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 Just like minerals and micronutrients, vitamins are an important part of a balanced diet and vital substances in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Our body cannot form them independently; they must be supplied to our body on a constant basis.
Various vitamins each take over special functions in the organism. Thus they influence for example the conversion of food to energy, the construction of body fabric, the immune system, the creation of hormones, the decontamination of the body and the enzymes which are involved in a number of processes.
Only at the beginning of the 20th century doctors have investigated vitamins in relation to deficiency symptoms. The term vitamin derives from the Latin concept vita (life) and amin which refers to the chemical structure – an organic nitrogen compound.
In relation to burnout the following substances are essential for our wellbeing:
Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Magnesium, Protein
Vitamin C
The richest natural sources are fruits and vegetables, and of those, the Kakadu plum and the camu camu fruit contain the highest concentration of the vitamin. It is also present in some cuts of meat, especially liver. Vitamin C is the most widely taken nutritional supplement and is available in a variety of forms, including tablets, drink mixes, crystals in capsules or naked crystals. Vitamin C is absorbed by the intestines using a sodium-ion dependent channel. It is transported through the intestine via both glucose-sensitive and glucose-insensitive mechanisms. The presence of large quantities of sugar either in the intestines or in the blood can slow absorption.
Vitamin B
B vitamins are found in all whole, unprocessed foods. Processing, as with sugar and white flour, tends to significantly reduce B vitamin content. B vitamins are particularly concentrated in meat, and other good sources are potatoes, bananas, lentils, chile peppers, tempeh, beans, liver oil, liver, turkey, tuna, nutritional yeast, brewer's yeast, and molasses. Marmite and Vegemite bill themselves as "one of the world's richest known sources of vitamin B". As might be expected, due to its high content of brewer's yeast, beer is a source of B vitamins, although this may be less true for filtered beers and the alcohol in beer may impair the body's ability to absorb certain vitamins.
Magnesium
Green vegetables such as spinach provide magnesium because of the abundance of chlorophyll molecules which contain the ion. Nuts (especially cashews and almonds), seeds, and some whole grains are also good sources of magnesium. Although many foods contain magnesium, it is usually found in low levels. As with most nutrients, daily needs for magnesium are unlikely to be met by one serving of any single food. Eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains will help ensure adequate intake of magnesium.
Because magnesium readily dissolves in water, refined foods, which are often processed or cooked in water and dried, are generally poor sources of the nutrient. For example, whole-wheat bread has twice as much magnesium as white bread because the magnesium-rich germ and bran are removed when white flour is processed. The table of food sources of magnesium suggests many dietary sources of magnesium.
Protein
Dietary sources of protein include meats, eggs, nuts, grains, legumes, and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Of the 20 amino acids used by humans in protein synthesis, 11 "nonessential" amino acids can be synthesized in sufficient quantities by the adult body, and are not required in the diet (though there are exceptions for some in special cases). The nine essential amino acids, plus arginine for the young, cannot be created by the body and must come from dietary sources.
Most animal sources and certain vegetable sources have the complete complement of all the essential amino acids in adequate proportions. However, it is not necessary to consume a single food source that contains all the essential amino acids, as long as all the essential amino acids are eventually present in the diet: see complete protein and protein combining. |
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