VITAMINS Vitamins are organic compounds that are necessary in small quantities to prevent disease and to participate in regulating the biochemical processes of the body. Some vitamins dissolve in water; these are easily lost when cooking water is discarded. Some are destroyed or impaired by heat; cooking times for foods containing these should be as short as possible. Some are affected by light or oxygen; these must be protected during storage. Prolonged excessive doses of three vitamins - A, D, and K - can have toxic effects. Overdoses are unlikely to occur if you rely upon natural sources of these vitamins.
In addition to the vitamins listed here, four vitamins of the B complex are considered essential nutrients for man: biotin, choline, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. At least two others - inositol and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) - are also known to be important. Foods containing the other B vitamins also contain these.
Vitamin A Vitamin A as much is not found in plants: it is manufactured by the human and animal body from pigment substances called carotenes, which are quite common in plants. Carrots and apricots advertise their carotene content by their color, but green plants can be just as rich in these vital pigments.
Vitamin A is essential for night vision, and it promotes healthy skin and mucous membrane. It is important for good bones and teeth, for growth and proper digestion, for the production of red and white corpuscles in the blood, and for lactation. Vitamin A is fat-soluble and is sensitive to oxygen, especially with heat.
1. * Dandelion greens, *yellow dock, *carrots, *lamb's-quarters, *apricots (dried), *turnip greens, pokeweed (young shoots), spearmint, parsley, blue violet (leaves), spinach, sweet potatoes, collards, kale, mustard greens, nettle (young leaves), chard, green amaranth, beet tops, winter cress, watercress, chicory greens, broccoli, elderberries, apricots (fresh), winter cress (buds), papaya, cantaloupe.
2. Alfalfa, Alpine cranberry, artichoke, bilberries, brier hips, buckwheat, Calendula, cannabis, cowslip (flowers), elecampane (flowers), garlic, Iceland moss, Indian corn, lettuce, lily of the valley (fruit), okra, red currants, rowan (fruit), saffron.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Vitamin B1 occurs in both plant and animal tissues. It is a vital element in the body's production of energy through the breakdown of carbohydrates, and it takes part in other metabolic reactions. It also appears to be necessary for normal functioning of the nervous system and is involved in the action of the heart. Beriberi is a thiamine deficiency disease. Vitamin B1 is water-soluble and is sensitive to heat.
**Brewer's yeast, *sunflower seeds, *wheat germ, *rice polish, English walnuts, rice (brown), peas, almonds (dried), black walnuts, soybeans, lima beans, kale, turnip greens, collards, barley, dandelion greens, avocados, raisins, figs (dried), potatoes (baked), watercress, broccoli, cauliflower, dates (dried), pineapple, sweet potatoes (baked), mustard greens, oats, lamb's quarters, oranges, parsnips, spinach, green beans, leaf lettuce.
2. Most plants contain trace amounts of vitamin B1.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Vitamin B2 occurs generally in the same foods as vitamin B1. Riboflavin is essential for cell growth and for enzymatic reactions by which the body metabolizes proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It also helps to maintain healthy skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Vitamin B2 is water-soluble and is sensitive to light but not heat.
1. **Brewer's yeast, *almonds (dried), *wheat germ, *rice polish, *sunflower seeds, lamb's quarters, turnip greens, watercress, avocados, broccoli, collards, kale, dandelion greens, apricots (dried), mustard greens, spinach, English walnuts, black walnuts, peas, beet tops, dates (dried), figs (dried), lima beans, green beans, raspberries, barley, cauliflower, leaf lettuce, parsnips, raisins, chard, prunes, rice (brown), sweet potatoes (baked), soybeans.
2. Most plants contain trace amounts of vitamin B2.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Although small amounts occur in most plant and animal tissues, vitamin B6 is still a relatively little-known vitamin, perhaps because recognized deficiency problems are rare. Vitamin B6 takes part in many enzyme reactions and is particularly important for brain and nervous system functions. Vitamin B6 is water-soluble and is sensitive to oxygen and ultraviolet light.
1. Yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheat bran, wheat germ, soybeans, Indian corn, barley, rice, peanuts, peas (dry), cabbage, potatoes, carrots.
