Vitamins: Micronutrients or Miracle Drugs?

Vitamins are organic substances derived from living material-plants and animals. They are required in the diet in such tiny amounts-milligram or microgram quantities-that all the needed vitamins together add up to about an eighth of a teaspoon a day.

If you are lacking one or another vitamin in your diet, or if you consume it in insufficient quantity, characteristic deficiency symptoms develop. But because vitamins have such diverse roles, the deficiency symptoms of a particular vitamin may touch many different body functions, and different vitamins may produce similar deficiency symptoms.

Vitamin A is Essential For:

• The health of the eyes, good eyesight
• Setting calcium in the bones
• The health and beauty skin
• The healing of wounds
• The health of the immune system
• The growth of children through adolescence

A Deficiency in Vitamin A Causes:

• Eyesight problems, cataracts
• Dryness of the skin, mucous membranes, nail and hair
• A predisposition to suffer from numerous infections
• Poor growth of children and adolescents

You will profit from taking a supplement of vitamin A if you are suffering from one of the following health problems: acne, cellulite, conjunctivitis, dry skin, eczema, hay fever, infections, psoriasis.

Foods that are rich in vitamin A (Beta-Carotene): broccoli, parsley, potatoes, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, pepper, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, watermelon, asparagus, string beans, artichokes, celery, cabbage, corn, avocados, apricots, cherries, plums, peaches

Vitamin C is Essential For:

• A healthy immune system
• A complete antioxidant protection
• The elimination and neutralization of toxic substances
• The transport of oxygen
• The formation of collagen, kind of a cement between our cells
• The formation of bones, teeth, cartilages and blood vessels
• The assimilation of iron
• Storing calcium and phosphorus in the bones

A Deficiency in Vitamin C Causes:

• The weakening of the immune system and all of its consequences
• Redness and bleeding of the gums
• A tendency to bruise easily
• Bone fragility, tooth decay, a weakness of cartilage tissue
• A greater sensitivity to stressful events

You will profit from taking a supplement of vitamin C if you are suffering from one of the following health problems: anaemia, chronic fatigue, cold, flu, herpes, nervousness, otitis, sinusitis, stress, tonsillitis, voice loss.

Foods that are a good source of vitamin C: broccoli, sweet papers, cauliflower, mangos, tomatoes, mandarin oranges, asparagus, pineapples, parsley, potatoes, raspberries, spinach, strawberries, peppers, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, melons, cantaloupe and Brussels sprout.

Vitamin E is Essential For:

• A complete antioxidant protection
• Reproduction, impregnation, fertility
• A good oxygenation of the system
• The health and beauty of the skin

A Deficiency in Vitamin E Causes:

• Sterility
• Sexual impotence, frigidity
• Skin problems
• Deficient muscular activity
• Circulatory problems

You will profit from taking a supplement of vitamin E if you are suffering from one of the following health problems: acne, alcoholism, asthma, bronchitis, cellulite, circulatory problems, frequent cough, eczema, memory loss, menopausal disorders, difficult menses, premenstrual syndrome, psoriasis, sexual impotence, varicose veins.

Foods that are a good source of vitamin E: wheat germ oil, soya oil, butter, eggs, green  peas, beef liver, cod liver oil, apples, bananas, grapefruit, lettuce, oranges, potatoes, brown rice and tomatoes.

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. Our body manufactures it when our skin is in contact with the sun’s rays.  It is the only vitamin to be produced by our body. Our system can manufacture large quantities of vitamin D and store them in the liver until needed.

Vitamin D is Essential For:

The absorption of calcium through the intestines and into the blood;
Settling calcium and phosphorus in the bones.

A Deficiency in Vitamin D Caused:

• Osteoporosis, rickets, osteomalacia
• Curving of the spinal column and the leg
• Tooth decay

You will profit from taking a supplement of vitamin D if you are suffering from: anaemia, fracture, psoriasis.

Foods that are a good source of vitamin D: salmon, sardine, eggs, cheese, butter, milk.

Vitamin F (Unsaturated Fatty Acids) is Essential For:

• The health and beauty of the skin
• The health of the nervous system
• A good assimilation of calcium and phosphorus
• A healthy reproductive system
• Limiting fat deposits in the arteries
• Diminishing the stickiness of platelets
• The production and transportation of hormones
• The transport of oxygen
• Blood coagulation
• The health of the kidneys

A Deficiency in Vitamin F Caused:

• Drying of the skin and glands
• More fat deposits in the arteries
• Nervous problems
• Hormonal problems
• Bone fragility
• Infertility

You will profit from taking a supplement of vitamin F if you are suffering from one of the following health problems: alcoholism, conjunctivitis, to improve fertility, menopausal disorders, difficult menses, brittle, dry or soft nails, premenstrual syndrome.

Foods that are a good source of vitamin F: soya oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, wheat germ oil, butter, margarine and milk.

Vitamin K is essential for blood coagulation. A deficiency in vitamin K causes poor coagulation.  Taking a supplement of vitamin K is not absolutely necessary, since our body already produces enough of it. However, if you are taking antibiotics or if your secretion of bile is insufficient, it would be beneficial for you to eat more foods that are a source of vitamin K: cabbage, cauliflower, green peas, carrot tops, liver, egg yolk, soya oil, fish liver oil.