When it comes to vitamins, healthy foods are enough for most people. • Kansas Reflector

We were discussing hemoglobinopathies (diseases in which red blood cells are destroyed) when my brother asked a question.

“Should I take vitamin B6 and iron supplements to raise my hemoglobin levels and keep my complexion from looking pale?”

Oise asks similar questions about health concerns, some of whom spend hundreds of dollars a month on various types of vitamins.

Should I take a daily vitamin supplement?

Father Wheeler, a chemistry teacher from Kansas City, said that the only thing vitamin supplements affect is your wallet. Research shows that vitamin supplements are only necessary if laboratory tests confirm a deficiency. In fact, fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fatty tissue, so unnecessary vitamin intake can be harmful.

So what are vitamins? Vitamins and minerals are chemicals essential for the proper functioning of cellular metabolism.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025) recommends meeting nutritional requirements for vitamins, minerals, and fiber through nutrient-dense foods. Vitamins come in both water-soluble and fat-soluble forms.

Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Vitamin A is needed for vision, red blood cell production, immune function, and cell differentiation (the process by which a simple zygote changes into complex cells and tissues). Contains Vitamin A It is found in foods such as orange and dark green leafy vegetables, fish, dairy products, eggs, and liver. Vitamin A deficiency It can cause night blindness (inability to see in the dark) and, in severe cases, can dry out the cornea, causing damage to both the cornea and the retina. This deficiency is rare in the United States, but Public health concerns in poor areas of the world.

Vitamin D It aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and promotes bone and tooth formation. Vitamin D is available from fortified milk, eggs, mushrooms and cod liver oil. It is also synthesized in the skin from cholesterol derivatives and further transformed in the liver and kidneys. Generates active forms This vitamin D and calcium prevent rickets. disease If bone development is impaired, growth will be poor. People between the ages of 1 and 70 need about 15 micrograms or 600 international units per day. For people over 71, the requirement rises to 20 micrograms.

The Endocrine Society Guidelines published They suggest that vitamin D supplements should only be taken by people in certain risk groups, such as exclusively breastfed infants, children and adolescents aged 1-18 years, pregnant women, and adults with prediabetes. Taking calcium tablets or vitamin D with calcium: Increases blood calcium levelsAs a result, the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart become calcified, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. advice Regular blood testing of healthy people for vitamin D. Some studies suggest that vitamin D may play a role in regulating the immune system, but the evidence is weak.

Vitamin E exists in various chemical forms, but only alpha-tocopherol is known to meet human needs, as the liver absorbs and excretes all other forms of vitamin E. Most of our vitamin E intake comes from nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals. Usually meet For adults and children over 4 years of age, the daily requirement is 15 mg. Vitamin E is also known to have antioxidant properties. People on a low-fat diet are encouraged to consume plenty of nuts, seeds, and leafy vegetables.

Because fat is needed to absorb vitamin E, people with fat absorption disorders such as Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and disorders of bile secretion from the liver to the intestine need water-soluble vitamin E. People with ataxia (loss of muscle control in the arms and legs) due to vitamin E deficiency have neurological problems and may suffer nerve damage and loss of the ability to walk if they do not take vitamin E supplements.

Vitamin E can inhibit the action of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors and prevent platelet aggregation, meaning that taking large amounts of vitamin E may increase the risk of bleeding.

It is found in green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and grains. Vitamin K is It is involved in blood clotting and wound healing. Vitamin K is actually a group of compounds that are needed in micrograms per kilogram of body weight, and a balanced diet can provide the daily required amount, with any excess being stored in the liver. Unlike other fat-soluble vitamins, Vitamin K circulates in the blood in low concentrations, Rapidly metabolized By the body. A form of vitamin K is produced by gut bacteria in amounts that may partially meet the body's needs.

In the next column we will talk about water-soluble vitamins.

Syed Jamal teaches college-level chemistry, biology, and anatomy/physiology and conducts research on phytoremediation and cancer biology. Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of those affected by public policy and those excluded from public debate through its opinion column. Find information, including how to submit your opinion. here.