- A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism.
- The word “ascorbic,” as in ascorbic acid (the name for Vitamin C), means “no scurvy”.
- The term 'vitamin' first became popular in the early 1800s as a portmanteau of the words 'vital' and 'mineral', though the actual meaning of the word has developed somewhat since that time.
- Vitamin A was given the first letter of the alphabet, as it was the first to be discovered.
- Vitamins are classified as either water-soluble or fat soluble. In humans there are 13 vitamins: 4 fat-soluble (A, D, E and K) and 9 water-soluble (8 B vitamins and vitamin C).
- Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods including fortified cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables.
- Vitamin C It helps slow down or prevent cell damage. Vitamin C is an antioxidant but is also vital for the production of collagen and enhances iron absorption.
- Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, neutralizing cell-damaging free radicals in the body.
- Vitamin E also protects the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
- Vitamin D (Ergosterol) helps to build bones and teeth, strengthens the nervous system, and assists in normal blood clotting.
- It has been proven that cancer is a deficiency disease caused by the lack of Vitamin B17 (Laetrile).
11 interesting facts about Vitamins
