Vitamins glossary Vitamins are key to everybody's supplementation. They perform the important task of aiding with the digestion of foods. They are necessary for your metabolism, health and most importantly, growth. There are two main categories of vitamins; water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins are stored throughout the body and fat-soluble vitamins are stored in body fat. It is much easier and economic to consume a multi-vitamin/mineral ensures that you consume your daily requirements of micro nutrients. Water Soluble Vitamins Thiamin - B1: Energy metabolism; nervous system function.  Cheif functions in your body: Used in energy metabolism; suports normal appetite and nerve function Significant sources: pork, ham, bacon, liver, whole-grain or enriched breads and cereal, legumes, nuts Deficiency Symptoms Common Names: Beriberi Nervous/Muscular Systems: Degeneration, wasting, weakness, painful calf muscles, low morale, difficulty walking, loss of ankle and knee-jerk reflexes, mental confusion, paralysis Blood/Circulatory System: Edema, enlarged heart, abnormal heart rythms, heart failure Riboflavin - B2: Energy metabolism; maintenance of eye tissue.  Cheif functions in your body: Used in energy metabolism; supoprts normal vision and skin health Significant sources: Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, meat, leafy green vegetables, whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals  Deficiency Symptoms Common Names: Ariboflavinosis Nervous/Muscular Systems: Inflamed eyelids and sensitivity to light, reddening of cornea Mouth, Gums, Tongue: Cracks and redness at corners of mouth; painful, smooth, purplish-red tongue Skin: Skin rash Niacin - B3: Energy metabolism; skin, nervous system, and digestive tract health.  Cheif functions in your body: Used in energy metabolisml; supports health of skin, nervous system, and digestive system Significant sources: Milk, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, whole-grain and enriched breads and cereals, nuts, and all protein-containing foods Deficiency Symptoms Common Names: Pellagra Digestive System: Diarrhea Nervous/Muscular Systems: Irritability, loss of appetite, weakness, dizziness, mental confusion progressing to psychosis or delirium Mouth, Gums, Tongue: Inflamed, swollen, smooth tongue Skin: Bilateral symmetrical determatitis, especially on areas exposed to sun Toxicity Symptoms Digestive System: Diarrhea, heartburn, nausea, ulcer irritation, vomiting Nervous/Muscular Systems: Fainting, diziness Other: Liver Damage, low blood pressure Skin: Painful flush and rash, exessive sweating Pyridoxine - B6: Amino acid and fatty acid metabolism; red blood cell production.  Cheif functions in your body: Used in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism; helps convert trypophan to niacin,; helps make red blood cells Significant sources: Green and leaft vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, shellfish, legumes, fruits, whole grains Deficiency Symptoms Nervous/Muscular Systems: Abnormal brain wave pattern, irritability, muscle twitching, convulsions Blood/Circulatory System: Anemia (small-cell type) Other: Kidney stones Mouth, Gums, Tongue: Smooth tongue, cracked corners of mouth Skin: Irritation of sweat glands, dermatitis Toxicity Symptoms Nervous/Muscular Systems: Depression, fatigue, irritibality, headaches, nerve damage leading to numbness and muscle weakness Blood/Circulatory System: Bloating Other: Bone pain Cyanocobalamin - B12: Cell synthesis; nervous system maintenance.  Cheif functions in your body: Used in new cell synthesis; helps maintain nerve cells; reforms folate coenzyme; helps break down some fatty acids and amino acids Significant sources: Animal products (meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, milk, cheese, eggs)  Deficiency Symptoms Common Names: Pernicious anemia Nervous/Muscular Systems: Fatigue, degeneration of peripheral nervers progressing to paralysis Blood/Circulatory System: Anemia (large-cell type) Mouth, Gums, Tongue: Smooth tongue Skin: Hypersensitivity Vitamin C: Collagen formation; amino acid metabolism; enhanced iron absorption; anti oxidant.  Cheif functions in your body: Collagen synthesis, antioxydant, thyroxin synthesis, amino acid metabolism, strengthens resistance to infection, helps absorption of iron Significant sources: Citrus fruits, cabbage-type vegetables, dark green vegetables, cantaloupe, strawberries, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, papayas, mangoes Deficiency Symptoms Common Names: Scurvy Nervous/Muscular Systems: Muscle degeneration and pain, hysteria, depression Blood/Circulatory System: Anemia (small-cell type), atherosclerotic plaques, pinpoint hemorrhages Other: Failure of wounds to heal Immune System: Suppression, frequent infections Mouth, Gums, Tongue: Bleeding gums, loosened teeth Skin: Rough skin, blotchy bruises Toxicity Symptoms Digestive System: Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea Nervous/Muscular Systems: Headache, fatigue, insomnia Other: Interference with medical tests, aggravation of gout symptoms, urinary tract problems, kidney stones Skin: Hot flashes, rashes Folacin: Cell synthesis. Biotin: Energy metabolism. Fat-Soluble Vitamins Vitamin A: Vision; mucous membrane formation; bone and tooth growth.  