subject: Three Critical Types Of Vitamins [print this page] Vitamins are one of the major nutrients that humans get from their food, and those nutrients are vital to keep the body running properly. Eating a balanced diet is important precisely because it provides the right balance of vitamins that the body needs to stay healthy. There are dozens of vitamins that we all must consume each day for optimal health with these three vitamins vital for running the bodys most crucial systems.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is important for many systems in the body, most notably the bones and eyes. However, it is an important nutrient for cell division, affecting every system of the body. Bone growth is dependent in part on the amount of this nutrient in the body. A also assists the body in fighting off infections. It helps to fight viral infections, infectious diseases like the measles and can even help the immune systems of people who have depressed immune systems. Some studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of developing prostate and colorectal cancers.
Improved eyesight is a well-known effect of keeping the body stocked with vitamin A. It helps the prevent night blindness as well as cataracts. In addition, it prevents the vision loss that is common with advancing age. It can reduce the chances of developing age-related macular degeneration by about half.
B Vitamins
The B vitamins include eight essential nutrients that must be present in the body for optimal health. Each has its own specific functions within the body. In general, they provide a metabolism boost, a stronger immune system and help to keep muscles and skin healthy. Together they help cells to grow and divide and provide a number of specialized functions in virtually every system. B2 helps fats to be metabolized. B6 assists in the creation of red blood cells. B9 helps to prevent spinal birth defects.
By taking in these and other important nutrients, the body can stay healthier and burn fat faster. A deficiency of any of them can cause serious health consequences and even fatal illnesses.
Vitamin C
The lack of this nutrient is responsible for a host of serious, even fatal, illnesses. A vitamin C deficiency can cause slower healing, anemia, a slower metabolism, swollen joints, scurvy and nosebleeds. It can be ingested in citrus fruits, many vegetables and from multivitamin supplements.
When there is enough of it in the body, it is used to heal wounds, grow new tissue and to maintain bones, cartilage and teeth. It also stops some of the normal damage created by free radicals. Without that protection, the body ages faster. It also has a harder time healing and becomes susceptible to everything from bruising to gingivitis.
