How do vitamins function exactly?

Vitamins are the building blocks that keep our bodies functioning; they support the development of bone and muscle, help us absorb energy, treat wounds, and more. However, if our bodies don't produce vitamins, how can they enter our bodies? Ginnie Trinh Nguyen researched an explanation with this discussion of what vitamins are, how they enter our systems, and why they are so essential.

A, C, E, D, B, and K. This alphabet is not arbitrary or out of order. These are vitamins; they are the building blocks that keep the body functioning, much as letters form language. We must consume trace amounts of chemical substances called vitamins to maintain our health. They aid in the development of muscle and bone, the utilization of nutrients, the capture and use of energy, and the healing of wounds. They are the body's builders, defenders, and maintenance personnel.

Consider the predicament of early-day sailors, who had little access to vitamin-rich fresh vegetables, if you need more proof of the benefits of vitamins. Scurvy struck them. But the easy cure for this illness was vitamin C, which is abundant in fruits and vegetables. Our bodies are unable to create vitamins on their own, so we must obtain them from outside sources. By contrast, bacteria, fungi, and plants can. How does the body then bring vitamins from elsewhere into this place? Depending on the shape these molecules acquire, yes. The two types of vitamins are lipid-soluble and water-soluble, and this distinction affects how the body absorbs, stores, and eliminates them.

The eight main forms of the water-soluble vitamins, which include vitamin C and the B complex, each have a specific function. These are easily absorbed into the body because they are dissolved in the watery portions of fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Once ingested, these meals are digested, and the bloodstream immediately absorbs the vitamins they contain. Water-soluble vitamins C and B have an easier time being transported because blood plasma is made of water, but they can still move around freely inside the body.

The journey into the blood is a little more perilous for lipid-soluble vitamins, which are present in foods like dairy, butter, and oils and are dissolved in fat. These vitamins pass through the stomach and intestine, where bile, an acidic fluid produced by the liver, breaks down fats and makes them more soluble so they may be absorbed through the intestinal wall. Proteins that bind to fat-soluble vitamins and act as messengers to transport them into the blood and throughout the body fill this need because fat-soluble vitamins cannot utilize the blood's watery nature to move them about. Thus, the difference between vitamins that are fat- or water-soluble affects how they enter the bloodstream as well as how the body retains or excretes them.

The majority of water-soluble vitamins are simple for the kidneys to eliminate because the body can move them through the bloodstream quickly. Because of this, the majority of water-soluble vitamins must be replaced daily through our diets. However, fat-soluble vitamins are more durable because the liver and fat cells can store them. We shouldn't overdose on this type of vitamin because the body typically has plenty on hand. The body uses these areas like a pantry, keeping the vitamins there and rationing them out as needed. The vitamins are now free to carry out the purpose for which they were originally brought here once we straightened out the practicalities of transportation and storage. Some vitamins—like many of the B-complex vitamins—contain coenzymes, which aid in the release of food's energy through enzymes. The body is subsequently assisted in using that energy by other B vitamins.

You can manufacture collagen, a type of tissue that builds bones and teeth and heals wounds, and you can fight infection using vitamin C. White blood cells play a crucial role in the body's defense. Vitamin A also helps to shape bones and enhances eyesight by maintaining the balance of eye cells. In order to build bones, vitamin D collects calcium and phosphorus, and vitamin E functions as an antioxidant, removing substances from the body that may harm cells. We finally give vitamin K points for its contribution to the production of the proteins necessary for blood clotting.

Humans are vulnerable to shortages without this vitamin variety, which can result in a range of issues like weariness, nerve damage, heart conditions, or illnesses like rickets and scurvy. On the other hand, consuming excessive amounts of any vitamin can lead to toxicity in the body, dispelling the assumption that piling on supplements will be beneficial. In actuality, it all comes down to striking the perfect balance and receiving enough vitamins.