Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body's fatty tissue.
Water-soluble vitamins must be used by the body right away. Any left over water-soluble vitamins leave the body through the urine. Vitamin B12 is the only water-soluble vitamin that can be stored in the liver for many years.
Function
Each vitamin has specific functions. You can develop health problems (deficiency disease) if you do not get enough of a particular vitamin.
Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin.
Vitamin B6 is also called pyridoxine. The more protein you eat, the more vitamin B6 is needed to help the body use protein. Vitamin B6 helps form red blood cells and maintain brain function, among other things.
Vitamin B12, like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism. It also helps form red blood cells and maintain the central nervous system.
Vitamin C (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. The body cannot store them. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
Vitamin K (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. The body can store fat-soluble vitamins in fatty tissue.Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not clot. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
Vitamin A (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in low light. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
Vitamin E (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant.Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects body tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals. Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
Vitamin B12 (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/14/2009
Folic acid in diet (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Folic acid is a type of B vitamin. It is water-soluble, which means it cannot be stored in the body. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
Thiamine (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Thiamine is one of the B vitamins, a group of water-soluble vitamins that participate in many of the chemical reactions in the body.Vitamin B1; Diet- thiamine; Deficiency- vitamin B1.Thiamine(vitamin B1) helps the body cells convert carbohydrates ...Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/16/2009
Riboflavin (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Riboflavin is a type of B vitamin. It is water soluble, which means it is not stored in the body. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
Niacin (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Niacin is a type of B vitamin. It is water-soluble, which means it is not stored in the body. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/14/2009
Multiple vitamin overdose(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Multiple vitamin overdose occurs when someone accidentally or intentionally takes more than the normal or recommended amount of multivitamin supplements.This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poiso...Reviewer: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Greg Juhn, MTPW, David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (10/29/2007).Date: 02/03/2009
Chromium in diet(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Chromium is an essential mineral that is not made by the body and must be obtained from the diet.Chromium is important in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. Chromium stimulates fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis, which are important for b...Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
Magnesium in diet(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Magnesium is an essential mineral for human nutrition.Magnesium in the body serves several important functions:.Most dietary magnesium comes from vegetables, such as dark green, leafy vegetables. Other foods that are good sources of magnesium:.Sid...Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/09/2009
Potassium in diet(Doctor-Reviewed information)
These include potassium sparing diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitors.For more information on increased potassium levels, see the article on hyperkalemia.The Food and Nutrition Center of the Institute of Medicine has establis...Reviewer: Patrika Tsai, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 06/23/2008
Balanced diet (3 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development.A well-balanced diet provides enough ene...Reviewer: Patrika Tsai, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric GI, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/27/2008
Zinc in diet(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Zinc is an important trace mineral. This element is second only to iron in its concentration in the body. Reviewer: Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 03/07/2009
25-hydroxy vitamin D test (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
The 25-hydroxy vitamin D test is the most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body.In the kidney, 25-hydroxy vitamin D changes into an active form of the vitamin. The active form of vitamin D helps control calcium and phosphate l...Reviewer: Robert Cooper, MD, Endocinology Specialist and Chief of Medicine, Holyoke Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston MA Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 07/28/2008
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