By Paris Papachristou

Vitamins depending on whether they are dissolved in water or fat are classified into two major categories, the water-soluble and the fat-soluble.

Water-soluble vitamins

The water-soluble vitamins, as their name suggests, are vitamins dissolved in water. These vitamins are absorbed quickly as your food is broken down during digestion and appear directly in the bloodstream. Since much of your body is made up of water, they circulate easily in the body.

Your kidneys constantly regulate their levels, thus excreting the excess in urine. In this way are not stored for a long time in your body and are not toxic. This of course makes it necessary to take them on a daily basis.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Fat soluble, are called vitamins broken down in fat. Many fat-soluble vitamins travel in your body with the accompaniment of proteins, which act as carriers. Fatty foods and oils are stores of these vitamins. Unlike the water-soluble ones, your body stores the excess and gradually releases the necessary quantities to meet your needs. Precisely because they are stored for long periods of time, toxic levels can easily occur. Fortunately, it's not that easy if you're on a balanced diet!

Why are vitamins essential in our diet?;

Vitamins are a heterogeneous group of food components, which, although found in food in very small amounts, play an important role in nutrition. They do not contain calories but are essential for the normal development, maintenance and proper functioning of the human body.

These nutrients are behind the recognised health benefits of the food, including have an important role in vitality, preventing disease and promoting well-being. Their quantities also determine how nutritious a food is. However, not all foods contain the same amounts of nutrients. Some may be better sources of a certain vitamin and thus contain larger amounts of it, while others may contain much smaller amounts. But of interest is the synergistic action of many vitamins, such as vitamin K and D, which may result in an improvement of their effects on the human body.

Results of clinical studies in humans have shown that the simultaneous use of vitamins K and D can reduce bone loss and improve bone health.

Is there a risk from their lack or excessive intake?;

It's true that without adequate amounts, your body can really suffer. Their absence leads to unhealthy conditions, avitaminosis. Because of the huge role they play, a deficiency in one vitamin can create a multitude of problems if not corrected. And on the other hand, correcting even a minor deficiency can greatly improve overall health and wellness. Whereas, on the contrary, excessive intake can lead to the again dangerous for the body over-vitaminations. Of course it is important that your body has the ability to adapt to changes and thus a lack or excessive intake of a vitamin will not lead to these adverse effects overnight.

So that's why it's important to have variety in your diet. Follow a balanced diet, which includes all foods and so you can get all the necessary nutrients for the proper functioning of your body and the maintenance of your health.

At this point, I remembered an earlier post of mine in the “Weigh Less” Facebook group, where, as I mentioned then, the goal is not to overload on supplements to “fill up” on nutrients, but that our body has the right proportions, so that the right “sound” comes out.

Vitamins and Cooking

The choice of food and its cooking are of particular importance. A diet with a variety of foods and colours, in addition to being appealing to the eye and palate, can provide several beneficial ingredients. However, many vitamins may lose some of their potency before they reach your table. This is because several of them are susceptible to heat, light and wind.

However, whether you are a highly experienced cook or a beginner, you can get the maximum nutritional benefit from your diet. Let's see how you can do it...

Cooking food

Cooking or reheating food degrades the nutritional value of the food because certain vitamins are destroyed. In general foods that are lightly cooked have higher amounts of vitamins, compared to those cooked at higher temperatures or for a longer period of time. Natural foods such as meat, fish and poultry must be cooked well to destroy dangerous micro-organisms. While also cooking can have other benefits.

Useful tip

If you have a food rich in iron (e.g. red meat or lentils) then eat it with a food rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes. This way you will achieve better absorption of iron from your food.

Useful tip

Prefer to eat your vegetables raw, or if you still have to cook them then use as little water, low temperature and as little cooking time as possible. This will ensure a higher concentration of vitamins.

Refrigeration - Food freezing

Cooling or freezing on the other side, usually delays the loss of nutrients. But even if refrigerated, fresh foods lose half or more of their specific vitamin content within a week or two. Nevertheless, it is a fact that food wastage is a big problem nowadays and refrigeration can be a very important tool for preserving food, especially fruit and vegetables, and for reducing this problem.

