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