What are the functions and indications of vitamins

Nowadays, people don’t pay much attention to their physical condition. Even if their bodies are in a sub-healthy state, they don’t care so much. This is mainly because nowadays work is very busy, so it is necessary to supplement your body with some rich nutrients in this situation so as not to cause malnutrition. For example, vitamins are an indispensable part of people’s bodies and are necessary nutrients.

Vitamin A is closely related to normal keratinization of the skin. When it is deficient, the skin becomes dry, the stratum corneum thickens, and the pores become clogged with small keratin plugs. In severe cases, sebum secretion is affected. Therefore, it is beneficial for people with dry, rough, dull, flaky skin and keratitis to take vitamin A.

Vitamin B6 is closely related to amino acid metabolism, can promote the absorption of amino acids and protein synthesis, is necessary for cell growth, and also affects fat metabolism. It is closely related to sebum secretion, and therefore, it is often used when the scalp suffers from seborrheic and dandruff.

Vitamin C is known as the skin's closest partner. It promotes the metabolism of tyrosine and tryptophan in amino acids, prolongs the life of the body, and is an essential component of the skin's intercellular matrix. Therefore, the integrity of skin tissue, the maintenance of normal vascular permeability and the balance of pigment metabolism are all inseparable from it.

Vitamin E is recognized to have anti-aging effects. It can promote blood circulation in the skin and the growth of granulation tissue, make hair and skin smooth, and smooth wrinkles.

Vitamin K1 is an oil-soluble vitamin that can improve dark circles caused by fatigue. Clinically, it has been found that combining vitamin A and vitamin K. After compounding, it can significantly improve dark circles.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that can treat scurvy and is acidic, so it is called ascorbic acid. It is found in high concentrations in lemon juice, green vegetables and tomatoes. Ascorbic acid is a monoclinic lamellae or needles, which can be easily oxidized to form dehydroascorbic acid, which still has the function of vitamin C. In alkaline solution, the lactone ring in the dehydroascorbic acid molecule is easily hydrolyzed into diketogulonic acid. This compound cannot be converted into a lactone structure in the animal body. In the human body, it eventually produces oxalic acid or sulfate esters combined with sulfuric acid and excreted in the urine. Therefore, diketogulonic acid is no longer physiologically active. [6]

It was discovered by Norwegian chemist Holst in lemon juice in 1907, and the pure product was not obtained until 1934. It can now be synthesized artificially. Vitamin C is the most unstable vitamin. Because it is easily oxidized, it can be destroyed during food storage or cooking, or even when chopping fresh vegetables. Trace amounts of copper and iron ions can accelerate the rate of destruction. Therefore, only fresh vegetables, fruits or raw vegetables are rich sources of vitamin C. It is a colorless crystal with a melting point of 190-192°C. It is easily soluble in water, and its aqueous solution is acidic. It has active chemical properties and is easily decomposed by heat, alkali and heavy metal ions. Therefore, copper pots should not be used for cooking and should not be heated for too long.

Plants and most animals can synthesize vitamin C in their own bodies. However, humans, primates and guinea pigs cannot synthesize vitamin C because they lack the enzyme to convert L-gulonic acid into vitamin C. Therefore, they must obtain it from food. If there is a lack of vitamin C in the food, scurvy will occur. At this time, due to the disorder of intercellular matrix production, symptoms such as bleeding, loose teeth, difficult wound healing, and easy fractures occur. Since vitamin C has a long half-life in the human body (approximately 16 days), scurvy will not occur until 3 to 4 months after consuming foods that do not contain vitamin C. Because vitamin C is easily oxidized and reduced, it is generally believed that its natural effects are related to this property. Vitamin C is directly related to the normal synthesis of collagen, tyrosine metabolism in the body and iron absorption. The main function of vitamin C is to help the human body complete redox reactions, thereby improving brain power and enhancing intelligence. According to research by Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, taking large doses of vitamin C has a certain effect in preventing colds and fighting cancer. However, some people have suggested that vitamin C can promote the generation of free radicals in the presence of ferrous ions (Fe2+), and therefore believe that its use in large quantities is unsafe.