Why Vitamins are Necessary in the Diet

Vitamins are the building blocks and important components of the body required for better growth and development. Before knowing the reasons for “why are vitamins necessary in the diet”, it is very compulsory to know all about the vitamins.

What are Vitamins

Vitamins are complex compounds which cannot be created by the body own and very essential for the healthy functioning of the body organs and growth and development. Vitamins are the vital elements which we can get only through the healthy diet and vitamins supplements.

Vitamins are naturally found in very sufficient amount in all the common foods, fruits and other sources which are easily available throughout the world. It is very necessary to eat vitamins on daily basis as its deficiency leads to the various serious health hazards, deficiency syndrome and even death.

On the other hand, eating vitamins over the limit also causes serious health hazards to the person. Consuming extra vitamins is bad for health, so it is very important to have vitamins within requirement which can easily be got through the normal and proper daily diet.

What do Vitamins do?

There are number of vitamins (13 vitamins) which are required to act together with the enzymes of our body cells in order to carryout and regulate various vital functioning of the body organs. They involve deeply in the variety of metabolic processes in order to release energy from the nutrients available in the food. They also engage in building and maintaining health of the skin, teeth, bones, blood and other vital tissues of the body.

Types of Vitamins

• Vitamin A or Retinol
• Vitamin C or Ascorbic acid
• Vitamin D or Calciferol
• Vitamin E or Tocopherol
• Vitamin K or Quinone
• B group vitamins

Vitamins are available in two types, first one is fat-soluble vitamins and second one is water-soluble vitamins.

What are Fat-soluble Vitamins

Fat soluble vitamins can be accumulated in body in the liver and fatty tissues as they are easily soluble in the fat. That’s why fat soluble vitamins are not so necessary to take on daily basis; having 2-3 times a week is considered to be sufficient for the adults. They are carried to the blood and other cells together with the fats in lipoproteins or particular transportable proteins to operate in the cells and membranes. As fat soluble vitamins are accumulated in the body, its excess intake may be toxic and very harmful to the body. Vitamins which come under this category are A, D, E and K.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A found in the animal food sources as retinoids (retinol, retinal, retinyl esters and retinoic acid) and in the plant food sources as carotenoids (carotenes like alpha, beta, gamma, delta and xanthophylls like zeaxanthin, neoxanthin, lutein). It is easily available in the animal (liver, butter and milk), cod liver oil, egg and fish, fruits (mango, papaya, melon), vegetables (carrot, spinach, pumpkins, tomatoes and red pepper), sweet potato, broccoli, pea, breast milk and etc. Vitamin A is required by the body organs tissues (bones, eyes and etc) for the normal functioning and development.

It plays a great role in maintaining the health of the skin and mucous membranes such as linings of eyes, nose and throat. It nourishes the body immune functioning and protects the body from various diseases. It regulates the eye functioning, vision and makes rhodopsin in the retina required for the night vision. It also takes part in the gene transcription, bone metabolism, development and reproduction of embryo, haematopoiesis and antioxidant property.

Deficiency of Vitamin A

Vitamin A deficiency causes skin damage, keratomalacia (destruction of the cornea), conjunctiva dryness (means xerosis), night blindness, xerophthalmia, meningococcal disease, infections like ear infections, urinary tract infections and etc. It also causes chronic malabsorption of the lipids and impaired bile production and release. Maternal vitamin A deficiency leads to the teratogenicity among children.

Daily Requirement of Vitamin A for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of it depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the vitamin A for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 400-600 μg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 500-600 μg/day.
• Children between 1-3 years of age require 300-600 μg/day.
• Children between 4-8 years of age require 400-900 μg/day.
• Males between 9-13 years of age require 600-1700 μg/day.
• Males between 14-18 years of age require 900-2800 μg/day.
• Males between 19-70 years of age require 900-3000 μg/day.
• Females between 9-13 years of age require 600-1700 μg/day.
• Females between 14-18 years of age require 700-2800 μg/day.
• Females between 19-70 years of age require 700-3000 μg/day.
• Pregnant women between 19-50 years of age require 750-3000 μg/day.
• Lactating women between 19-50 years of age require 1200-3000 μg/day.

