Where Do Vitamins Come From

Path To Improved Health

Try to incorporate more of these nutrients in your daily diet. Its best to get these nutrients through food, instead of just taking a multivitamin. This is because it is easier for your body to absorb micronutrients through food.

If you are unable to get all the nutrients you need from food alone, ask your doctor if dietary supplements are right for you.

Micronutrients With A Big Role In The Body

Vitamins and minerals are often called micronutrients because your body needs only tiny amounts of them. Yet failing to get even those small quantities virtually guarantees disease. Here are a few examples of diseases that can result from vitamin deficiencies:

• Scurvy. Old-time sailors learned that living for months without fresh fruits or vegetablesthe main sources of vitamin Ccauses the bleeding gums and listlessness of scurvy.
• Blindness. In some developing countries, people still become blind from vitamin A deficiency.
• Rickets. A deficiency in vitamin D can cause rickets, a condition marked by soft, weak bones that can lead to skeletal deformities such as bowed legs. Partly to combat rickets, the U.S. has fortified milk with vitamin D since the 1930s.

Just as a lack of key micronutrients can cause substantial harm to your body, getting sufficient quantities can provide a substantial benefit. Some examples of these benefits:

• Strong bones. A combination of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, and phosphorus protects your bones against fractures.
• Prevents birth defects. Taking folic acid supplements early in pregnancy helps prevent brain and spinal birth defects in offspring.
• Healthy teeth. The mineral fluoride not only helps bone formation but also keeps dental cavities from starting or worsening.

Nobel Prizes For Vitamin Research

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry for 1928 was awarded to Adolf Windaus “for his studies on the constitution of the sterols and their connection with vitamins”, the first person to receive an award mentioning vitamins, even though it was not specifically about vitamin D.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 1929 was awarded to Christiaan Eijkman and Frederick Gowland Hopkins for their contributions to the discovery of vitamins. Thirty-five years earlier, Eijkman had observed that chickens fed polished white rice developed neurological symptoms similar to those observed in military sailors and soldiers fed a rice-based diet, and that the symptoms were reversed when the chickens were switched to whole-grain rice. He called this “the anti-beriberi factor”, which was later identified as vitamin B1, thiamine.

In 1930, Paul Karrer elucidated the correct structure for beta-carotene, the main precursor of vitamin A, and identified other carotenoids. Karrer and Norman Haworth confirmed Albert Szent-Györgyi’s discovery of ascorbic acid and made significant contributions to the chemistry of flavins, which led to the identification of lactoflavin. For their investigations on carotenoids, flavins and vitamins A and B2, they both received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1937.

In 1938, Richard Kuhn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on carotenoids and vitamins, specifically B2 and B6.

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Interactingin Good Ways And Bad

Many micronutrients interact. Vitamin D enables your body to pluck calcium from food sources passing through your digestive tract rather than harvesting it from your bones. Vitamin C helps you absorb iron.

The interplay of micronutrients isnt always cooperative, however. For example, vitamin C blocks your bodys ability to assimilate the essential mineral copper. And even a minor overload of the mineral manganese can worsen iron deficiency.

Where Are Vitamins Found In Foods

All of the food groups have foods rich in vitamins. Milk naturally contains riboflavin and is fortified with vitamins A and D. Enriched grain products contain added thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid.

Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables, while only animal foods naturally contain vitamin B12. Some high-fat foods, such as vegetable oil, salad dressing, nuts, seeds, and mayonnaise, are rich in vitamin E.

It’s important to eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups to get all the vitamins you need. For information about nutrients found in the various food groups, see or contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office.

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What Do Vitamins Do In The Body

Vitamins work in many reactions that regulate body processes. The following list gives examples of some vitamins and their specific functions:

• Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene act as antioxidants. They prevent cells from being damaged by oxygen.

• Vitamin A is important for normal vision and immune function.

• Vitamin D is needed for bone health.

• Vitamin K is important for blood clotting.

Where Can I Buy Natures Bounty Vitamins

Natures Bounty vitamins are highly accessible. You can find them on shelves in most of the well-known chain pharmacies.

Theyre also sold in the large discount retailers. Look for Natures Bounty supplements at the following:

• Walmart

This is not an exhaustive list but includes the most familiar stores.

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Vitamin And Mineral Deficiencies And Supplements

The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be locked away in the liver and body fat, and stored for a long time. The water-soluble vitamins, including B-complex and vitamin C, are mostly only stored for a shorter period.A vitamin deficiency takes weeks or months before it will affect your health. For instance, it would take months of no vitamin C before you developed scurvy.

Vitamin and mineral supplements may be recommended in certain circumstances to correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as folate for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Others who may be at risk of a vitamin or mineral deficiency include:

• pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding

Where Do Your Vitamins Come From

Toronto, Ontario This week, Jamieson Laboratories launches a multi-channel, bilingual advertising television campaign that will air nationally. The campaign theme, Purity is priceless, inspires consumers to think beyond price when shopping for vitamins and supplements. Our goal is to motivate people to consider the quality and traceability of ingredients in the supplements they buy, says Frank Lucchetta, Jamiesons Executive Vice President, Marketing. There are safety concerns and inferior manufacturing processes that do exist in this industry.

