A Complete Guide to Vitamins and Their Importance for the Human Body
Introduction
When we discuss ways to improve our health, we mostly talk about lifestyle changes and the need to exercise regularly. Although these approaches can help transform your health, we often forget how important a special group of nutrients is. We are referring to vitamins!
Vitamins are absolutely crucial for growth and maintaining good health. They function like minerals, with the main difference being that minerals are inorganic matter that we source from the earth and water, while vitamins are organic compounds found naturally in plants and animals1.
The word ‘vitamin’ is derived from two Latin words, ‘vita’ (meaning ‘life’) and ‘amine’ (referring to ‘amino acids’). Fun fact: Initially, vitamins were incorrectly thought to be amino acids.
Vitamin H, more commonly known as biotin, is part of the B complex group of vitamins. Vitamin H is needed for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It also helps the nervous system function properly.
Types of Vitamins, Their Sources, and Deficiency Symptom
There are 13 crucial vitamins, A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. They can be classified into two main types, as follows:
Fat soluble vitamins: These vitamins are stored in the fatty tissues of our bodies. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are the four fat soluble vitamins.
Water soluble vitamins: The other nine vitamins are soluble in water and cannot be stored in the body for long. As a result, they need to be consumed daily, and any excess is expelled from the body through urine1. Vitamin B12, although water-soluble, is an exception to the rule. It can be stored in the liver for years.
Let’s learn the food sources, functions, and deficiency symptoms of the 13 vitamins mentioned above.
Functions: Helps in red blood cell formation and nervous system function.
Deficiency Symptoms Include: Tingling in hands and feet, yellow skin, swollen tongue, mouth ulcers, anaemia, and depression8.
There are two more compounds that resemble vitamins and function like them without being labelled as vitamins:
Choline
Carnitine
The Need for Vitamin Supplements
People may fall short of getting adequate amounts of all essential vitamins due to a combination of dietary, lifestyle, and individual health factors. These factors include:
Some people could be fussy eaters who avoid certain foods due to taste or texture preferences.
Individuals following a vegetarian or vegan diet may miss out on certain vitamins, such as vitamin B12, which is mainly found in meat, fowl or eggs8.
Busy schedules may make it challenging to plan balanced meals consistently.
Some health conditions may lead to poor absorption of certain vitamins despite adequate dietary intake9.
In some cases, the amount of vitamins required by the body cannot be fulfilled through food alone.
In such situations, vitamin supplements may help support the body’s specific nutritional needs. However, you should consult a doctor before starting any vitamin supplements.
Vitamins B6, C and E along with micronutrients like zinc, selenium, iron and copper are important for maintaining a healthy immune system in an individual, repeated infections could be a warning sign of deficiency of these vitamins and micronutrients.
Taking multivitamins should always be done after consulting your doctor or nutritionist. Sometimes, vitamin supplements can cause side effects when consumed in excess or even if your body reacts adversely to the ingredients of a particular supplement. Constipation and stomach pain may occur initially (usually it resolves after a few days). Excess vitamin intake can also cause severe toxicity2. Read the ingredient list for any supplement you take to ensure that you are not allergic to anything in it. Also, if you have any pre-existing medical condition, you should inform your doctor before starting any new multivitamin supplement.
How to Measure Vitamin Levels?
If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of vitamin deficiency and are wondering how to check vitamin levels, these tests may need to be done after consulting your doctor:
Vitamin D test
Vitamin B12 test
A complete full body checkup including vitamin D and B12 levels
Master Full Body Checkup with vitamins
How to Interpret Test Results?
Identifying whether you have normal levels of vitamins is simple because your test results usually show columns for normal levels of vitamins and the levels in your system at the time of the test. This can help you identify if your vitamin levels are lower, higher or at par with the normal level.
For further clarity, you can ask your doctor to go over the reports.
Why is It Important to Test Vitamin Levels?
Sometimes vitamin deficiency symptoms do not show up until very late, and a test can work like a preventive healthcare check. It will let you know which vitamin you need to supplement with. Therefore, it is important to check your vitamin levels whether you are taking supplements or not.
Similarly, even if you are taking vitamin supplements, vitamin level checks are just as important to ensure that there isn’t too much of a particular vitamin in your system as that may lead to toxicity.
Tips to Maintain Good Vitamin Levels and What to Do If You Are Deficient
The strategies for managing vitamin deficiencies are essentially the same:
People with deficiencies can also take vitamin supplements but only if they are recommended by their doctor1.
Be mindful of your diet. A balanced diet is often sufficient to meet your daily requirement of different vitamins. Paired with a few healthy lifestyle choices, you can easily avert major vitamin deficiencies.
Eat balanced meals to maintain good vitamin levels and monitor them regularly with timely tests to avoid vitamin deficiency-related conditions.
Vitamins are vital for good health and proper functioning of the body, as they support growth, immunity, metabolism, and overall well-being. Maintaining a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein sources along with healthy lifestyle habits can help avoid or manage most vitamin deficiencies. In some cases, regular monitoring of vitamin levels and taking vitamin supplements may be necessary. however, these steps should always be taken after consulting a doctor to avoid toxicity or side effects.
How do I know if I might have a vitamin deficiency without testing?
Symptoms such as persistent fatigue, frequent infections, hair loss, brittle nails, muscle pain, or mood changes can be early warning signs of vitamin deficiencies. However, these symptoms alone aren’t reliable, and blood tests should be done to give a clearer picture of your health.
Can I take multivitamins daily just to be on the safer side?
Taking multivitamin supplements without consulting your doctor may not be advisable. If you eat a well-balanced diet, supplementation may not be needed and could even cause toxicity over time, especially with fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K.
What are the most common vitamin deficiencies seen today?
Vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies are extremely common these days due to indoor lifestyles and dietary patterns. Folate and vitamin C deficiencies may also occur with poor dietary variety.
Are natural food sources better than vitamin supplements?
Whole foods provide fibre, antioxidants and multiple nutrients that work together for better absorption. Supplements should ideally fill gaps and not replace a healthy diet.
How often should vitamin levels be tested?
For generally healthy individuals, testing once a year is usually sufficient. People on supplements or with diagnosed deficiencies may need more frequent monitoring as advised by a doctor.
Hanna M, Jaqua E, Nguyen V, Clay J. B Vitamins: Functions and Uses in Medicine. TPJ. 2022;26(2):89-97. doi:10.7812/TPP/21.204. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35933667/
Kiani AK, Dhuli K, Donato K, et al. Main Nutritional Deficiencies. J Prev Med Hyg. 2022;63(2 Suppl 3):E93-E101. doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2752. Available From: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36479498/
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the informationprovided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
4 