Vitamin D

It is found in many forms such as D1, D2 or ergocalciferol, D3 or cholecalciferol, D4 or 22-dihydroergocalciferol and D5 or sitocalciferol.

It is sufficiently found in the eggs, fish oil (tuna and mackerel), fortified cereals, milk, mushrooms, margarine and etc. It is also prepared by our skin through the action of sunlight. So, it is necessary to go to the sunlight for 20 minutes a day to get enough vitamin D.

Vitamin D is required by the body to regulate the minerals like calcium and phosphate through their absorption and storage to the bone. It maintains the health of the bones and teeth. It also plays some roles in the metabolic, developmental and immune functioning of the body. It prevents from the cancer, cardiovascular diseases and multiple sclerosis

Deficiency of Vitamin D

Its deficiency causes osteomalacia means the bone softening among adults and rickets among children. Its low level increases the skin pigmentation.

Daily Requirement of Vitamin D for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the vitamin D for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 400-1000 IU/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 400-1500 IU/day.
• Children between 1-3 years of age require 600-2500 IU/day.
• Children between 4-8 years of age require 600-3000 IU/day.
• Males between 9-70 years of age require 600-4000 IU/day.
• Males above 70 years of age require 800-4000 IU/day.
• Pregnant and lactating women require 600-4000 IU/day.

Vitamin E

It is found in two forms such as alpha-tocopherol and tocotrienols. It is easily available in the vegetable oils, nuts, fish oil, spinach, sunflower seeds, papaya, green leafy vegetables, wheat germ oil, broccoli, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, mangoes, tomatoes and etc.

It acts as an antioxidant, nourishes the skin and protects our cell membranes. It also makes the immune system strong and healthy. It protects the skin from UV rays and free radicals, provides ability to the body to fight against the prostate, bladder cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Deficiency of Vitamin E

Its low level causes tingling sensation in arms, hands, feet and legs (peripheral neuropathy), malabsorption in the intestine, digestive system problems and liver or gallbladder problems whereas its deficiency may lead to the risk of heart diseases and other diseases like gallbladder, pancreatic, liver disease and coeliac diseases. It also causes skeletal myopathy, retinopathy, weak immune system, red blood cell destruction and etc.

Daily Requirement of Vitamin E for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the vitamin E for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 4 mg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 5 mg/day.
• Children between 1-3 years of age require 6 mg/day.
• Children between 4-8 years of age require 7 mg/day.
• Children between 9-14 years of age require 11 mg/day.
• Teenagers above 14 years of age require 15 mg/day.
• Pregnant women above 18 years of age require 15 mg/day.
• Lactating women above 18 years of age require 19 mg/day.

Vitamin K

It is found in many forms such as K1 or phylloquinone, K2 or menaquinones, K3 or menadione, K4 and K5. It is easily found in the normal foods, green leafy vegetables, dairy products, soybean oil, broccoli, fish oil, meats, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, tomatoes, blueberries, cheese, cereals, cooked spinach, alfalfa, vegetable oils and etc.

It is required by the body for normal blood clotting mechanism and wounds healing process. It is also required for the growth and development of the bones and kidney. It prevents from the postmenopausal bone loss in women, calcification of arteries and cancer of liver and prostate gland.

Deficiency of Vitamin K

Its deficiency may interfere with the normal blood clotting mechanism, calcification of blood vessels or heart valves, bone fracture and weakening. It also causes anaemia, loss of bone (means osteopenia) and lessens the bone minerals density (means osteoporosis).

