Vitamins (from the latin vita (life) + Greek?, ammoniakos Libyan product, ammonia, with the Latin suffix ina substance) are indispensable heterogeneous compounds for life, that ingesting them in a balanced way and in essential doses promote the proper physiological functioning. Most of the essential vitamins not can be synthesized (made) by the body, so this not can get them rather than through intake balanced vitamins contained in natural foods. Vitamins are nutrients that act as a catalyst for all physiological processes (directly and indirectly) along with other nutritional elements. Vitamins are precursors of coenzymes, (although they are not per se enzymes) prosthetic groups of enzymes. This means that the molecule of vitamin, with a small change in its structure, becomes the active molecule, this is Coenzyme or not.The minimum daily requirements of vitamins are not very high, is needed so only dose in milligrams or micrograms contained in large amounts (proportionally speaking) of natural foods.
Both deficiency and excess of the bodily levels of vitamins can cause illness ranging from mild to severe and even very serious such as pellagra or dementia among others, and even death. Some can serve as help enzymes that act as a co-factor, as the case for hidrosolublesLa vitamins is vitamin deficiency is called vitamin deficiency, not Hypovitaminosis, while the excessive level of vitamins is called hypervitaminosis.It is demonstrated that vitamins of Group B (B complex) are essential for the proper functioning of the brain and the body’s metabolism. This group is water soluble (soluble in water) due to this he are eliminated primarily in the urine, which makes necessary the daily and constant intake of all the B-complex vitamins (contained in natural foods). Vitamins can be classified according to their solubility: if they are in water soluble or if they are in fat-soluble lipid. In humans there are 13 vitamins, water-soluble 9 (8 of B-complex and vitamin C) and fat-soluble 4 (A, D, and K).