A vitamin is an organic compound An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered inorganic. The distinction between "organic" and " required as a nutrient A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. Nutrients are the substances that enrich the body. They build and repair tissues, give heat and energy, and regulate body processes. Methods for nutrient intake vary, with animals and in tiny amounts by an organism The term "organism" first appeared in the English language in 1701 and took on its current definition by 1834 (Oxford English Dictionary).[1] The term vitamin was derived from "vitamine", a combination word from vital and amine, because it was suggested that the organic micronutrient food factors which prevented beriberi and perhaps other similar dietary-deficiency diseases, might be chemical amines Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivatives of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituent such as an alkyl or aryl group. Important amines include amino acids, biogenic amines, trimethylamine, and aniline; see Category:Amines for. This proved incorrect for the micronutient class, and the word was shortened. Today, a chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized Biosynthesis is an enzyme-catalyzed process in cells of living organisms by which substrates are converted to more complex products. The biosynthesis process often consists of several enzymatic steps in which the product of one step is used as substrate in the following step. Examples for such multi-step biosynthetic pathways are those for the in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on the circumstances and the particular organism. For example, ascorbic acid Ascorbic acid is a sugar acid with antioxidant properties. Its appearance is white to light-yellow crystals or powder, and it is water-soluble. One form of ascorbic acid is commonly known as vitamin C. The name is derived from a- and scorbutus (scurvy), the disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. In 1937 the Nobel Prize for chemistry was functions as vitamin C Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species, in which it functions as a vitamin. Ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants. It is made internally by almost all organisms; notable mammalian group exceptions are most or all of the order for some animals but not others, and vitamins D Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble prohormones, the two major forms of which are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 (or cholecalciferol). Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements, is biologically inert and must undergo two hydroxylation reactions to be activated in the body. Calcitriol (1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol) is the active form, K Vitamin K denotes a group of lipophilic, hydrophobic vitamins that are needed for the posttranslational modification of certain proteins, mostly required for blood coagulation. Chemically they are 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives and biotin are required in the human diet only in certain circumstances.[2] The term vitamin does not include other essential nutrients An essential nutrient is a nutrient required for normal body functioning that either cannot be synthesized by the body at all, or cannot be synthesized in amounts adequate for good health , and thus must be obtained from a dietary source. Essential nutrients are also defined by the collective physiological evidence for their importance in the diet, such as dietary minerals Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. The term "mineral" is archaic, since the intent of the definition is to describe ions , not chemical compounds or actual minerals, essential fatty acids Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that cannot be constructed within an organism from other components by any known chemical pathways, and therefore must be obtained from the diet. The term refers to fatty acids involved in biological processes, and not those which may just play a role as fuel. As many of the compounds created from, or essential amino acids An essential amino acid or indispensable amino acid is an amino acid that cannot be synthesized de novo by the organism , and therefore must be supplied in the diet, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but are otherwise required less often.[3]
Vitamins are classified by their biological and chemical activity, not their structure. Thus, each "vitamin" refers to a number of vitamer A vitamer of a particular vitamin is any of the chemical compounds which exhibit vitamin activity. Very commonly "vitamins" are not single compounds, but rather each vitamin, which is defined by its biological activity, not its structure, is actually represented by a number of substances, all of which show vitamin activity. These compounds that all show the biological activity associated with a particular vitamin. Such a set of chemicals are grouped under an alphabetized vitamin "generic descriptor" title, such as "vitamin A Vitamin A is a vitamin which is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal. This molecule is absolutely necessary for both scotopic and color vision. Vitamin A also functions in a very different role, as an irreversibly oxidized form retinoic acid, which is an important hormone-like", which includes the compounds retinal Retinal, also called retinaldehyde or vitamin A aldehyde, is one of the many forms of vitamin A . Retinal is a polyene chromophore, and bound to proteins called opsins, is the chemical basis of animal vision. Bound to proteins called type 1 rhodopsins, retinal allows certain microorganisms to convert light into metabolic energy, retinol Retinol, the animal form of vitamin A, is a fat-soluble vitamin important in vision and bone growth. It is also a diterpenoid. Retinol is among the most usable forms of vitamin A, which also include retinal , retinoic acid (acid form) and retinyl esters (ester forms). These chemical compounds are collectively known as retinoids, and all possess, and four known carotenoids Carotenoids are organic pigments that are naturally occurring in the chloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some types of fungus and some bacteria. Vitamers by definition are convertible to the active form of the vitamin in the body, and are sometimes inter-convertible to one another, as well.