Daily Requirement of Vitamin K for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the vitamin K for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 2 μg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 2.5 μg/day.
• Children between 1-3 years of age require 30 μg/day.
• Children between 4-8 years of age require 55 μg/day.
• Children between 9-14 years of age require 60 μg/day.
• Teenagers between 14-19 years of age require 75 μg/day.
• Males above 19 years of age require 120 μg/day.
• Females above 19 years of age require 90 μg/day.
• Pregnant and lactating women above till 19 years of age require 75 μg/day.
• Pregnant and lactating women above 19 years of age require 90 μg/day.

What are Water-soluble Vitamins

Water soluble vitamins are never stored in our body as they are soluble in the water. That’s why, water soluble vitamins are necessary to eat on daily basis. Its overdose is less likely to cause toxicity as it gets removed from the body through urine. Vitamins which come under this category are vitamin C and B group vitamins.

Vitamin C

It is found in sufficient amount in the fresh fruits, animal liver, milk, green vegetables, blackcurrant, guava, all the citrus fruits (like orange, amla, lemon, grapefruit), broccoli, strawberries, papaya, cauliflower, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, garlic, cabbage, mango, grape, banana, onion, carrot, apple, beetroot, pear, cucumber and etc. However, it gets destroyed over high temperatures while boiling the food.

Vitamins C is required by the body for the production of collagen which makes the skin healthy and glowing, hair strong and long, teeth and gums healthy, blood vessels and joints cartilage powerful and etc. It also acts as an antioxidant, prevents the body from tissue damage (free radicals), enhances the iron absorption in the intestines and lowers the risk of cancer.

It enhances the wound healing process and plays a significant role in red blood cells formation. It also enhances the level of brain chemical called as noradrenaline (an important neurotransmitter) and improves the alertness and concentration power.

Deficiency of Vitamin C

Its deficiency causes scurvy and lower level may lead to the variety of heart diseases, lung problems, poor wound healing, strokes, cancer, bleeding gums, skin discoloration, weak immune functioning, frequent cold and other infections.

Daily Requirement of Vitamin C for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the vitamin C for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 40 mg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 50 mg/day.
• Children between 1-4 years of age require 15 mg /day.
• Children between 4-9 years of age require 25 mg /day.
• Males and females between 9-14 years of age require 45 mg /day.
• Males between 14-19 years of age require 75 mg /day.
• Males above 19 years of age require 90 mg /day.
• Females between 14-19 years of age require 65 mg /day.
• Females above 19 years of age require 75 mg /day.
• Pregnant women from 18 and above years of age require 80-85 mg /day.
• Lactating women from 18 and above years of age require 115-120 mg /day.

Vitamin B

B group vitamins are:

• Vitamin B1 or Thiamine
• Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin
• Vitamin B3 or Niacin or niacinamide
• Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic Acid
• Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine
• Vitamin H, B7 or Biotin
• Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid, Folate
• Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin

Other B group vitamins which are generally not well known are; B4, B8, B10 (para-aminobenzoic acid), B11, B13 (orotic acid), B14, B15 (pangamic acid), B16, B17, B18, B19, B20 (carnitine), B21, B22, choline and so many.

Thiamine

It is sufficiently found in the wholegrain breads or cereals, potatoes, meats, fish, nuts, mushrooms, spinach, peas, flaxseeds, beans and etc.

It is required by the body for processing the carbohydrates, fat and alcohol in order to produce energy. It plays a great role in maintaining the proper nerve, heart and muscle functioning and RNA and DNA production.

Deficiency of Thiamine

Its deficiency is commonly occurred in the alcoholics or those who eat inadequate cereal foods. Its deficiency leads to the permanent damage to the brain and memory loss (also known as the Korsakoff’s psychosis), beriberi, edema, heart failure, dementia and damage to the eye movements.

Its low level causes loss of appetite, tingling sensation in limbs, calf muscle tenderness and etc.