2. Many other foods contain vitamin B6, but definitive information is not yet available.
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) There is little or no vitamin B12 in plants. That's why strict vegetarians sometimes suffer from pernicious anemia, a disease associated with a deficiency of this vitamin. Vitamin B12 is necessary for proper functioning of body cells, particularly in the nervous system, the bone marrow, and the gastrointestinal tract. It is also involved in the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Vitamin B12 is water-soluble and is sensitive to light, acids, and alkalis.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) Vitamin C is a plant vitamin, occurring to some degree in almost all plants. The body neither makes nor stores vitamin C; a continuous supply must be provided in the food we eat. Normal body cell functioning requires ascorbic acid, as does the formation of healthy collagen (the basic protein of connective tissue), bones, teeth, cartilage, skin, and capillary walls. Vitamin C also promotes the body's effective use of other nutrients, such as iron, B vitamins, vitamins A and E, calcium, and certain amino acids. By promoting the formation of strong connective tissue, it helps to heal wounds and burns. Stress, fever, and infection increase the body's need for vitamin C. Scurvy is a vitamin C deficiency disease. Ascorbic acid is water-soluble and is sensitive to air, heat, light, alkalis, and copperware.
1. **Acerola (fruit), *rose hips, *wild strawberry (leaves), *blue violet (leaves), *parsley, winter cress (buds), winter cress (leaves), blue violet (flowers), pokeweed (young shoots), green pepper, yellow dock, catnip, green amaranth, lamb's-quarters, watercress, nettle (young leaves), broccoli, spearmint, boneset, wild persimmons, turnip greens, kohlrabi, papaya, ground ivy, kale, collards, mustard green, oranges, strawberries, lemons.
2. Alfalfa, Alpine cranberries, barberries, bear's garlic (leaves), bilberries (also leaves), blackberry (leaves), black currants, elderberries, brooklime, cantaloupe, carrot, cayenne, celery, chickweed, coltsfoot, common Buckthorn (fruit), coriander, English walnuts, garlic, garden raspberries, horseradish, knotgrass, lance-leaf plantain, lettuce, nasturtium (leaves), onions, oregano, primrose (leaves), radishes, rowan (fruit), scurvy grass, sorrel, spinach, spruce (young tips), sundew, wormwood.
Vitamin D Vitamin D does not occur in plants, but some plants do contain compounds called sterols, which can be irradiated with ultraviolet light to make vitamin D. Yeast and fungi, for example, are major sources of ergosterol, which is irradiated artificially to make commercial vitamin D. The human skin contains another sterol, which is converted to vitamin D by the ultraviolet part of sunlight; unfortunately, modern life means relatively little exposure to sunlight for most people, besides daily bathing with soap which removes the skin's oil. Other natural sources are fish liver oils, milk, and egg yolk. Processed milk is generally fortified with additional vitamin D.
Vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones and teeth, for proper assimilation and body balances of calcium and phosphorus, and for preventing rickets. It is fat-soluble and is not sensitive to heat, light, or oxygen.
Vitamin E (Tocopherol) Vitamin E occurs in both plant and animal tissue, more abundantly in the former. As an antioxidant, it acts in the body to protect red blood cells, vitamin A, and unsaturated fatty acids from oxidation damage. It also appears to help maintain healthy membrane tissue. In experiments with rats, vitamin E was found necessary for fertility. Vitamin E is fat-soluble and is sensitive to oxygen, alkalis, and ultraviolet light.
1. Sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, wheat germ oil, walnuts, corn oil, wheat germ, peanuts, olive oil, Brazil nuts, soybean oil, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, dandelion greens, oatmeal, pecans, apples.
2. Much research is needed to determine the vitamin E content of plants other than the usual foods. Generally, it is found in whole grains and their oils, green leaves, and seeds.
Vitamin K Vitamin K occurs primarily in plants; it is also synthesized by intestinal bacteria in the small intestine. Vitamin K is necessary for the synthesis by the liver of the blood clotting enzyme prothrombin. It is fat-soluble and is sensitive to light, oxygen, strong acids, and alcoholic alkalis.
1. Alfalfa, green leafy vegetables, soybean oil, cauliflower, tomatoes.
Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) Niacin, a vitamin of the B complex, occurs in both plant and animal tissue, but in different forms. The body changes the niacin from plant foods to niacinamide for use; animal foods contain niacinamide ready-made. Niacin takes part in enzyme reactions involved in the production of body energy and in tissue respiration. Pellagra is a niacin deficiency disease. Niacin is water-soluble and is not sensitive to heat, acids, or alkalis.
1. ** Torula or primary yeast, * brewer's yeast, *rice polish, *sunflower seeds, * peanuts, sesame seeds, wheat germ, rice (brown), wheat (whole), rice (converted), apricots (dried), almonds (dried), parsley, peas, dates (dried), figs (dried), cashews, avocados, Brazil nuts, potatoes (baked), chard, Indian corn.
2. Alfalfa, artichoke, asparagus, barley, beans (green), broccoli, burdock (seed), carrots, cauliflower, celery, dandelion greens, fenugreek (seed), kale, lamb's-quarters, lentils, lima beans, mustard greens, oats, okra, peaches, prunes, raisins, rutabagas, sage, soybeans, sticklewort, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress.
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