About
Vitamins are very important nutrients for the body. Along with minerals, they constitute the backbone of a healthy body.
An adequate intake of vitamins confers protection against vitamin deficiency diseases such as night blindness, rickets, scurvy, beri beri, phrynoderma, and so on. Therefore it is imperative that the body receives a regular supply of vitamins.
Vitamins are broadly classified as: - Fat-soluble (Vitamin A, D, E, and K) and Water-soluble (Vitamin C and B complex).
The following are some of the vitamin deficiency diseases:
- Anemia (deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12)
- Nerve and brain damage (deficiency of thiamin and vitamin B12)
- Easy and excessive bleeding (deficiency of vitamin K)
- Impaired night vision and blindness (deficiency of vitamin A)
- Bone diseases (deficiency of vitamin D or calcium)
- Scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C)
These vitamin deficiency diseases are rare in the western societies, and occur mainly in the Third World where people have very poor diet.
