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vitamin
(vi´tә-min)
any of a group of organic substances found in foods and essential in small quantities for growth, health, and the preservation
of life itself. The body needs vitamins just as it requires other food constituents such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and water. The absence of one or more vitamins from the diet, or poor absorption of them, can cause deficiency diseases such as rickets, scurvy, or beriberi. Vitamins serve as coenzymes or cofactors in enzymatic reactions. They are required only in trace quantities because they are not consumed in the reactions.
The major vitamins are those designated by the letters A, C, D, E, and K, and those of the vitamin B complex. The B vitamins and vitamin C are water soluble, and the rest are fat soluble, which means that they are not absorbed unless
the body's digestion and absorption of fats is normal.
Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
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