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Do you know how the term vitamin originated? In 1912 a Polish biochemist called Dr Casimir Funk concluded that foods contained vital substances necessary for the well-being of the body. He thought these substances were nitrogen compounds known as amines, so he called them vital amines and years later published a scientific paper titled ‘The Vitamines’.

When some of the chemicals that he had identified were discovered not to be amines, the ‘e’ was dropped from the word leaving us with the term vitamin.

Vitamins are of two types, water-soluble, (the more common known), vitamins B and vitamin C, and fat soluble, vitamins A, D, E, and K.

The fat soluble vitamins can be stored and fatty tissues and therefore are retained longer in the body. For this reason you can overdose on fat soluble vitamins if you are careless.

The water-soluble vitamins pass quickly through the body and need to be replenished daily.

Vitamin A is needed for good eyesight. It helps you see in dim conditions and at night. It helps maintain healthy hair, mucous membranes, skin, bone and teeth. It has anti-oxidant qualities and combats free radicals in the body.

Vitamins B are essential to the body for energy metabolism, digestion, making new blood cells, and making antibodies.

Vitamin C helps promote healing and helps strengthen blood vessel walls, helps prevent loose teeth, bleeding gums, bruises, scurvy, and haemorrhaging.

Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption and therefore also helps maintain teeth and bones.

Vitamin E helps maintain muscles and red blood cells and is an important antioxidant.

Vitamin K helps blood clotting and helps prevent easy bruising.

The following are recommended daily intakes in adults.

Vitamin A 700 mcg
Vitamin B 10 - 200 mcg
Vitamin C 40 mg
Vitamin D 10 mcg
Vitamin E 4 mg
Vitamin K 1 mcg