INTRODUCTION TO VITAMINS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF VITAMINS
The word “Vitamin” is the modified form of the word Vitamine” which was actually a combination of the words “Vital” and “Amine” meaning the amine of life.
The word “Vitamine” had been coined by Kazimierz Funk, a Polish Biochemist. This was later found to be a misnomer as the chemical structure of various vitamins was found to be varied and hence the word Vitamine was changed to Vitamin.
Vitamins are defined as vital organic compounds required by all living organisms but in minute quantities. Although the vitamins are, by definition, compounds which cannot be synthesised by the body and are needed to be exclusively obtained from diet, this has been disproved as many vitamins are now known to be produced by the body e.g. Vitamin D is generated in the skin on exposure to sunlight. Currently we are aware of. 13 vitamins. They are classified into “water soluble” and “fat soluble” vitamins.
FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS
- Vitamin- A
- Vitamin- D
- Vitamin- E
- Vitamin- K
WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS
- Vitamin- C
- Vitamin- B1
- Vitamin- B2
- Vitamin- B3
- Vitamin- B5
- Vitamin- B6
- Vitamin- B7
- Vitamin- B9
- Vitamin- B12