Daily Requirement of Thiamine for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the thiamine for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 200 μg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 300 μg/day.
• Children between 1-4 years of age require 500 μg/day.
• Children between 4-9 years of age require 600 μg/day.
• Males between 9-14 years of age require 900 μg/day.
• Males above 14 years of age require 1.2 mg /day.
• Females between 9-14 years of age require 900 μg/day.
• Females above 14 years of age require 1.1 mg /day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 1.4 mg /day.
• Lactating women of any age require 1.5 mg /day.

Riboflavin

It is commonly found in the milk, nuts, liver, fish, eggs, meat, cheese, legumes, mushrooms, yogurt, soybeans, spinach, green leafy vegetables and etc.

It is required by the body for the better and healthy growth and production of the red blood cells, good health of the skin and eyes. It involves in the electron transport chain, citric acid cycle and fatty acids catabolism.

Deficiency of Riboflavin

Its deficiency causes ariboflavinosis disease with symptoms of cracked lips, tongue inflammation, sore throat and etc.

Daily Requirement of Riboflavin for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the riboflavin for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 300 μg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 400 μg/day.
• Children between 1-4 years of age require 500 μg/day.
• Children between 4-9 years of age require 600 μg/day.
• Males between 9-14 years of age require 900 μg/day.
• Males above 14 years of age require 1.2-1.3 mg /day.
• Females between 9-14 years of age require 900 μg/day.
• Females between 14-19 years of age require 1 mg /day.
• Females above 19 years of age require 1.1 mg /day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 1.4 mg /day.
• Lactating women of any age require 1.5 mg /day.

Niacin

It is found well in the fish, meats, eggs, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, nuts, mushrooms, animal liver, milk and dairy products.

It is required by the body for the processing of cholesterol and fat in order to maintain the vascular health. It involves in lowering the cholesterol level and maintaining blood sugar level.

Deficiency of Niacin

Its deficiency leads to the pellagra disease with symptoms of loss of sleep, loss of appetite, digestive problems, weakness, mental confusion, diarrhoea, dementia, skin inflammation and etc.

Daily Requirement of Niacin for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the niacin for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 2 mg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 4 mg/day.
• Children between 1-4 years of age require 6 mg/day.
• Children between 4-9 years of age require 8 mg/day.
• Males between 9-14 years of age require 11-12 mg/day.
• Males above 14 years of age require 16 mg/day.
• Females between 9-14 years of age require 12 mg/day.
• Females above 14 years of age require 14 mg/day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 18 mg/day.
• Lactating women of any age require 17 mg/day.

Pantothenic Acid

It is commonly available in the milk, vegetables, meat, eggs, legumes, cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli, yogurt, corn, sweet potato, cereals and etc.

It is required by the body for the metabolic processes (fatty acid and carbohydrate oxidation) to produce energy in the cells.

Deficiency of Pantothenic Acid

Its deficiency causes fatigue, weakness, numbness, tingling sensation, hypoglycaemia, burning in the feet, acne and other skin problems.

Daily Requirement of Pantothenic Acid for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the pantothenic acid for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 1.6-1.7 mg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 1.7-1.8 mg/day.
• Children between 1-4 years of age require 2 mg/day.
• Children between 4-9 years of age require 3 mg/day.
• Males between 9-14 years of age require 4 mg/day.
• Males above 14 years of age require 5 mg/day.
• Females between 9-14 years of age require 3-4 mg/day.
• Females above 14 years of age require 5 mg/day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 6 mg/day.
• Lactating women of any age require 7 mg/day.

Pyridoxine

It is available in sufficient amount in the milk, cereals, meats, potatoes, fruits, animal liver, fish, starchy vegetables, beans and nuts.

It is required by the body for the processing of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in order to produce energy. It also takes part in the cell division and red blood cells formation. It involves in the lipids and amino acids metabolism, neurotransmitters and haemoglobin synthesis and gluconeogenesis process.

