the vitamins

How vital are vitamins?

Like most good parents, you’ve probably asked your kids saying “eat your salad or eat this or that! ---- It’s packed with vitamins! “ But your kid might ask you: “what are vitamins? There it is your role to tell him/her what vitamins are and how vital they are?”
Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat. Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just like you should. When it comes to vitamins, each one has a special role to play. For example:
Vit. D in milk helps your bones.
Vit. A in carrot helps you see at night.
Vit. C in oranges helps your body heal if you get a cut.
B vitamins leafy green vegetables help your body make protein and energy.

Vitamins hang out in water and fat:

There are tow type of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble.
When eat foods that contain fat-soluble vitamins, the vitamins are stored in the fat tissues in your body and in your liver. They wait around in your body fat until your body needs them.
Fat-soluble vitamins are happy to stay stored in your body for awhile – some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months! Then, when it’s time for them to be used, special carriers in your body take them to where they’re needed. Vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble vitamins.
Water-soluble vitamins are different. When you eat foods that have water-soluble vitamins, the vitamins don’t get stored as much in your body. Instead, they travel through your bloodstream. Whatever your body doesn’t use comes out when you urinate (pee).
So these kinds of vitamins need to be replaced often because they don’t stick around! This crowd of vitamins includes vitamin C and the big group of vitamin B
vit. B1 (thiamin) , vit. B2 (riboflavin), niacin , vit. B6 (pyridoxine), biotin, and pantothenic acid.
Vitamins feed your needs your body is one powerful machine, capable of doing all sorts of things by it. But one thing it can’t do is make vitamins. That’s where food comes in. Your body is able to get the vitamins it needs from the foods you eat because different foods contain different vitamins. The key is to eat different foods to get an assortment of vitamins. Though some kids take a daily vitamin, most kids don’t need one if they’re eating a variety of healthy foods.
Now, let’s look more closely at vitamins – from A to K:

Vitamin A:
This vitamin plays a really big part in eyesight. It’s great for night vision. Vitamin A helps you to see in color, too, from the brightest yellow to the purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in healthy skin.

Which foods are rich in vitamin A?

Milk fortified with vitamin A , liver , orange , fruits and vegetables ( like cantaloupe , carrots , sweet potatoes ) dark green leafy vegetables ( like kale , collards ,spinach ) .


Vitamin B:
There’s more than one B vitamin. here’s the list : B1 , B2 , B6 , B12 , niacin , folic acid , biotin , and pantothenic acid .
That’s quite a group! The B vitamins are important in metabolic activity --- this means that they help make energy and set it free when your body needs it. So the next time your kid is running to third base, thank those B vitamins. This group of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Every part of your body needs oxygen to work properly, so these B vitamin have a really important job.

Which foods are rich in vitamin B?

Whole grains , such as wheat and oats , fish and seafood , poultry and meats , eggs , dairy products like milk and yogurt , leafy green vegetables , beans and peas.







Vitamin C:

This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums and muscles in good shape. C is also key if you get a cut or wound because it helps your body resist infection. This means that even though you can’t always avoid getting sick, vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected with an illness.

Which foods are rich in vitamin C?

Citrus fruits, like oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi fruit, sweet red peppers.

Vitamin D

No bones about it … vitamin D is the vitamin you need for strong bones! It’s also great for forming strong teeth. Vitamin D even lends a hand to an important mineral – it helps your body absorb the amount of calcium it needs.

Which foods are rich in vitamin D?

Milk fortified with vitamin D, fish, egg yolks, liver, fortified cereal.





Vitamin E:
Every body needs vitamin E. This hard-working, maintains a lot of your body’s tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin and liver .it protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells.

Which foods are rich in vitamin E?

Whole grains, such as wheat and oats, wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, sardines, egg yolks, nuts and seeds.


Vitamin K

Vitamin K is the clot master! Remember the last time you got a cut? Your blood did something special called clotting. This is when certain cells in your blood act like glue and stick together at the surface of the cut to help stop the bleeding.

Which foods are rich in vitamin K?

Leafy green vegetables dairy products, like milk and yogurt, broccoli, soybean oil, when your body gets this vitamin and the other ones it needs, you’ll be feeling OK!