A, E, D, B, C… Vitamins are essential for the body, they participate in growth, in the muscular, bone, immune, nervous systems… With the exception of vitamin D and K that the body manufactures, the others are available in food. Definition, role, foods, deficiencies… All regarding vitamins.
What is a vitamin?
Vitamins are organic substances without energy value but essential to the organism. The human body generally cannot produce them on its own, and their food intake is therefore essential. They participate in the construction of the organism (growth, development of the skeleton, etc.), in the functioning and maintenance of the body (transformation and use of macro nutrientsvision, blood coagulation, muscular, nervous, immune systems, DNA production…).“To date, we have identified thirteen vitaminsincluding eight B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12), vitamin C and four fat-soluble, fat-soluble vitamins from foods. These are vitamins A, D, E and K”, explains Laurence Plumey, nutritionist.
List of vitamins
Role: What are vitamins for?
Via multiple mechanisms of action, vitamins play many roles that contribute to the proper functioning of the human body. The vitamins are numerous and one distinguishes in particular the vitamine Ahaving a role in growth and vision in particular, the group B vitamins helping many reactions of production (anabolism) or destruction (catabolism) of materials, the vitamin C promoting the absorption of iron and entering into the synthesis of blood cells, the vitamin D allowing the absorption of calcium and its fixation to strengthen the bones, the vitamin K, which contributes to blood clotting… “There are no vitamins more essential than others. They are all important. On the other hand, there are vitamins which are more affected by deficiencies than others. This is the case for vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamins E and vitamin B9″.
What are the benefits of vitamins?
► To vitamins A (retinol or beta-carotene) plays an important role in vision, skin cell renewal and the immune system.
► Group B vitamins refer to all of the eight vitamins from group B.
► vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, et B8 are involved in energy production. “Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8 convert the proteins, fats and carbohydrates we eat into energy”says Laurence Plumey.
► The vitamine B9, or folic acidinvolved in cell division. “It’s a vitamin very important for women, assures our specialist, because almost one in two women lacks it, which can cause fetal malformations during early pregnancy in a deficient woman.”
► “The vitamine B12 also involved in cell division like B9″, she adds. It also contributes to the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system. Vitamins B9 and B12 also participate in the formation of red blood cells.
► Vitamin C has antioxidant properties that fight once morest cell aging. It helps healing and strengthens teeth and bones. “Very valuable in winter, it also strengthens the immune defences”, says Laurence Plumey.
► Vitamin D “This absolutely essential vitamin serves to fix calcium on the waters. It has a valuable role in immunity and the prevention of cancers”, emphasizes the nutritionist. “On has also noticed that many patients who developed a severe form of Covid-19 were deficient in vitamin D, unlike those who were unlike those who made a light form“, adds Laurence Plumey.
►Vitamins E participates in the protection of cell membranes and thus contributes to slowing down skin aging. “Vitamin E also has antioxidant properties. It is very useful for limiting the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood, the first risk factor for the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, the cause of many cardiovascular diseases”, adds our expert.
► The vitamin K “intervenes mainly in the process of coagulation”, notes Dr. Plumey. It also participates in bone mineralization and cell growth.
Vitamins and diet
Apart from vitamins K and D that the body manufactures, the others are provided by food, hence the importance of having a balanced diet to avoid deficiencies.
► To vitamins A “You just have to put colored vegetables on your plate to cover a large part of our daily need for beta-carotene”, assures Laurence Plumey. We thus find the vitamin A in vegetables (carrots, sweet potato, winter squash, peppers…). It is also present in foods of animal origin such as liver, fish oil, eggs and dairy products as well as butter.
► Group B vitamins: mainly in whole grains, fish, poultry, seeds and pulses.
Vitamin B9 is mainly found in green vegetables (spinach), cabbage, liver and oilseeds. Vitamin B12 is mainly present in foods of animal origin, meat, fish and eggs. “Two eggs are enough to cover his daily need for B12”, specify the nutritionist.
► Vitamin C: especially brought by the citrus fruits, kiwis and mangoes. “I highly recommend drinking orange juice in the morning, either homemade or bottled – bottled orange juice contains almost as much vitamin C as homemade juice. This gesture will cover 70% of our daily vitamin C needs. is a guaranteed supply of vitamin C and hesperidin (another rare antioxidant), starting in the morning. It is therefore very useful for tone and immune defenses! “, says Laurence Plumey. Vitamin C is also found in some raw vegetables (peppers, cabbage, horseradish)
► Vitamin D: “It is found in the oily fish (sardines, herring, mackerel and salmon) that should be eaten two to three times a week”. Our expert also recommends consuming a teaspoon of cod liver oil daily.
Note: vitamin D is the only vitamin that our body is able to synthesize under the action of the sun.
► Vitamin E: mainly provided by oilthem almondsthem Hazelnut. “One should consume one to two spoonfuls of oil daily. Note also that a nice handful of 23 almonds covers 65% of an adult’s daily vitamin E requirement; This is exceptional”, details the specialist.
► Vitamin K: is present in the green vegetables, egg yolk and cereals.
When to take vitamins?
According to Laurence Plumey, “in winter it’s good to do a short vitamin cure for a month or two. This way you’re sure to fill up your reserves. I recommend a complete vitamin formula with between 10 and 12 vitamins per daily intake”.
In detail, she identifies three situations in which it is important to supplement:
► In vitamine B9 : “Any woman wishing to become pregnant must absolutely supplement with vitamin B9 so as not to lack it from the first days of pregnancy.”
► In vitamine B12 : “Vegans should supplement with vitamin B12 because it is found primarily in foods of animal origin.”
► In vitamins B1 : “The only cause of severe vitamin B1 deficiency is bypass (bariatric surgery performed in people suffering from massive obesity) in the absence of supplementation”, comments Laurence Plumey.
Excess of vitamins
Vitamins should not be present in excess in the blood, just as they should not be lacking. A blood test can be prescribed by a doctor to assess the level of a vitamin (C…). “For most vitamins, deficiencies occur especially during diets that are often too strict that women inflict on themselves – or by following unbalancing eating habits”note Laurence Plumey. “Indeed, when one or more families of foods are removed from one’s diet, one risks deficiencies; It’s inevitable.” Vitamin deficiency is responsible for pathologies or disorders related to the deficit of the functions in which they participate.
Of the deficiencies in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8 will be characterized by skin signs such as eczema and neurological disorders such as tingling or cramps. A vitamin A deficiency will be characterized by a loss of vision, dryness of the skin and susceptibility to infections. The first symptoms of vitamin C deficiency will be irritability and the fatigue. After several months, the symptoms of scurvy set in. A vitamin D deficiency is characterized by a progressive demineralization, great susceptibility to infections and causes muscle weakness. A vitamin K deficiency leads to troubles from coagulation. A vitamin B9 deficiency may be the cause of a anemia and a poor fetal development during pregnancy. A vitamin B12 deficiency may be the cause of a anemia and of nervous disorders. “To have specific signs of deficiencies for each of its vitaminsyou really have to suffer from deep deficiencies, situations that you hardly encounter in France anymore – except in very precarious situations. With a varied, balanced and sufficient diet, we give ourselves the means not to have any deficiencies., assures our expert. Thus, in Western countries, the most common sign of moderate deficiency will be above all fatigue.
Thanks to Dr. Laurence Plumey, nutritionist.
