WHAT ARE VITAMINS?
The discovery of vitamins has its roots in the ancient observation of their deficiency. In past centuries, some serious diseases of unknown causes had been detected, and even then it was observed that they manifested themselves in particular areas where the population had monotonous and little varied eating habits, due to extreme poverty.The vital functions of the organism are ensured by the substances contained in food. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and of course water, are not sufficient to keep us in good health, but other substances are also necessary, which act in very small quantities and have an essential function for our body.
Vitamins are also called "micronutrients", micro "indicates small quantities" but it doesn't indicate a little importance ... quite the contrary.
We've got a high need of them, we should take them every day, and we should take them all ... "micro" to differentiate them from the "Macro" - nutrients that we certainly need more and larger quantities to "nourish ourselves", but the importance is the same.
Each nutrient has its own particular importance for the proper functioning of our body to stay healthy and live well; in short, "micro" -nutrients and "macro" nutrients differ above all on the quantities that we should take to stay healthy, as well as they differ in their different functions.
All essential in equal measure, then ...
Vitamins intervene in support of the many biochemical reactions that allow the body to function and without them, many activities risk deteriorating until they lead to real pathologies.
Some diseases can be cured simply by replenishing some "vital" element with the diet; they're defined as "essential" because our body is unable to produce them all by itself, and they must necessarily be introduced by food;
except for vitamin D, vitamins are not synthesized by our body but are usually taken regularly through daily nutrition. In fact, vitamins are contained in various foods, such as meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and cereals, so it is very important to follow a balanced and varied diet. In particular, foods of plant origin are those able to provide the greatest vitamin intake.
Fifteen different types of vitamins are currently commonly recognized. Vitamins are classified by their biological and chemical activity and not by their structure.
Under the name of the vitamin are also indicated all the substances with the same biological activity and which can therefore form a complex or act as "provitamins".
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