VItamins and their significance

Vitamin is a term applied to a group of substances which exist in minute quantities in natural foods, and which are necessary to normal nutrition, especially in connection with growth and development. Vitamins are widely used for medical purposes; many of them are produced synthetically. Different kinds of vitamins are designated by letters of the Latin alphabet. There are several groups of vitamins. All of them are very necessary for the life of the organism.

Vitamin A is found in cod-liver oil, eggs, liver, milk, butter and most green vegetables. Deficiency of vitamin A is considered to be responsible for serious inflammation of the eyes, various skin eruption, defective development of the teeth.

Vitamin B is present in the seeds of grains. The best sources of this vitamin are believed to be flour, bacon, liver, eggs. Its deficiency may result in a form of neuritis with muscular weakness, heart failure, etc., which is known as beri-beri.

Vitamin C is available in fresh fruits, berries, green vegetables, milk, meat and other fresh foods. It is quickly destroyed by high temperature. The deficiency of vitamin C leads to scurvy.

Vitamin D is of special importance for the growth of children. Only a few foods contain vitamin D naturally, viz. cod-liver oil, caviar, egg yolk, fresh vegetables and milk to a greater or lesser degree.

Cod-liver oil is a product with a high vitamin D content. Vitamin D is manufactured in very large amounts at the plants. The deficiency of this vitamin in children may cause rickets. Since vitamin D is known to be preventive as well as curative for rickets the doctors often prescribe the course of vitamin D treatment.

A lack of vitamins in food or an insufficient amount of them results in a serious breakdown in the organism. Prolonged deficiency of any vitamin is sure to result in a disease known as avitaminosis, e.g. scurvy, beri-beri, rickets. Most avitaminoses are accompanied by reduced working capacity, rapid fatigue, a sharp decrease in the resistance of the organism to infection, incorrect development and retarded growth (in children), etc. To prevent avitaminoses infants should be daily given cod-liver oil and fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

Any person using a diet containing such foods as milk, eggs, butter, cheese, fat, fish,

bread, fresh vegetables and fruit obtains a sufficient amount of vitamins to be protected from avitaminoses.

Explanatory Notes:

viz. – videlicet = namely

etc. – et cetera = and so on; eg. – exempli gratia = for example

Active Words to remember:

Substance; connection; growth; development; kind; responsible; various; eruption; source; heart failure; a few; as well as; capacity; to reduce; fatigue; sharp; to obtain.