Vitamins and their natural sources

All vitamins can be found in a bottle, but do we know where to look for them in their natural sources? 

When most people think of vitamins they think of a pill, or several pills, as their source. If you asked about the "natural" source of specific vitamins you would probably hear that you can find vitamin C in an orange or vitamin D from the sun. To refresh our memories, or perhaps to learn this for the first time, let's take a look at the basic vitamins, what they do for us and where, in nature, they can be found.

Please note that this is provided as information only, and is in no way meant to help with any self-diagnosis. As with everything health related, if you believe you may have a deficiency or wish to know how much of a vitamin you should be taking, see your physician.

Vitamin A and beta-carotene: Vitamin A aids in maintaining good vision, such as preventing night blindness and cataracts, as well as reducing the risk of heart attacks and some forms of cancer. Beta-carotene is a
compound that makes up the red, orange and yellow pigments in plants that, when in the body, is converted into vitamin A. Excellent natural sources of vitamin A are raw carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, spinach, and cantaloupe.

Vitamin B1 - thiamine: Helps convert blood sugar to energy, forms red blood cells, maintains skeletal muscle. Sources are pork, sunflower seeds, whole grains, beans, seafood.

Folate: A B vitamin called folic acid, aids in metabolism and all of the body's biological reactions. It has recently been found to be especially important in pregnancy, as it aids in development of the fetus while preventing neural tube defects such as spina bifida and incomplete brain formation. sources are beans, spinach and other leafy greens, wheat germ, oranges, and mushrooms.

Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin: Aids in production of body energy. The more active you are the more B2 you need. It also protects against cancer and anemia. Sources of B2 are milk, yogurt, chicken, leafy green vegetables, fruit and almonds.

Vitamin B3 - Niacin: Required for proper metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein, as well as production of digestive acid. It is also essential for healthy skin, proper blood circulation and the functioning of the central nervous system. Sources are chicken breast, canned tuna, Brewer's yeast, peanut butter, beans, and sunflower seeds.

Vitamin B5 - pantothenic acid: Vitamin B5 has been found to help fight depression, reduce stress, metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and aid in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Its presence is needed to produce healthy red blood cells, antibodies, cholesterol and Vitamin D. Sources are organ meats, fish, grains, egg, peanuts and peas.

Vitamin B6 - Pyroxidine: Often hailed as a wonder vitamin as it aids in the treatment of many disorders, such as: PMS, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, nervous disorders, hyperactivity, diabetes, kidney stones, asthma, skin problems, acne, schizophrenia, and maintains a strong immune system. Sources are bananas, chicken, baked potatoes, chick peas, fortified cereals, oats, and peanuts.

Vitamin B12: Increases energy, reduces stress, improves memory, and aids the digestive system and strengthens the immune system. Sources are fresh fish, dairy products, beef and pork, and eggs.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is known for fighting colds and cancer as well as enforcing strong teeth, healthy gums, and prevention of heart disease and cataracts. Sources of vitamin C are strawberries, melons, citrus fruit, broccoli, brussel sprouts, red peppers and cranberry juice.

Vitamin D: Builds and maintains strong bones and teeth as it aids in calcium absorption. It is also believed to aid in treatment of psoriasis, tuberculosis and cancers. Sources are the sun (5-10 minutes, 3 times per week), egg yolks, fatty fish, fortified milk, and liver.

Vitamin E - tocopherol: Protects cells from damage caused by destructive oxygen molecules (free radicals), aids in prevention of certain cancers, cataracts, and heart disease and improves the immune system. Sources are vegetable oil, mayonnaise, peants, whole grains, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes and yams.

Vitamin K: Vitamin K plays an important function in blood clotting, maintaining healthy bones as well as aiding in the healing of fractures. Sources are leafy green vegetables, fruits, beets, potatoes, eggs, seeds, dairy products, meats, and is also made by bacteria in stomach.

Vitamn P - bioflavinoids: Vitamin P is a group of bioflavinoids that includes hesperidin, citrin, rutin, quercetin, calechin, flavone, and flavonals. They protect the capellary lining which is made up of the tiniest blood vessels in the body, as well as aid in the absorption and processing of Vitamin C. Sources are fruits, as bioflavinoids are actually a group of colored substances that are found in fruit skin and the pulp of the fruit.

