2 is water-soluble and is not stored in the body. It must, therefore, be supplied daily. Riboflavin belongs to a group of yellow fluorescent pigments called flavins. When excreted, it […]
Inositol
Introduction Inositol is a compound that has been known about for a long time, but it wasn’t until 1940 that scientists first realized that it was an essential nutrient. In fact, this sugar-like substance is one of the water-soluble B vitamins. In humans, it’s found in the liver, kidney, skeletal system and heart muscle. It […]
Folic Acid
Introduction Folic acid is a member of the water-soluble B vitamin group. Isolated in 1946 from spinach leaves, its name comes from folium, the Latin word for leaf. In the body, folic acid is converted to a more biologically active form. Folic acid occurs in a wide variety of foods. Best sources include dark green […]
Biotin
Introduction Biotin is one of the more recently discovered water-soluble B vitamins. Since 1942, it has been studied for its role in the production of many enzymes. Biotin is also known as the vitamin that produces healthy hair and helps prevent graying. Biotin is found abundantly in many plant and animal foods. Bacteria in the […]
Vitamin K
Introduction In 1935 a scientist in Copenhagen observed that newly hatched chickens receiving a diet containing all of the known essential nutrients were developing a bleeding disorder. He soon discovered that the chicks were deficient in a nutrient that is crucial for normal blood clotting. He called this nutrient vitamin K. Today, vitamin K deficiency […]
Vitamin E
Introduction Although it was discovered and isolated in the 1930s, vitamin E’s function in the body has come to light relatively recently. Vitamin E is an extremely important fat-soluble antioxidant. It insures the stability and integrity of cellular tissues and membranes throughout the body by preventing free radical damage. Because vitamin E is destroyed by […]
Vitamin C
Introduction Vitamin C corrects the world’s oldest known nutritional deficiency, the disease scurvy. It was first isolated by Albert Szent Gyorgyi in 1928. Today, scientists know that humans are one of the few species that cannot manufacture vitamin C in the body. Humans must depend on diet or nutritional supplements as the source of this […]
Vitamin B6
Introduction Pyridoxine is a water soluble vitamin that is instrumental in more than 100 enzyme reactions in the body. These activities are mostly related to the metabolism of amino acids and proteins. The best sources of pyridoxine are brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, organ meats (especially liver), peanuts, legumes, potatoes and bananas. Bacteria in the human […]
Vitamin B5
Introduction Because pantothenic acid is present in all cells, the man who discovered it in 1933, Dr. Roger Williams, named it after the greek word pantothen, meaning “everywhere.” Pantothenic acid plays a number of essential metabolic roles including the production of some hormones and neurotransmitters. It is also involved in the metabolism of all carbohydrates, […]
Vitamin B3
Introduction Niacin is a water-soluble vitamin that can be produced in the body. It is instrumental in producing two of the body’s important co-enzymes, which are further involved in more than 200 chemical reactions in the body. It is also important for metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids and amino acids, as well as energy production […]