LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Vitamins: Diet
built 619 days ago
Vitamins can perform their work in very small quantities. Hence, the total daily requirement is usually very small. The daily need of any vitamin for any individual is not a fixed quantity. It varies according to the rate of metabolism. In people undergoing heavy muscular work, in pregnancy, lactation, growing children, the vitamin requirement is high. Generally, a man doing ordinary work can obtain enough vitamins from his balanced mixed diet.
Source:
The term vitamin is derived from the words vital and amine, because vitamins are required for life and were originally thought to be amines. Although not all vitamins are amines, they are organic compounds required by humans in small amounts from the diet. An organic compound is considered a vitamin if a lack of that compound in the diet results in overt symptoms of deficiency.
Source:
Alcohol interferes with these vitamins, and some of the physical and mental problems that alcoholics experience may be attributed to a deficiency of B vitamins. Elderly people are ... at risk for deficiencies because of inadequate diets and potential interference with B-vitamin absorption by medications. Deficiencies can occur in severely malnourished people or in those receiving long-term dialysis or intravenous feeding. Vegetarians may be at risk.
Source:
Antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamin E may protect the eyes against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, according to a new special health report from Harvard Medical School. There's some truth to the belief that "eating carrots is good for the eyes," the Harvard publication said, but noted that diets containing more antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamin E and Vitamin C "are even better."
Source:
If you eat a healthy diet, do you need to take vitamins? Not long ago, the answer from most experts would have been a resounding "no". Today, though, there's good evidence that taking a daily multivitamin makes sense for most adults.
Source:
Dietary supplements, often containing vitamins, are used to ensure that adequate amounts of nutrients are obtained on a daily basis, if optimal amounts of the nutrients cannot be obtained through a varied diet. Scientific evidence supporting the benefits of some dietary supplements is well established for certain health conditions, but others need further study.[27]
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Diet