With close to 30% of the market share, the Jamieson brand has already won the trust of Canadas vitamin and supplement customers. The 30-second Purity is priceless commercial, which takes its audience on Jamiesons global journey in search of the purest and most effective natural-source ingredients, validates that support. Our core values and farm-to-finish integrity clearly demonstrate why Jamieson vitamins are superior, explains Lucchetta. Our Vitamin D comes from New Zealands sun-drenched slopes, our Vitamin C is derived from sugar beets grown on the Scottish Highlands and the sustainable deep-water fish in the Antarctic are the source of our premium Omega oils.

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Where Are Kirkland Vitamins Made

Costco customers and members across the country have long enjoyed the Kirkland Signature label. This Costco-designated store brand produces lots of favorite products at the supermarket chain, including liquor, food, and even dietary supplements such as vitamins.

There has often been some obscurity tied to the Kirkland label, though. Namely, people want to know who produces these branded products and where they get produced.

So, where are Kirkland vitamins made? According to Costcos official Wiki page, a lot of the Kirkland signature products vitamins being one of them get produced in the same US locations. However, Costcos Kirkland vitamins have verification through the United States Pharmacopeia .

Read on to learn more about where the famous Signature brand of vitamins comes from.

A Closer Look At Antioxidants

Antioxidant is a catchall term for any compound that can counteract unstable molecules such as free radicals that damage DNA, cell membranes, and other parts of cells.

Your body cells naturally produce plenty of antioxidants to put on patrol. The foods you eatand, perhaps, some of the supplements you takeare another source of antioxidant compounds. Carotenoids and flavonoids are antioxidants. The vitamins C and E and the mineral selenium also have antioxidant properties.

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Should I Take A Supplement

Lots of people wonder if they should take vitamin or mineral supplements. If your diet includes a wide variety of foods including whole-grain products, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meats you probably get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

There are many supplements on the market, and of course their makers want you to buy them. Beware of unproven claims about the benefits of taking more than recommended amounts of any vitamin or mineral. Healthy teens usually don’t need supplements if they eat a well-rounded diet.

Check with your doctor before taking vitamin or mineral supplements. Just because something is good for you doesnt mean that more is better. Some vitamins and minerals can cause health problems if you get too much of them.

Talk to your doctor or a dietitian if you’re skipping meals, dieting, are a picky eater, or have any concerns about your diet. They can answer your questions and help you create a healthy eating plan that includes the nutrients your body needs.

A Closer Look At Water

Water-soluble vitamins are packed into the watery portions of the foods you eat. They are absorbed directly into the bloodstream as food is broken down during digestion or as a supplement dissolves.

Because much of your body consists of water, many of the water-soluble vitamins circulate easily in your body. Your kidneys continuously regulate levels of water-soluble vitamins, shunting excesses out of the body in your urine.

Water-soluble vitamins

• Folic acid
• Niacin

Vitamin C

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People Differ In Their Vitamins And Mineral Requirements

Many factorsbody size, sex, health conditions and medications, stage of life, activity level, and otherscan affect peoples micronutrient needs, as well as how they absorb and use them.

Thats partly why we didnt include a recommended daily intake range for the above nutrients. It just varies too much. Consider the needs of a menstruating Crossfit athlete versus the needs of a sedentary, elderly male on multiple medications.

Generally, though, people have deficiencies for three reasons:4

• Insufficient intake due to low appetite, restricted diets, illness, or any other situation where certain food groups or calories are reduced or not absorbed properly
• Increased need due to illness, injury, surgery, intense physical training , or periods of growth
• Increased loss due to excessive sweating, diarrhea, bleeding, or medical conditions or procedures that lead to a loss of nutrients through urine or other body fluids

If any of these reasons apply to you or your client, be extra wary of deficiencies. Of course, always work with a qualified medical professional when addressing medical issues or clinical deficiencies.

Vitamin C And Cancer Therapy

Vitamin C may help treat cancer, though experts have not confirmed this.

As an antioxidant, vitamin C protects the body from oxidative stress, which can occur when ROS levels are high. Oxidative stress can lead to cell damage and may play a role in some cancers.

A found that taking high doses of vitamin C may slow the growth of some types of cancerous tissue. The paper suggests that vitamin C could, one day, become a new treatment for colorectal cancer.

Also, the authors of a suggest that vitamin C might work well alongside other treatments to benefit people with cancer.

The note that some alternative therapists already use intravenous vitamin C when treating cancer, fatigue, and infections. However, they note that more research is necessary.

Intravenous vitamin C

2,000 mg per day .

Taking too much vitamin C is unlikely to cause any significant problems, but if a person consumes more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day, they will not absorb it all. This may lead to diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort.

People are unlikely to consume too much through their diet, and their bodies cannot store it. However, having a high intake through supplements may result in kidney stones.

