Vitamins are organic substances essential for the normal functioning of the body, they are found in small amounts in all foods, except those that are highly refined. Vitamins, as their etymology suggests (from the Latin vita , life) are important for the life of the organism and for metabolic function.
Vitamins are not part of the structure of the body's tissues; rather they act as facilitators or tools for enzymes (the workers of the body), enabling them to better fulfill their tasks. These substances were studied for the first time in 1911, by the biochemist Casimir Funk.
Because the body is not capable of producing vitamins, these have to be provided with food in low quantities, which is why the importance of a balanced diet or diet, and above all varied to obtain them all, since there is no food containing all vitamins.
The lack of vitamins or a vitamin imbalance, produces the name avitaminosis, which can cause pathologies or disorders as serious as rickets, sterility or the loss of blood clotting capacity.
However, if some of the vitamins are administered in excess , they can also produce disorders called hypervitaminosis.
Vitamins have been divided into two groups, where each vitamin has a different function. There are water-soluble vitamins, which are soluble in water or aqueous solutions thanks to their chemical structure, they are kept for a very short time and when they are in excess, they are expelled with sweat, urine and feces, their consumption should be frequent, almost daily.
Comprise the so - called B vitamins (thiamine or vitamin B1, riboflavin or vitamin B2, nicotinamide or vitamin B3, pyridoxine or B6, cobalamin or vitamin B12), and acid l folic, biotin or vitamin H and vitamin C.
The other group is the fat-soluble vitamins, which are soluble in fats or lipids, and can be stored in some cells of the body. They are comprised of vitamin A, D, E, K, and lipoic acid.