Deficiency of Pyridoxine

Its deficiency causes microcytic anaemia, nerve damage, seizures, skin problems, mouth sore, skin inflammation, depression, hypertension and etc.

Daily Requirement of Pyridoxine for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the pyridoxine for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 0.1 mg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 0.3 mg/day.
• Children between 1-4 years of age require 0.5 mg/day.
• Children between 4-9 years of age require 0.6 mg/day.
• Children between 9-14 years of age require 1 mg/day.
• Males between 14-50 years of age require 1.3 mg/day.
• Males above 50 years of age require 1.7 mg/day.
• Females between 14-18 years of age require 1.2 mg/day.
• Females between 19-50 years of age require 1.3 mg/day.
• Females above 50 years of age require 1.5 mg/day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 1.9 mg/day.
• Lactating women of any age require 2 mg/day.

Folate, Folic Acid

It is commonly found in the green leafy vegetables, nuts, seaweed, yeast, milk, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, beetroots, beans, cereals and fruits (like orange). Folate is the exception of the group of water soluble vitamins, as it gets stored in the liver.

It plays an important role in the production of new cells and normal blood cells during infancy and pregnancy. It is required to prevent the infant from the birth defects such as the neural tube defects. It also prevents from the osteoporosis, dementias and Alzheimer’s disease. It involves in the metabolism of the amino acids and nucleic acids, erythropoiesis, cell division and etc.

Deficiency of Folate, Folic Acid

Its deficiency leads to the macrocytic anaemia, low level of the white blood cell counts and causes irritability, fatigue, depression, loss of sleep, inflammation of gums and various other infections. Its deficiency during pregnancy in the pregnant women causes various birth defects in the infant such as the spina bifida, neural tube defects and etc.

Pregnant women are required to take folic acid approximately 400 microgram per day whereas women with the history of neural tube defects required to take folic acid approximately 4 mg per day.

Daily Requirement of Folic Acid for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the folic acid for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 65 μg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 80 μg/day.
• Children between 1-3 years of age require 150 μg/day.
• Children between 4-8 years of age require 200 μg/day.
• Males between 9-14 years of age require 300 μg/day.
• Males above 14 years of age require 400 μg/day.
• Females between 9-14 years of age require 300 μg/day.
• Females above 14 years of age require 400 μg/day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 600 μg/day.
• Lactating women of any age require 500 μg/day.

Vitamin B12

It is most widely found in the meat, fish, eggs, yeasts, yogurt, seaweed, cheese, liver and milk. However, it is also prepared in our large intestine through the bacteria using cobalt available in foods.

It takes part in the red blood cell production, cell division and maintenance of the proper functioning of the nerves. It involves in the metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrate.

Deficiency of Vitamin B12

Its deficiency causes macrocytic anaemia, peripheral neuropathy, memory loss, depression, pernicious anaemia, mania, paralysis and psychosis.

Daily Requirement of Vitamin B12for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the vitamin B12 for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 400 nanograms/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 500 nanograms/day.
• Children between 1-3 years of age require 900 nanograms/day.
• Children between 4-8 years of age require 1.2 μg/day.
• Males between 9-14 years of age require 1.8 μg/day.
• Males above 14 years of age require 2.4 μg/day.
• Females between 9-14 years of age require 1.8 μg/day.
• Females above 14 years of age require 2.4 μg/day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 2.6 μg/day.
• Lactating women of any age require 2.8 μg/day

Biotin

It is found in the liver, nuts, fruits, eggs, berries and vegetables.

It is required by the body for playing role in the metabolism of fat, carbohydrate and protein, cell growth and maintenance of the bone, nerves and sweat glands health.

Deficiency of Biotin

Its deficiency causes neurological problems among infants, conjunctivitis, skin problems, lethargy, depression, muscle cramps, hair problem and etc.

