ABC Of Vitamins: Everything You Need To Know About Vitamins!(part-2)

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C is the star among vitamins and is one of the best-known representatives of its kind. Whether in advertising or in well-intentioned advice from relatives and friends - vitamin C is always mentioned as the drug of choice when we've caught a cold.

In fact, the water-soluble vitamin has important tasks in our organism. For example, it is involved in numerous metabolic processes, promotes the absorption of iron from the intestine and has an antioxidant effect.

Above all, the antioxidant properties of vitamin C are important, because thanks to this, it acts directly against harmful free radicals and actively protects the body's cells.

Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)

Vitamin D plays an important role in supplying our body. This is mainly due to its enormously important role in building and maintaining strong bones.

However, this is not a classic vitamin, as it can be produced by the body itself. This happens due to UVB radiation on the skin. It is important that it is UVB radiation, not UVA radiation. The former only occurs when the position of the sun is sufficiently high – in winter, especially in northern countries, it therefore decreases significantly.

However, this is not a classic vitamin, as it can be produced by the body itself. This happens due to UVB radiation on the skin. It is important that it is UVB radiation, not UVA radiation. The former only occurs when the position of the sun is sufficiently high – in winter, especially in northern countries, it therefore decreases significantly.

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Vitamin E or tocopherol renders free radicals harmless by reacting with them. It acts as a radical scavenger and protects the valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidative destruction.

It is also responsible for controlling the gonads. So it ensures the maintenance of fertility.

Vitamin K (coagulation vitamins)

Vitamin K consists of two different subtypes:

• Vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone, can be easily ingested from various leafy vegetables and milk with everyday food.
• Vitamin K2, on the other hand, is mainly formed by the bacteria in the intestinal flora and is considered a scarce commodity in the western diet.
• Vitamin K1 and K2 fulfill quite similar functions. In general, both serve to activate important proteins that ensure tasks such as blood clotting and ensuring healthy bones and a healthy heart. Blood clotting simply cannot take place without the K vitamins.

Do I need to supplement vitamins?

A balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables is usually sufficient for the health care of healthy people to prevent the risk of illness.

Special life situations that lead to the expectation of an increased need for vitamins, chronic deficiencies due to poor nutrition or special illnesses justify the additional intake of vitamin preparations for prophylactic reasons.

In winter and with special forms of nutrition, however, a dietary supplement with vitamins can make sense. Above all, you should keep an eye on the supply of vitamin D and vitamin B12.