VITAMINS: SOURCES AND DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS
Vitamins are essential substances for growth, metabolism and full utilization of food. They are found in natural foods and they are of two types:
Fat Soluble- Vitamins of this group are -A, D, E & K
Water Soluble – Vitamins of this group are – B & C
Lack of awareness sometimes make the people vitamin deficient. In fact, vitamins are found in vegetables, fruits, grains and pulses. As carrots, green vegetables and onions are good source of vitamin Likewise, potato, tomato, banana is rich source of vitamin A. The details of vitamins and their deficiency symptoms are given as follows:
| Vitamins | Sources | Deficiency symptoms |
| Vitamin A | Egg yolk, Green vegetables- potato, tomato, pea, Banana, Carrot, Eggs, Soybean, Cabbage | Slow bone formation, dry eyes, bumpy skin, Retarded growth,
Night blindness, dryness of skin
|
| Vitamin B1 | Yeast, Wheat, Rice, raddish Meat | Beriberi, stops physical growth, excessive fatigue or muscular weakness |
| Vitamin B2 | Vegetables, meat, milk | Defective skin patches around mouth and ears, Cataract |
| Vitamin B5 | Animal liver, mushrooms, raw rice bran, cauliflower | Burning pains in the feet, fatigue, depression, numbness , headache, nausea |
| Vitamin B6 | Nuts, cereals | Skin problems like eczema or dermatitis etc., Anemia, weak immunity |
| Vitamin B12 | Liver oil, nuts, meat, seafood | Nerve and stomach disorder, diarrhea, weight loss, pale skin |
| Vitamin C | Lemon, tomato, pulses, salad, oranges, cereals | Scurvy, weak immune system, early aging and degenerative diseases |
| Vitamin D | Butter, Sun rays, milk, spinach ghee | Rickets, disease related to bones |
| Vitamin E | Carrot, Garlic, Apple , Honey, groundnut, germinated cereals | Muscular Paralysis, nausea, loss of appetite, hair falling |
| Vitamin K | Eggs, leafy vegetables, soybeans, broccoli, lettuce, | Essential for the immune system of body against infection, bones fracture easily, early aging |
- Number of Muscles in our body is 525.
- Number of Bones in our body is 206.
- Biggest Organ in our body is Liver.
- Our brain is more active at nigh than during the day time.
- Our blood runs the distance of 19312 kilometers.
- Normal heart beat in a human is 72 times in a minute.
- Master gland in human body is Pituitary.
- Total number of teeth in a human being is 32.
- Our eyes can distinguish about 10 million colours.
- The largest part of human brain is Cerebrum.
- We make approximately 20000 breaths per day.
- The Masseter (jaw muscle) is the strongest muscle in the human body.
- Brains uses about 20%of our body oxygen and calories.
- In an adult human body there are 100000 miles blood vessels.
- Human ears and Nose never stop growing.
- The number of bacteria in a person’s mouth is equal to the number of people living on Earth, or even more.
- Number of Chromosomes in a human body is 46 or 23 pairs.
- Collective weightage of all of the bacteria in our body is about four pounds.