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