By mDhil Editorial
Team, mDhil
Vitamins play an important role in
maintaining our health. Today, let’s discover the numerous health benefits
provided by these vitamins!
Vitamins
and their functions
The most common vitamins that we hear
about are the vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K. While vitamin B and C are water
soluble (are not stored in the body and must be replaced every day), the rest
are water insoluble.
Vitamin
A for better vision
Vitamin A is important for maintaining
healthy eyesight and is also useful in treating night blindness, which is
caused due to vitamin A deficiency. This vitamin also keeps your immune system
strong.
Now, you may want to know where to get
your vitamin A from:
Perhaps you’d heard your grandmother
say, eat carrots and you may never have to wear glasses – well, it might not be
entirely true, but carrots definitely help in keeping your eyesight sharp! Make
sure one or more of these vegetables/fruits are a part of your daily diet:
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin
Mango
Red Bell Pepper
Liver
Lettuce
B
complex vitamins for energy
Actually, vitamin B has a big family –
B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, niacin and pantothenic acid – phew, that’s some
group! So, vitamin B is responsible for generating energy and setting it free
when the body needs it. This bunch of vitamins also helps in making red blood
cells, and carrying oxygen throughout your body.
Vitamin B deficiency can lead to
weakness, fatigue and in some cases you might even end up developing
cardiovascular problems. You can get your B complex vitamins from:
Lean meat
Legumes
Peanuts
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Soy nuts
Salmon
Shrimp
Yogurt
Avocado
Vitamin
C for resistance
Vitamin C helps you build resistance
against common infections such as colds, flu, helps rebuild tissues, bones and
blood vessels. Researches have proven that vitamin C helps strengthen your
immune system, supports your connective tissues and even prevents nasal
congestion. Get your dose of vitamin C from:
Guava
Papaya
Strawberry
Orange
Green chillies
Tomatoes
Cauliflower
Vitamin
D for strong bones
Your body needs Vitamin D for
absorbing calcium and phosphate, which in turn is necessary for the growth and
development of bones. Lack of vitamin D in the body can make your bones soft
and brittle and may cause osteoporosis. In addition, insufficient vitamin D in
the body can lead to chronic conditions like arthritis, diabetes, blood
pressure and heart disease.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets
in children, a disease which causes softening of bones leading to fractures or
deformity.
In order to avoid this, make sure you
diet comprises of the following foods:
Cod liver oil
Salmon
Fortified dairy products
Egg
Mushroom
Cereal
Swiss cheese
Shrimp
Oysters
You can also get your vitamin D by
basking in the sunlight for a few minutes every day!
Vitamin
E for younger looking skin
This one helps protect your cells and
tissues from damage. The health benefits of Vitamin E come from its antioxidant
properties. It promotes heart health, respiratory health and is good for your
brain.
In addition, vitamin E is beneficial
for skin and hair care. It is packed with antioxidants and therefore promotes
blood circulation to the scalp. Vitamin E oil is known to speed up cell
regeneration and is used to treat scars, acne and wrinkles. This in turn
creates an anti-aging effect, making your skin look younger. Foods rich with
vitamin E include:
Sunflower seeds
Pine nuts
Chili power
Peanuts
Almonds
Cooked spinach
Cooked taro root
Papaya
Kiwi
Olive oil
Wheat
Turnip greens
Dried apricots
Vitamin
K for blood clotting
Remember, as a kid, how surprised you
were when you got a cut and your blood acted like glue, stuck together at the
surface of the cut to stop the bleeding? That’s vitamin K at work! It plays a
vital role in blood clotting. It is also important for building of strong bones
and preventing heart diseases.
Vitamin K helps prevent
post-menopausal bone loss and calcification of arteries. Recent studies show
that vitamin K may possibly provide protection against liver and prostate
cancer.
Here’s where you can get your vitamin
K from:
Herbs
Spinach
Green beans
Lettuce
Cabbage
Cucumber
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