As you can see, eating a well balanced diet is the best way to ensure getting adequate vitamins. If you feel you may need to supplement, along with eating a healthy diet, please consult your physician for your recommended daily allowances.

Autumn Vitamins for Strong Immunity

As I said in the last post , we have to take care of our vitaminization now for being strong all the autumn and winter.

Choosing a vitamin complex

In Autumn, first of all are needed vitamins which enhance our immunity. This is all well-known vitamin C (ascorbic acid), as well as vitamins A (retinol), E (tocopherol) and B6 (pyridoxine). They increase the body's resistance to viral and bacterial infections, and help cope with colds and flu. Immunity and micro elements can be strengthen with: zinc, selenium, copper. These vitamins and trace elements are needed to all: from babies to the elderly.

Pharmacies offer a wide range of effective vitamin complexes. They typically need to be taken only once a day. For pregnant women there are special vitamin complexes, but anyway before taking them consult your doctor. Vitamins for children usually have bright attractive package, and the drops (or pastilles) can have a funny shape. Most of the complexes are extracts of natural or infusions of immune-simulators: Echinacea, ginseng, eleuterokokka. Such complexes can be recommended to the elder persons.

Autumn Vegetables: enhancing immunity

Autumn vegetables are generous to us with the needed immunity enhancing vitamins. Vitamin C can be found in fresh cabbage, sweet peppers (it is ranked first with the content of vitamin C in vegetables). Vitamin C is destroyed with long-term exposure to high temperatures and in contact with metal (aluminum pots). To get the daily rate of vitamin C, one fresh sweet pepper or 200 grams of fresh cabbage salad is sufficient. Perhaps you can even cook a fresh cabbage juice: it will not only alleviate the vitamins' needs, but also help with the first signs of cold and inflamed throat.

For vitamin A supplies are needed carrots. 1 glass of carrot juice a day has a general strengthening, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer effects, refreshing the skin color. It is valuable not only the carrots' roots, but its leafy tops too. Take the green leaves from 3-4 carrots, scald them with boiling water, then mill with onions through the mincing machine. This vitamin mix is a great spice for rice, spaghetti, meat dishes.

Vitamin E is the most powerful natural antioxidant. Unlike vitamin A, vitamin E poorly can be accumulated in the body, so it is difficult to"stock" it for later. It is important ensuring to receive vitamin E in the body continuously. Vitamin E is found in abundance in vegetable oils (sunflower, flax, cornmeal, olive, almond). Apart from the use of vegetable oils for cooking, it is necessary to use one table-spoon of fresh oil a day.

Vitamin B6 is a real immunity vitamin, it is found in many vegetables: potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beans, beans, peas. From vegetable juices can be prepared exotic vitamin compositions. For example, take 2 carrots, 1 beet, a few leafs of cabbage and prepare a vegetable juice. To give it a different taste, you can also add half of lemon juice or orange juice.

Beside improving immunity, you should consider what vitamins will be practically impossible to find in the winter. It is the vitamin D, which is synthesized in the body only by the action of sunlight. While vitamin D is necessary, above all, to prevent rickets in children, in adults it prevents the loss of calcium, supports the strength of bone. Lack of vitamin D can affect the general feeling: there irritability, anxiety, depression.

Fortunately, vitamin D successfully accumulates in the body. When there is a possibility, you should take sun baths for 15-20 minutes a day. Recommendation is particularly relevant to children (up to 10-12 years) and women after 35-40 years.

Eye Supplements In Addition To Vitamin A

We all take our eyes and sight for granted, and that's ok cause we are born with them, but we only pay attention to them when some illness or trauma occurs. Sometimes it can be too late as our whole life is affected. There are many methods to take care of our vision, one of the prior importance is nutrition.

Of course we cannot control all the factors that involves the eye's health, but there also are a lot of them that we can prevent. Natural vision problems are caused by age, smoking, sunlight, obesity as well as the intake of many medications. The age related worsening (the most popular) can be delayed by means of nutrition.

It was proven that antioxidants from certain foods have an especially healthful effect on our eyes. Unfortunately far not everyone eats enough fresh produce - either because of the busy style of life, or just can't afford it.

Nowadays its very easy to find all the vitamins and supplements on the market, among them the A, C and E vitamins (antioxidants) have an influence on the eye health.

