show/hide words to know
Energy: the ability to do work. Animals eat plants or other animals to get their energy to do work. Plants use the Sun's light energy to make their own food (energy).
Fat soluble vitamin: vitamins that are fat soluble are stored in the fat in our bodies.
Water soluble vitamins: vitamins that are water soluble dissolve in water and are not stored in our bodies.
ABCs of Vitamins
You may take a vitamin tablet in the morning. We are often told "Eat your fruit and vegetables because they have vitamins." What's so important about vitamins? While they do not provide energy like protein from meat and sugar from breads, they do help to convert this energy into the energy your body uses.
Because our bodies can't make vitamins, we need to get them from the food we eat. There are 13 vitamins we need.
Four of these vitamins dissolve in fat (are fat soluble). They are found in foods that contain fat and are stored in fat in our bodies - vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Nine of these vitamins dissolve in water (are water soluble). They are not stored in our bodies. Eight of these vitamins are B vitamins that include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, B6, B12, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Vitamin C is also water soluble.
There are many things vitamins do for us and some things they do not do. Here are some of the facts and myths about vitamins.
View Citation
Bibliographic details:
- Article: ABC's of Vitamins
- Author(s): Corinne Corte
- Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
- Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
- Date published: October 8, 2009
- Date accessed: April 17, 2024
- Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/abcs-vitamins
APA Style
Corinne Corte. (2009, October 08). ABC's of Vitamins. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved April 17, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/abcs-vitamins
Chicago Manual of Style
Corinne Corte. " ABC's of Vitamins". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 08 October, 2009. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/abcs-vitamins
Corinne Corte. " ABC's of Vitamins". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 08 Oct 2009. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 17 Apr 2024. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/abcs-vitamins
MLA 2017 Style
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