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August 14, 2003
Vitamin vitality
Kanwal Arif reports on the benefits of vitamins
Adequate nutrition is essential for our health. It is an important factor in preserving life, promoting growth, maintaining health and resisting diseases. A well nourished child has good growth, develops healthy skin, bright eyes, shiny hair and is generally active and alert. He or she eats well, plays and enjoys sound sleep. A great deal also depends on his or her social skills and environment, but nutrition plays a major role in good health and an increased life span.
The fact that nutrition cannot be maintained in animal receiving diets containing only purified protein, carbohydrates, lipids and minerals was recognized at least 30 years before the existence of substance known as “citamin” was actually demonstrated.
In 1871, Dumus became the first scientist to note that individuals fed on purified proteins, carbohydrates, lipid (fats) and minerals did not maintain good health. Lunin, in 1880, reported similar findings in animal experiments. But he found that addition of milk in their diet restored them to normal. He expressed the opinion that milk contained some unknown substance required for maintenance of normal health.
In 1911-12 the scientist Funk isolated a crystalline substance from rice polishing which could prevent or cure poly neuritis in pigeons. Chemically it was found to be an “amine” and it was vital to life, so he named it “vitamin”.
Despite the accumulation of vast knowledge, there is still no complete definition of vitamin. They are highly specific organic substances that must be obtained pre-formed or as pro vitamin. They don’t furnish energy value and are required in small amounts, but are absolutely essential for a normal healthy life.
The generation of energy living cells not only need large particles but also vitamins because they act as co-factors (helpers) in each and every process; they make things work faster. To a large extent, vitamins are mainly responsible for our health, growth and specially in delaying the process of ageing.
Two focal categories of vitamins are known: fat soluble and water soluble. Here we will discuss only fat soluble vitamins because fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) are stored in the body, especially in the liver. Since only a minute amount is required daily, and it can’t be excreted out of the body, if taken in excess it can cause serious abnormalities.
Vitamin A was used therapeutically about 3600 years ago. The whole liver of an ox dipped in honey and prescribed by Pluto for night blindness. Today we know that liver oil is the major source of Vitamin A while other sources are butter, milk, cheese, egg yolk from animal, tomatoes, carrots, green vegetables like spinach, and sweet potatoes. A regular consumption of one glass of milk and one egg is sufficient for your daily body requirement.
Vitamin A promotes growth, improves resistance to bacterial infections and is necessary for vision and skin. Deficiency of Vitamin A causes night blindness, xerophthalmia (dryness of conjunctivae), Bitot Spot (opaque spots appear in conjunctiva), Keratinization of cornea, respiratory tract & urinary tract and skin become dry, scaly and rough.
The curative value of cod liver oil in rickets, was demonstrated in 1922 by Mc Collum and the possible relation of absence of sunlight to the occurrence of disease was suggested by Hess. Vitamin D or cholecaciferol is found in fish liver and is also produced in human skin by ultra violet light. Fish liver oil is the richest source egg yolk, margarine, butter and cheese also contain considerable amount of Vitamin D. It is not only children and adults but pregnant women and lactating mothers also require this vitamin daily for the development and growth of the foetus. The main target of Vitamin D are bones and teeth and to some extent kidney and the intestinal wall. They actually regulate the calcium and phosphate metabolism, involve in calcification (deposition of calcium salt on bones and teeth). Deficiency of Vitamin D causes rickets in children, osteomalacia in women and renal osteodystrophy (degenerative changes in kidney) which is rare.
Vitamin E or Tocopherol is the ‘anti sterility’ factor in rats but in human beings it is a controversial issue. Cotton seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil and margarine are the richest sources while soya beans, cabbage, yeast lettuce, apple seeds and peanuts also contain Vitamin E, although in minute amounts.
The most imperative property of Vitamin E is “anti oxidant “ property which delays the process of ageing. Recently Vitamin E has been recommended in certain conditions like nocturnal muscle cramp, Intermittent claudication (pain, tension and weakness in legs on walking), Fibrocystic breast diseases and Atherosclerosis (deposition of lipids on blood vessels). Its deficiency causes muscular dystrophy (progressive weakness in pelvic and shoulder girdle) and hemolytic anaemia (destruction of red blood cells).
Vitamin K sometimes referred to as “Anti hemorrhagic vitamin” and “coagulation” vitamin is found chiefly in green leafy vegetables such as alfalfa, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, soya beans and even tomatoes. In the gut of human beings certain friendly bacteria also synthesize Vitamin K. The main function of Vitamin K is the promotion of blood coagulation by helping in the process of coagulation cascade which prevent from bleeding by formation of blood clot. Deficiency causes profuse bleeding from minor injury rupture of minute blood vessels.
This acknowledgment is not enough and it can’t portray the final state of knowledge. We must look forward to the result of the ongoing studies and researches in order to see where and to what extent the natural sources and supplement therapy of vitamins can be used to actually help to control the suffering of life threatening diseases.
It is imperative that we understand that while vitamins are negligible they are also a fantastic gift from God in help beings h in growth, development and reproduction.
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