Vitamin A can be found in meals like eggs, liver, milk, carrot. It is involved in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin, hair and helps us to see in dim light, preventing night blindness for pregnant women.
Our eyes deteriorate without adequate supplies of vitamin C. An indication of its importance is the fact that the concentration of vitamin C in the vitreous humor (the clear liqud in the eyeball) is about twenty-five times our serum level (the level in our blood), the retina 100 times. The antioxidant qualities of vitamin C help prevent crystallization and accumulation of foreign molecules that result in the blurred vision of cataracts.

People with lower levels of vitamin E in their blood have a higher risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
Not less important for the vision are the beta carotene, selenium, cupric and zinc oxide, lutein. Smokers should take care to take enough luteine as it is important to the retina.

Eye sight vitamins can be bought without a prescription unless it is a high dosage for certain people who have AMD and require an extra dosage. Over the counter vitamins are usually not expensive and provide most or all of the vitamins and nutrients listed on our eye nutrition page. Normally dosages range from 1 to 4 pills a day but these will vary with the amounts of vitamins and minerals in each pill. It is also good to note that although these vitamins and minerals are good for us, a moderate amount is all we need because taking too much of them can be dangerous.

Vitamin C -- The Most Famous of Vitamins!

By David Leonhardt

We call Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, "the most famous of vitamins" because it really is the best known. It is the first one schoolchildren learn. It is the most cited cure for the common cold. Most people can rhyme off at least a few foods that contain vitamin C. And vitamin C is the single most searched nutrient on the Internet.

HISTORY OF VITAMIN C: Nobel Prize winning biochemist Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi first isolated vitamin C in 1928. (As someone of Hungarian descent, I find this a touch exciting.)

Vitamin C first got its reputation for beating the common cold in 1970, when fellow Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling published his bestselling book "Vitamin C and the Common Cold". In it, he suggested that taking vitamin C at levels well above the USA RDA (now 60 milligrams per day) could strengthen the immune system and help ward off the common cold.

BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C: Vitamin C helps form collagen, a glue-like fibrous protein in bone, cartilage, tendons and other connective tissue. Vitamin C helps give structure and maintain such body parts as bones, cartilage, muscle, veins, capillaries and teeth.

But recent studies have also linked "adequate dosages" of vitamin C to preventing a number of common cancers, of helping boost the nervous system, of prolonging life, of reducing the risk of heart disease, of softening the symptoms of respiratory diseases such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, and of keeping skin and glands healthy.

SOURCES OF VITAMIN C: Most animals manufacture their own vitamin C. Primates, such as humans, gorillas, and monkeys, have somehow lost this ability.

Which is why we need to get our vitamin C from our diets.

It is well known that citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, tangerines, limes, mandarins and others contain vitamin C.

In fact, vitamin C comes almost exclusively from fruits and vegetables.
Other good sources are tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, rutabagas, cantaloupe, kiwi, papayas, potatoes and watermelon.

One place that is NOT a good source are vitamin C pills, which the body just cannot absorb properly. This is a water soluble vitamin best taken in its natural juice or in a liquid supplement (or both!).

OPTIMUM USAGE OF VITAMIN C: Fortunately, if you consume too much of a water soluble vitamin, your body will get rid of excess. It also means that your body does not store it for long periods of time. You can't "stock up" on it, and you can reach a saturation point quickly; you need vitamin C several times a day.

Being a water-soluble vitamin, you lose it when you boil foods. For instance, if you boil your broccoli, you will lose the vitamin C. However, if you boil your broccoli in a soup, you will get the broccoli's vitamin C in the broth.

Do not soak or store fruits or vegetables in water, for you can lose the vitamin C that way. In short, the fresher cut the fruit or vegetable, and the less cooked, the more vitamin C you will get.

Like all vitamins and minerals, Vitamin C is most effective when combined with other nutrients. For example, one of the big benefits of vitamin C is that it helps the body digest and absorb iron, an essential mineral for good health.

It has also been found that vitamin C and E work together to help stave off Alzheimer's disease.

This is one of the reasons it is so important to take vitamin supplements that contain as many different nutrients as possible, so the body can absorb them together and enjoy the maximum benefits from each one.

VITAMIN C DOSAGE: Most experts agree that the US RDA is only a fraction of what it should be, and that daily vitamin C levels up to 1,000 or even 2,000 milligrams per day are safe and healthy.

Essential Nectar contains 250% of the US RDA, mixing it with 233 other natural, plant-based nutrients...making it a good vitamin C supplement for your diet.

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