Fat-Soluble Vitamins Versus Water-Soluble Vitamins

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Fat-Soluble Vitamins versus Water-Soluble Vitamins Christa Sullivan SCI/241 1/31/2014 Angela Hattaway Fat-Soluble Vitamins versus Water-Soluble Vitamins Summary Vitamins are essential nutrients that produce a healthy life. The body uses vitamins for many reasons including growth, digestion, and nerve function. There are a total of thirteen essential vitamins and each vitamin has a specific job in the body. Furthermore, the thirteen essential vitamins are classified into two different classifications, water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins are easily absorbed by the body and un-used vitamins are not stored for later use. Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed with the use of bile acids are stored for later use in the fatty tissues of the body. Although there are many functions and benefits of consuming essential nutrients in order to maintain good health there are also risks associated with deficiency as well as toxicity. All of the essential vitamins are found in food, however many people take supplements to make up for the lack of essential nutrients in their diets. One should be careful not to overdo it, especially while taking supplements because doing such can be dangerous and in some cases fatal. Classification of Vitamins Nine out of the thirteen essential vitamins are classified as water-soluble vitamins, meaning that they are commonly found in watery foods such as fruits and vegetables. The remaining four out of the thirteen are classified as fat-soluble vitamins and can be found in fatty foods. Water-Soluble Vitamins Water-soluble vitamins are found in most fruits and vegetables as well as in watery components of grains, nuts, seeds, and animal products. Vitamins in which are classified as water-soluble vitamins include thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), biotin

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