About Vitamins

What is Vitamin?

In 1881 Scientist Lunin at first examined that protein, fat and water is not enough for a body growth. So, there is a need of a food that can supply complete nutrition to the body. Scientist Hopkins called this type of food as essential food source of human body. In 1911 Scientist Casimir Funk called this food as Vitamin.

Classification of Vitamins:

Vitamin is classified according to its soluble nature. There are two types of vitamins; one is Fat soluble vitamins and other is Water soluble vitamins.

Vitamin A, D, E, and K are Fat soluble vitamins.

Vitamin B, C and P are Water soluble vitamins.

Vitamin and its chemical description, food sources and functions
Vitamins	Chemical names	Chemical formulas	Food sources	Deficiency diseases
A	Retinol	C₂₀H₂₉OH C₁₀H₂₇OH	cod,carrot,milk,butter,fish,egg,green vegetables,liver,orange	Night blindness,hyperkeratosis
B1	Thiamine	C₁₂H₁₇ON₄S	egg,nuts,carrot,vegetables,brown rice,beans	Beriberi,loss of apetite,heart disease
B2	Riboflavin	C₁₇H₂₀O₆N₄	liver,egg,milk,green vegetables,nuts	Ariboflavinosis,hair fall,skin diseases
B3	Niacin or pantothenic acid	C₉H₁₇O₅N	liver,egg,meat,milk,peas,potatoes	Liver disease,pellagra
B6	Pyridoxine	C₈H₁₁O₃N	milk,egg,fish,meat,green vegetables,bananas	Anemia,sleeping disorder
B12	Sinocobalamin	C₆₃H₈₈O₁₄N₁₄PCO	fish,meat,mil,egg	slow growth level,anemia
C	Ascorbic acid	C₆H₈O₆	milk,fish,meat,tomatoes,Fruits and vegetables	Scurvy
D	Calciferol	C₂₈H₄₈OH	cod,milk,egg,butter,vegetables,liver	Rickets,osteomalacia
E	Tocopherol	C₂₈H₄₈O₂	egg,fish,meat,fruits and vegetables	Sterility
G	Niacin or Nicotinic acid	C₆H₅O₂N	egg,fish,meat,milk,liver,tomatoes,beans	pelegra,anemia,underweight
K	Phylloquinone or Napthoquinone	C₃₁H₄₅O₂	sea fish,egg,milk,meat,vegetables,tomatoes	Bleeding diathesis
M	Folic acid	C₁₉H₁₉O₆N₇	egg,liver,green vegetables	anemia,slow growth
P	Citrin	SLC25A13	orange,mango,tomatoes,vegetables and fruits,egg,meat	scurvy