Project Report on Vitamins

This project report is entitled "Vitamins Sources of Vitamins" and all information about
Vitamins, Classification of Vitamins, Vitamins as Organic Compounds, Need and
Importance of Vitamins, Types of Vitamins, Water Soluble Vitamins and Fat Soluble
Vitamins.

Vitamins and classification

Vitamins are natural substances found in plants and animals and known as Essential
nutrients for human beings. The name vitamin is obtained from "vital amines" as it was
originally thought that these substances were all amines. Human body uses these
substances to stay healthy and support its many functions.
Vitamins are generally regarded as organic compounds required in the diet in small
amounts to perform specific biological functions for normal maintenance of optimum
growth and health of the organism.

Needs and Importance of Vitamins :

The body needs vitamins to stay healthy and a varied diet usually gives you all the
vitamins you need.
Vitamins do not provide energy (calories) directly, but they do help regulate energyproducing processes. With the exception of vitamin D and K, vitamins cannot be
synthesized by the human body and must be obtained from the diet.
Vitamins have to come from food because they are not manufactured or formed by the
body. So lets find out the uses and the importance of vitamins in our daily life.

Types of Vitamins:
There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, so you need to get them from food
every day. They can be destroyed by overcooking. These are easily absorbed by the
body. Human body doesn't store large amounts of water-soluble vitamins. B-complex
vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble vitamins that are not stored in the body and

must be replaced each day. These vitamins are easily destroyed or washed out during
food storage and preparation. They are eliminated in urine so, body need a continuous
supply of them in diets.
Proper storage and preparation of food can minimize vitamin loss. To reduce vitamin
loss, refrigerate fresh produce, keep milk and grains away from strong light, and use the
cooking water from vegetables to prepare soups. An excess of water soluble vitamins
should not result in any side effects as they will disperse in the body fluids and voided in
the urine.

Water-Soluble Vitamins :
Nine of the water-soluble vitamins are known as the B-complex group: Thiamin (vitamin
B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Niacin, Vitamin B6, Foliate, Vitamin B12, Biotin,
Pantothenic acid and Vitamin C. These vitamins are widely distributed in foods.

Fat-soluble Vitamins :
The fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E and K - since they are soluble in fat
and are absorbed by the body from the intestinal tract. The human body has to use bile
acids to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Once these vitamins are absorbed, the body stores
them in body fat. When you need them, your body takes them out of storage to be used.
Eating fats or oils that are not digested can cause shortages of fat-soluble vitamins.
Fat soluble vitamins should not be consumed in excess as they are stored in the body
and an excess can result in side effects. An excess of vitamin A may result in irritability,
weight loss, dry itchy skin in children and nausea, headache, diarrhea in adults.

Characteristics of Vitamins :
Characteristics of the vitamins are:
1. Most of the vitamins have been artificially synthesized.
2. Some of vitamins are soluble in water and others are fat-soluble.

3. Some vitamins are synthesized in the body. Some members of vitamin B complex are
synthesized by microorganisms in the intestinal tract.
4. Vitamins are partly destroyed and are partly excreted.
5. Vitamins can be stored in the body to some extent, for example the fat-soluble
vitamins are stored in the liver and subcutaneous tissue.
6. Vitamins can perform their work in very small quantities.
Hence, the total daily requirement of Vitamins is usually very small.