Interruption

How to Prevent Vitamin Malnutrition

by Kristen Putch, beat blogger

Ever wonder what the purpose of a taking multivitamin is? Believe it or not, a daily multivitamin will provide you will health enhancing vitamins that the average person may not consume in a normal day. Below is a list of vitamins and their uses to enhance your health and prevent disease and infection.

Vitamin A : Promotes healthy bone growth, vision, reproduction, cell division and specialization and helps regulate the immune system.

Food sources include whole milk, liver, eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and most darkly colored fruit and vegetables.

Vitamin B2: Supports energy production and is necessary for red blood cell and antibody production, respiration and regulating human growth and reproduction. It is essential for healthy skin, nails and hair growth, healing of wounds and general good health.

Sources include liver, kidney, whole grains, green leaf vegetables, milk, yeast, cheese, oily fish, eggs, enriched cereals, almonds and mushrooms.

Vitamin B12: The primary functions are to maintain a healthy nervous system and to produce red blood cells.

Sources include meat, dairy products and eggs but no reliable plant sources.

Vitamin C: The human body is unable to store Vitamin C and unless replenished constantly, symptoms—the most commonly known of which is scurvy that can become fatal—will quickly occur. It is important in forming collagen that gives structure to bones, cartilage, muscle and blood vessels and in maintaining bones and teeth, and in the absorption of iron.

Sources are most fruits and vegetables served raw if possible, Vitamin C dissolves in water, so you want to cook your veggies, use the minimal amount of water by steaming or microwaving for as short a time as possible.

Vitamin D: The source of this vitamin is best known as being from sunlight, or more accurately, as being made in the body by exposure to UV rays.

It promotes calcium and phosphorous that are vital in forming and maintaining strong bones. Vitamin D may also be involved in regulating cell growth and maintaining a healthy immune system.

Exposure to sunlight (which should be carefully limited) is the principal source, most dairy products contain only limited amounts, better sources include oily fish, fortified cereals, eggs, and beef liver.

Vitamin E: A is a powerful source of antioxidants and as such acts as a barrier to poisons and diseases that can damage the body. It is also recognized as being involved in immune system function, DNA repair, the protection of blood cells, the nervous system, muscles and the eye retinas from free radical damage.

The best sources include nuts, green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, sprouts) eggs, whole wheat products, soy beans and vegetable oils and particularly olive oil.

Vitamin K: This vitamin plays an essential role in the production of coagulation proteins, meaning that it is responsible for regulating the ability of the blood to clot.

Any green vegetables, asparagus, oats and oils, such as olive oil, are good sources of this vitamin.

Remember to consult your doctor about starting any type of vitamin regime.

Kristen Putch is a senior newspaper and history major. She is the former editor-in-chief of The Student Voice and managing editor of 360 Degrees magazine. She has written for The Daily Orange and is currently a freelance writer for http://www.Suite101.com. Based on her personal experiences with balancing work and everything else, she is very familiar with the college student’s tendency to talk themselves out of doing what’s right: what’s healthy. She wants to encourage those to be proactive and prevent it with her column “Interruption.”

Her contact information is kristen.j.putch@gmail.com.

About these ads