Vitamins have diverse biochemical functions. Some have hormone-like functions as regulators of mineral metabolism (e.g. vitamin D), or regulators of cell and tissue growth and differentiation (e.g. some forms of vitamin A Vitamin A is a vitamin which is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal. This molecule is absolutely necessary for both scotopic and color vision. Vitamin A also functions in a very different role, as an irreversibly oxidized form retinoic acid, which is an important hormone-like). Others function as antioxidants An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals, which start chain reactions that damage cells. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free (e.g. vitamin E Vitamin E is a generic term for tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E is a family of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols and corresponding four tocotrienols. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen species formed when fat undergoes oxidation. Of these, α-tocopherol has been most studied as it has the and sometimes vitamin C Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species, in which it functions as a vitamin. Ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants. It is made internally by almost all organisms; notable mammalian group exceptions are most or all of the order).[4] The largest number of vitamins (e.g. B complex The B vitamins are eight water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Historically, the B vitamins were once thought to be a single vitamin, referred to as vitamin B . Later research showed that they are chemically distinct vitamins that often coexist in the same foods. Supplements containing all eight are generally vitamins) function as precursors for enzyme cofactors A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to a protein and is required for the protein's biological activity. These proteins are commonly enzymes and cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that assist in biochemical transformations. Cofactors can also be classified depending on how tightly they bind to an enzyme,, that help enzymes in their work as catalysts Catalysis is the process in which the rate of a chemical reaction is either increased or decreased by means of a chemical substance known as a catalyst. Unlike other reagents that participate in the chemical reaction, a catalyst is not consumed by the reaction itself. The catalyst may participate in multiple chemical transformations. Catalysts in metabolism Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in living organisms to maintain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories. Catabolism breaks down organic matter, for example to harvest energy in cellular. In this role, vitamins may be tightly bound to enzymes Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process are called substrates, and the enzyme converts them into different molecules, called the products. Almost all processes in a biological cell need enzymes to occur at significant rates. Since enzymes are selective for their as part of prosthetic groups A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to a protein and is required for the protein's biological activity. These proteins are commonly enzymes and cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that assist in biochemical transformations. Cofactors can also be classified depending on how tightly they bind to an enzyme,: for example, biotin Biotin is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin which is composed of an ureido ring fused with a tetrahydrothiophene ring. A valeric acid substituent is attached to one of the carbon atoms of the tetrahydrothiophene ring. Biotin is a coenzyme in the metabolism of fatty acids and leucine, and it plays a role in gluconeogenesis is part of enzymes involved in making fatty acids In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated. Carboxylic acids as short as butyric acid (4 carbon atoms) are considered to be fatty acids, whereas fatty acids derived from natural fats and oils may be assumed to have at least eight carbon. Alternately, vitamins may also be less tightly bound to enzyme catalysts as coenzymes A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to a protein and is required for the protein's biological activity. These proteins are commonly enzymes and cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that assist in biochemical transformations. Cofactors can also be classified depending on how tightly they bind to an enzyme,, detachable molecules which function to carry chemical groups or electrons between molecules. For example, folic acid Folic acid and folate (the naturally occurring form), as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid and pteroyl-L-glutamate, are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9. Folic acid is itself not biologically active, but its biological importance is due to tetrahydrofolate and other derivatives after its conversion to dihydrofolic acid in the liver carries various forms of carbon group – methyl In chemistry, a methyl group is a hydrophobic alkyl functional group named after methane (C , formyl An aldehyde is an organic compound containing a terminal carbonyl group. This functional group, which consists of a carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom and double-bonded to an oxygen atom , is called the aldehyde group. The aldehyde group is also called the formyl or methanoyl group and methylene - in the cell. Although these roles in assisting enzyme-substrate reactions are vitamins' best-known function, the other vitamin functions are equally important.[5]
Until the 1900s, vitamins were obtained solely through food intake, and changes in diet (which, for example, could occur during a particular growing season) can alter the types and amounts of vitamins ingested. Vitamins have been produced as commodity chemicals In chemistry, a chemical substance is a material with a specific chemical composition and made widely available as inexpensive pills for several decades,[6] allowing supplementation of the dietary intake.
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Examiner.com
Adding to its growing list of health benefits, researchers have determined vitamin D can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes in the middle-aged ...
Study: High levels of vitamin D may prevent heart disease and diabetes Dr. Cutler
High vitamin D levels can reduce the risk of 'cardiometabolic' disorders TopNews United States
High vitamin D reduces diabetes risk in elderly Times of India
Private MD - AHN | All Headline News - BETTER Health Research
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ue, 23 Feb 2010 08:40:06 GM
Antioxidant . vitamin. antioxidant, nt, condition companies are the high individuals for those who are negative of having a natural office, or still the time.
Q. In my sixties on a low-fat diet, breathing problems, fat reduction should help with breathing need to lose about 25 lbs. Does anyone know of a product, like a vitamin, that would help both breathing and weight loss. Any suggestions and I'll do further research myself. Already have suggestion by Dr. but am still looking for another source to research. Thanks.
Asked by Marinaio - Sat Oct 4 09:47:18 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. Breathing problem is usually related to the lungs being inflammed, either due to a chronic infection or the pollutants in the air. You will need Vitamin C, an antioxidant that will help build up the protective fluids in the lining within the lungs, which will in turn help build up your immune response and thereby eradicate your breathing problem eventually. Depending on your current weight/height ratio, losing 25lbs at your age must be acted with due prudence and care, especially when it is not your body weight that causes your breathing problem. Like I have mentioned earlier, your breathing problem may largely due to a chronic infection or the pollutants in the air, and not because you are over weight. To help in both your breathing… [cont.]
Answered by Melts - Mon Oct 6 12:55:30 2008
