All You Need to Know About Vitamins [INFOGRAPHIC]

Vitamins are organic compounds necessary for the overall health and wellbeing of our bodies. They can be found naturally in food, however we often need to ingest them because our bodies either don’t produce them in sufficient quantities, or because in some cases they don’t produce them at all.

As you will learn from the MedAlertHelp infographic below, all vitamins have different roles in the body, so we need them in certain quantities to maintain optimal health. Overall, there are 13 vitamins, all of which are divided into two categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

This type of vitamin is stored in the liver and fat tissue, hence the name. They are much easier to store than water-soluble vitamins, which means that the body can keep them in reserve for several days, sometimes even months.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all examples of fat-soluble vitamins, all of which are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats or lipids.

Vitamin D is somewhat unique because of the way we obtain it. Unlike other vitamins, our body is capable of synthesising it itself when our skin is exposed to sunlight.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

This type of vitamin (vitamin C and all the vitamins of the B complex) don’t stay in the body for very long. They are quickly excreted through urine, which means they need to be ingested on a regular basis.

Having a balanced and varied diet is the best way to ensure you are getting enough vitamins. However, in some cases, fortified foods and supplements may be required when the deficit is too great to be amended through diet alone.

Check our the handy infographic below to learn more about the important role vitamins play in keeping our bodies functioning at their best. For more information on your personal vitamin and dietary requirements, consult a qualified Melbourne nutritionist

all you need to know about vitamins infographic