Cheif functions in your body: Vision; maintenance of cornea, epithelial cells, mucous membranes, skin; done and tooth growth; reproduction; immunity Significant sources: Retinol: fortified milk, cheese, cream, butter, fortified margarine, eggs, liver; Beta-carotene: spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, deep orange fruits (apricots, cantaloupe) and vegetables (squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin)  Deficiency Symptoms Common Names: Hypovitaminosis A Digestive System: Changes in lining, diarrhea Eyes: Night blindness, changes in epithelial ittue (hyperkeratinization), drying (xerosis), triangular grey spots on eye (Bitot's spots), irrersible drying (keratomalacia), and corneal degeneration (blindness)       Nervous/Muscular Systems: Brain and spinal cord growth too fast for stunted skull and spine Bones/Teeth: Cessation of bone growth, painful joints, impaired enamel formation, cracks in teeth, tendency to decay, atrophy of dentin-forming cells Blood/Circulatory System: Anemia, often masked by dehydration Other: Kidney stones Immune System: Suppression of immune reactions; frequent respiratory, digestive, bladder, vaginal, and kidney infections Skin: Plugging of hair follicles with keratin, forming white lumps (hyperkeratosis) Toxicity Symptoms Common Names: Hypervitaminosis A Digestive System: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss Nervous/Muscular Systems: Loss of appetite, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, restlessness, headaches, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, interference with thyroxin Bones/Teeth: Increased activity of osteoclasts (cells that destroy bone during its growth) causing decalicification, joint pain, fragility, stunted growth, thickening of long bones, increase of pressre inside skull mimicking brain tumor, headaches Blood/Circulatory System: Loss of hemoglobin and potassium by red blood cells, cessation of menstruation, slowed clotting time, easily induced bleeding Other: Amenorrhea (evelated serum caronene concentrations), jaundice (bile related pigments spill into the blood stream and skin yellows), enlargment of liver and spleen, massive accumulation of fat and vitamin A in liver Immune System: Overstimulation of immune reactions Skin: Dryness, itching, peeling, rashes, dry scaling lips, cracking and bleeding of lips, nosebleeds, loss of hair, brittle nails Vitamin D: Bone mineralization.  Cheif functions in your body: Promotes mineralization of bones (raises blood calcium and phosphorous by increasing absorption in the digestive tract, withdrawing calcium from digestive tract, stimulation retention by kidneys) Significant sources: Self-synthesis with sunlight, fortified milk, fortified margarine, egg yolk, liver, fatty fish  Deficiency Symptoms Common Names: Rickets, osteomalacia Nervous/Muscular Systems: Rickets: lax muscles resulting in protrusion of abdomen; muscle spasms. Osteomalacia: Involuntary twitching, muscle spasms. Bones/Teeth: _B_Rickets in Children:_B_ Faulty calcification, resulting in misshaped bones (bowing of legs) and retarded growth; enlargement of ends of bones (knees, wrists); deformitites of ribs; delayed closing of fontanel; resulting in rapid enlargement of head; slow eruption of teeth; malformed decay-prone teeth; _B_Osteomalacia in Adults:_B_ Softening effect: deformities of limbs, spine, thorax, and pelvis; demineralization; pain in pelvis, lower back, and legs; bone fractures Blood/Circulatory System: Osteomalacia: Decreased calcium and/or phosphorous, increased alkaline phosphatase Other: Rickets: Abnormally high secretion of parathormone, increased calcium in stools, decreased calcium in urine Toxicity Symptoms Common Names: Hypervitaminosis D Nervous/Muscular Systems: Loss of appetite, headache, weakness, fatigue, exessive thirst, irritability, apathy Bones/Teeth: Increased calcium withdrawl Blood/Circulatory System: Increased calcium and phosphorus concentration Other: Calcification of soft tissues (blood vessels, kidneys, heart, lungs, tissues around joints), Increased excretion of calcium in urine, kidney stones, irreversible renal damage, death Vitamin E: Anti oxidant. Cheif functions in your body: Antioxidant, stabilization of cell membranes, regulation of oxidation reactions, protection of PUFA and vitamin A Significant sources: Polyunsaturated plant oils (margarine, salad dressing, shortenings), green and leafy vegetables, wheat germ, whole-grain products, liver, egg yolks, nuts, seeds  Deficiency Symptoms Nervous/Muscular Systems: Degeneration, weakness, difficulty walking, severe pain in calf muscle Blood/Circulatory System: Red clood cell breakage, anemia Toxicity Symptoms Digestive System: General discomfort Bones/Teeth: Augments effects of anticlotting medication Vitamin K: Blood clotting.