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Consuming vitamins can prevent disease
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. In order for a substance to be classified as a vitamin, its deficiency must produce a specific [[disease]].{{fact}} 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.
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:<ref>[http://www.livescience.com/health/090918-bad-health-tips-1.html]</ref>
{| border="3"
! 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]].{{fact}} 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).<ref>Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 16th Edition by Dennis L. Kasper, Eugene Braunwald, Anthony Fauci, and Stephen Hauser, 2004</ref>
Other substances needed to sustain life are not vitamins because they are macronutrients (for example, the essential amino acids).<ref>Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 16th Edition by Dennis L. Kasper, Eugene Braunwald, Anthony Fauci, and Stephen Hauser, 2004</ref>