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Vitamins: The Essentials

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Nutrition Guide for Physicians and Related Healthcare Professionals

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Abstract

The field of nutrition originated from the discovery of vitamins, a group of organic essential compounds. Vitamins are not synthesized by the body in amounts adequate to meet normal physiological functioning and therefore minute amounts obtained through diet are essential for maintenance, growth, development, and reproduction. Insufficient intake of micronutrients, both vitamins and minerals, leads to specific deficiency syndromes.

Traditionally, vitamins have been classified based on their solubilities. The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are absorbed passively, transported with dietary lipid, and tend to be stored in the liver and in body fat but may be excreted with the feces. The water-soluble vitamins (C and the eight B vitamins) are absorbed by passive or active mechanisms, transported by carriers, are not stored in appreciable amounts in the body, and are excreted in the urine. Table 1 provides an overview of the vitamins according to their functions, food sources, recommended levels of intake to support health, stability, as well as deficiency and toxicity symptoms.

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  • Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health (NIH). This site provides information on vitamins (and minerals), the safe use of supplements, and the research available on the treatment of health problems and disease with various supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Information Center. This site provides information on food composition and topics related to vitamins and minerals. https://fnic.nal.usda.gov

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Fir Building, Room 339, 12666 72nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, Canada, V3W 2M8

    Karen M. Davison Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Karen M. Davison Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Karen M. Davison Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Athabasca University Centre for Science, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada

    Norman J. Temple

  2. Winona State University Department of Biology, Winona, Minnesota, USA

    Ted Wilson

  3. Louisiana State University Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    George A. Bray

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Davison, K.M. (2017). Vitamins: The Essentials. In: Temple, N., Wilson, T., Bray, G. (eds) Nutrition Guide for Physicians and Related Healthcare Professionals. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49929-1_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49929-1_25

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-49928-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-49929-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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