Difference between revisions of "Vitamin"
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| + | *[http://www.answers.com/topic/vitamin Vitamins and what they do for the body] | ||
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Revision as of 16:41, February 23, 2010
A vitamin is a chemical substance acting as a catalyst in the body's chemical reaction, commonly as part of metabolism. It must be obtained from dietary or other sources. Consuming vitamins can prevent disease:[1]
| Substance | Disease it prevents |
|---|---|
| thiamine (B1) | beriberi |
| vitamin D | rickets |
| vitamin C | scurvy |
| niacin (B3) | pellagra |
| iodine | goiter |
In order for a substance to be classified as a vitamin, its deficiency must produce a specific disease.[Citation Needed] For example, ascorbic acid is a vitamin (Vitamin C) in humans because its absence produces scurvy, a lack of Vitamin D will result in rickets, and thiamin is a vitamin (Vitamin B1) because its absence produces beriberi. There are exactly thirteen essential vitamins for humans.
Other substances needed to sustain life are not vitamins because they are macronutrients (for example, the essential amino acids).[2]