| What Are Vitamins?Vitamins are organic compounds | | | | chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular |
| that are required by the body in very small amounts | | | | disease and cancer as well as other degenerative |
| for normal growth and maintenance of good health to | | | | diseases.Anti-Oxidant Activity of VitaminsVitamins |
| occur. Vitamins play vital roles in the metabolic | | | | have several different functions, however detailing the |
| processes of the body and a deficiency state for a | | | | different ways in which each individual vitamin works is |
| particular vitamin will manifest with characteristic | | | | beyond the scope of this article. Having said that |
| symptoms. Vitamins are broadly categorized into two | | | | though, I will touch on the anti-oxidant activity of |
| types: Water Soluble Vitamins and Fat Soluble | | | | vitamins because it truly highlights the importance of |
| Vitamins.Water Soluble VitaminsThe water soluble | | | | vitamins.Energy creation within our bodies (specifically, |
| vitamins include Vitamin C and the Vitamin B Complex | | | | within cells) occurs through the transfer of electrons |
| group. They are so-called water soluble vitamins | | | | from one molecule to the next. The process by which |
| because they are easily and quickly lost in the urine | | | | an electron is lost is called reduction and the opposite |
| and are not stored in the body. Consequently | | | | process by which an electron is gained is called |
| deficiencies of water soluble vitamins occur much | | | | oxidation. The oxidation-reduction (redox reaction) |
| more rapidly than those of fat soluble vitamins. | | | | reactions that occur within our cells to manufacture |
| Conversely, since water soluble vitamins are not | | | | energy are what is known as cell respiration. One of |
| stored in the body it is extremely difficult to attain toxic | | | | the side effects of cell respiration is leaking of |
| levels.Fat Soluble VitaminsThe fat soluble vitamins | | | | electrons involved in cell respiration from the |
| include: Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K | | | | respiratory centers of the cell. These escaped |
| (use the acronym ADEK to remember). These | | | | electrons then react with ambient oxygen to form |
| vitamins are classified as fat soluble since they are | | | | what are known as free radicals (note, several other |
| soluble in fat and are absorbed by the body from the | | | | factors cause free radical formation including: |
| intestinal tract. As they follow the same path of | | | | environmental pollutants, smoking, vigorous exercise, |
| absorption as fat any condition or factor that interferes | | | | pesticides to name but a few).What are free radicals? |
| with fat absorption also interferes with their absorption. | | | | They are molecular fragments that are characterized |
| Because these vitamins are more readily stored in the | | | | by having an unpaired electron which makes them |
| body than the water-soluble vitamins, deficiencies | | | | extremely volatile. Because of their unstable and |
| occur less frequently and take longer to occur. One | | | | volatile nature they react especially aggressively with |
| drawback of being soluble in fat and thereby readily | | | | other molecules from the instant they are created and |
| stored in the body is that toxic levels are more easily | | | | over time the cumulative damage unleashed by their |
| attained with these types of vitamins.Why | | | | activity destroys molecular integrity which spreads to |
| Supplementing With Vitamins Is Good For YouThe | | | | the cell, then to tissues, onwards to organs and |
| American Medical Association (AMA) currently | | | | ultimately affects the entire organism to manifest as |
| encourages all adults to supplement daily with | | | | degenerative disease associated with aging, as well as |
| multi-vitamins. What is of particular note here is the | | | | accelerated aging process. To date an estimated |
| fact that for the past 20 years plus, the AMA has | | | | eighty to ninety percent of degenerative diseases are |
| strongly stood against supplementing with vitamins. So | | | | believed to be linked to free radical activity.Several |
| why the change? Following a landmark review | | | | vitamins are known powerful anti-oxidants and act as |
| covering 38 years of scientific research by Harvard | | | | protective buffers within our cells to counter the |
| researchers, the June 19th 2002 edition of the Journal | | | | destructive effect caused by constant free radical |
| of the American Medical Association concluded that | | | | activity.So to summarize, although vitamins have many |
| although the current North American diet is sufficient to | | | | other essential functions within our bodies, their |
| prevent vitamin deficiency diseases (such as scurvy), it | | | | anti-oxidant activity alone should be reason enough for |
| is insufficient to promote good health. Furthermore, | | | | anyone to seriously consider supplementing with |
| recent studies have shown that insufficient vitamin | | | | vitamins if they aren't already. |
| intake has a direct correlation to the development of | | | | |