This may also increase the risk of cardiovascular problems in females after menopause, but there is not enough evidence to confirm this.

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Foods With B Vitamins

Although B vitamins are naturally found in many foods, they are easily destroyed by alcohol and cooking. Food processing also strips foods of their B vitamin content, especially in white flour, white bread, and white rice.

Continued

Because your body cant store all of the B-group vitamins, its important that you continuously get them through your diet. Here are five foods that are high in B vitamins:

1. Whole Grains

Because food processing removes nutrients from grains, you want to eat whole grains that have not undergone this process. Grains high in B vitamins include:

• Brown rice

Why Free Radicals May Be Harmful

Free radicals are a natural byproduct of energy metabolism and are also generated by ultraviolet rays, tobacco smoke, and air pollution. They lack a full complement of electrons, which makes them unstable, so they steal electrons from other molecules, damaging those molecules in the process.

Free radicals have a well-deserved reputation for causing cellular damage. But they can be helpful, too. When immune system cells muster to fight intruders, the oxygen they use spins off an army of free radicals that destroys viruses, bacteria, and damaged body cells in an oxidative burst. Vitamin C can then disarm the free radicals.

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Should I Take Supplements To Get The Vitamins I Need

While it’s possible to get all the vitamins you need by making healthy food choices, people sometimes need supplements. For example,

• All women of childbearing age should get 400 micrograms of folic acid each day from fortified foods or a supplement, in addition to folate from a varied diet.

• Older adults may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from foods. They also need more vitamin D as they age. Most of their B12 intake should come from fortified foods or supplements.

• Pregnant women should ask their physician about the supplements that are right for them.

Dietary Sources Of Vitamin C

Adults need about 45mg of vitamin C per day and any excess amount is excreted.

Vitamin C is sensitive to heat, so some of its nutritional benefits can be lost during cooking. Raw foods are more beneficial as dietary sources of vitamin C. These include:

• Fruit oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, blackcurrants, mangoes, kiwifruits, rock melon, tomatoes and strawberries.
• Vegetables particularly green vegetables , cauliflower and potatoes.

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Do Vitamins In Pills Differ From Those In Food

• Print

Christine Rosenbloom, a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, provides the following answer:

Vitamins and minerals in supplements are synthetic forms of the nutrients. The word “synthetic” doesn’t necessarily mean inferior, however. Even those supplements that claim to have “natural” ingredients contain some synthetic ingredients. Indeed, if a pill contained only natural ingredients, it would be the size of a golf ball.

For the most part, our bodies appear to absorb synthetic forms as well as they do natural forms. The one exception seems to be vitamin E, which in natural form is better absorbed than in synthetic form . But most supplements now contain more natural vitamin E, so it is well absorbed in pill form.

For absorption to occur, a pill must dissolve and disintegrate. So when shopping for supplements, look for the USP symbol. This symbol indicates that the U.S. Pharmacopeia, an independent testing organization, has tested the supplement to make sure it will dissolve in your stomach. The absorption of nutrients in pill form is not well studied, but if they dissolve in the stomach, they are probably well absorbed.

Luke Bucci, vice president of research for Schiff natural vitamins and supplements, offers this explanation:

Benefits Of Vitamin D Supplements

For people who spend little time in the sun and seldom eat fatty fish or liver, supplements can be very beneficial.

Regularly taking supplements seems to prolong peoples lives, especially those who are hospitalized or older adults living in care facilities (

36 ).

They may also have many other benefits in people with vitamin D deficiency, but more studies need to examine their effects in people with sufficient vitamin D levels.

Summary

Healthcare professionals advise most people to take vitamin D supplements to prevent deficiency. Supplements may improve general health and reduce the risk of infections.

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Q How Are Multivitamins Made And How Do The Vitamins Get Into The Body After You Swallow A Multivitamin

A. Brittany Loriquet, a dietetic intern in Tufts Frances Stern Nutrition Center, explains: Vitamins can be derived from food products or produced synthetically in a lab. Most multivitamins are made from synthetic vitamins, which are cheaper and easier to use than those from natural foods. There is no difference in the chemical structure between the synthetic form and naturally derived forms. To make a multivitamin, the vitamins and minerals are ground into a fine powder.

Multivitamins usually contain additives that help in the manufacturing process or how the pill is used by the body. These additives may serve as fillers to provide the multivitamin with bulk, flow agents to help the powder mixture run through machinery, or disintegration agents that help the pill break up after ingestion.

The powder mixture and the additives are run through machinery that either compresses them into tablets or encapsulates them in gelatin capsules. Many tablets are coated for a variety of reasons, including changing the flavor, making the pill easier to swallow, or determining where and how quickly the pill will be absorbed.

After you swallow a multivitamin, the body treats it in the same way as any other food or drink. The pill will travel through the gastrointestinal tract. Most vitamins and minerals are absorbed in the small intestine. They will enter the bloodstream and ultimately end up where they are needed in the body . Anything that is not needed by the body will be excreted.