Daily Requirement of Biotin for Different Age Group

Daily requirement of this vitamin depends on the age and sex of the person. I have mentioned below the daily requirement of the biotin for different age group people:

• Infants between 0-6 months of age require 5 μg/day.
• Infants between 6-12 months of age require 6 μg/day.
• Children between 1-3 years of age require 8 μg/day.
• Children between 4-8 years of age require 12 μg/day.
• Males between 9-14 years of age require 20 μg/day.
• Males between 14-19 years of age require 25 μg/day.
• Males above 19 years of age require 30 μg/day.
• Females between 9-14 years of age require 20 μg/day.
• Females between 14-19 years of age require 25 μg/day.
• Females above 19 years of age require 30 μg/day.
• Pregnant women of any age require 30 μg/day.
• Lactating women of any age require 30-35 μg/day.

Vitamin Pills or Supplements

Vitamins are also packed artificially in the form of pills, supplements and capsules which are recommended by the doctor for the people suffering from the deficiency of the vitamins so that body can fulfil its requirements. People may get deficiency symptoms of these vitamins through the inadequate diet or weak body capacity to absorb vitamins (people with coeliac disease or post bowel surgery).

People, who do not eat vitamins in daily diet properly such as alcoholics, may take pills or supplements of the vitamins if prescribed by their doctor. However, taking pills or vitamins supplements without any requirement or without any prescription of the doctor may cause some serious health problems. As fat soluble vitamins tend to get accumulated in the body and cause toxicity.

So, it is best to avoid taking vitamins pills or other vitamins supplements in order to get free from its toxicity or other harmful effects on the body. It is good to eat balanced diet including all the naturally available things loaded with the vitamins such as milk, milk products, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, cereals, seasonal fruits and etc.

Eating balanced or healthy diet means to include all the foods having essential vitamins and minerals. As our body needs both macro-nutrients (protein, carbohydrate and fat) and micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients) for its normal functioning, growth, repair and healthy maintenance, it is very necessary to have all in the diet on daily basis.

Role of Antioxidant Vitamins

Most of the vitamins like vitamin A (retinol and carotenoids), C and E have very strong antioxidant properties and play a significant role in protecting the body cells from getting damaged. They neutralize and slow down the destructive power of the free radicals (cell damaging molecules) and protect the body from early ageing.

How to Get Antioxidant Vitamins

Antioxidant vitamins can easily be got from the foods such as fresh fruits, apricots, red peppers, broccoli, vegetables, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, tomatoes, papaya, watermelon, guava, kiwi, peach, strawberries, spinach, margarine, cod-liver oil, hazelnuts, corn oil, safflower oil, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and etc.

Importance of B Group Vitamins specially for Women

B group vitamins are very necessary especially for women health maintenance. They need enough amounts of the vitamins like B6, B12 and folic acid on daily basis to maintain the healthy brain functioning, red blood cell formation, and proper DNA building.

The requirement of the B group vitamins (especially folic acid and B12) is much likely increases during the pregnancy and lactation period (breast feeding) to lower the possibility of neural tube defects (spina bifida) among infants. That’s why; women during pregnancy must avoid their poor eating habits, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse or any type of the oral contraceptives which leads to the low levels of folic acid in blood.

Having proper and balanced diet on daily basis is enough to get all the B group vitamins requirements for the women. Women, who are suffering from the deficiency of these vitamins, may develop symptoms like inflammation of tongue and mouth, anaemia, depression, irritability, confusion and cancer.

After the age of 50, the absorption of vitamin B12 goes down due to the age related natural changes in the stomach which can then be fulfilled through the supplements.

Importance of Vitamin D specially for Women

Vitamin D is required by the women (especially, postmenopausal women) as they need more calcium and phosphorus for their bone health. Vitamin D has hormone like functions in the body which helps in activating the minerals like calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream for keeping the bones strong.

Women can easily get enough amount of the vitamin D by sun light and balanced diet or vitamin supplements. Women suffering from the deficiency of this vitamin may lead to the softening of the bones means osteoporosis.