Useful tip

If you can't eat the whole loaf of bread you bought, slice it and freeze it. When you need them, take out a few slices a few hours before you eat them. Similarly, you can freeze the leftover cooked meal in portions so you have meals ready at the moment when you don't have time to cook.

Cooking food in water

Of course, heat treatment is not the only problem. Cooking food in water or other liquids leads to the loss of vitamins from the food and their transfer to this water.

Useful tip

Prefer cooking with small amounts of water or even steaming or microwaving. Another practical solution would be to incorporate the food liquids into the prepared food, where possible.

Exposure of food to oxygen and light

Finally, it is important to consume food directly as factors such as oxygen and light can affect the availability of vitamins.

Useful tip

Don't store your milk in glass bottles, but choose non-light-permeable packaging. This way you will avoid destroying the riboflavin contained in milk, which is a highly photosensitive vitamin.

Vitamins and Food Labels

You will have noticed that every packaged food has a nutrition label. It shows the amount of nutrients per serving and their total content.

This information is quite important. Regulators have introduced the nutrition label which lists the key nutritional characteristics found in a product to help you make the right nutritional choices.

As far as vitamins are concerned, the percentages presented refer to the amount of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) that you consume by consuming 100 grams of the product. The ADI is therefore an estimate of the amount sufficient to meet the needs of an average adult.

The vitamin content must be indicated when it is present in quantities greater than 1/6 (15%) of the EPI or if a nutrition claim for a vitamin is made on the packaging. For example “rich in vitamin C”.

Below you can see a table with the HRS and the upper vitamin levels of all vitamins for healthy adults.

Table of Recommended Daily Intakes and Upper Levels of Vitamins for Healthy Adults

Vitamin list	S.H.I.P. Women	S.H.P. Men	Higher levels/day
Vitamin A (μg/d)	700	900	3000
Vitamin D (μg/d)	15	15	50
Vitamin E (mg/d)	15	15	1000
Vitamin K (μg/d)	90	120	Unknown
Vitamin C (mg/d)	75	90	2000
Vitamin B₁ (mg/MJ)	1.1	1.2	Unknown
Vitamin B₂ (mg/d)	1.1	1.3	Unknown
Vitamin B₃ (mg NE/MJ*)	14	16	35
Vitamin B₅(mg/d)	5	5	Unknown
Vitamin B₆ (mg/d)	1.3	1.3	100
Vitamin B₇ (μg/d)	30	30	Unknown
Vitamin B₉ (μg DFE**/d)	400	400	1000
Vitamin B₁₂(μg/d)	2.4	2.4	Unknown

*Niacin Equivalent (Niacin Equivalent)/MJ (megajoules)

**Dietary folate equivalent (Dietary folate equivalent)

The requirements vary from person to person... depend on various factors such as age, weight, gender, overall health status, level of physical activity, medical history, and specific periods of life such as pregnancy and lactation.

However, food labels are not only found on packaged foods but also on food supplements. Of course, if you want to learn more about supplements, then all you have to do is just keep reading.

Vitamins and Food Supplements

As lifestyles become increasingly fast-paced and meal planning is not a priority for many people, the demand and use of dietary supplements has increased. Nowadays, it is a fact that you can find a wide range of dietary supplements in the market. These supplements mainly serve either to compensate for insufficient nutrient intake or to help you further increase your nutrient intake.

Are vitamin supplements necessary?;

Some experts say that a combination of two methods, namely a balanced diet and a multivitamin, have the best results. But let's look at them in detail.

A few words about Vitamin Supplements

Vitamin supplements are available in various forms such as capsules, softgels, tablets, effervescent tablets, chewable tablets, chewable tablets, drinkable vials, powder sachets, syrups, sprays etc. depending on the form that suits you. Their forms and uses are several. You can find multivitamin formulations and formulations of individual or combined vitamins. Their main uses are to fill certain deficiencies or to supplement a nutritional gap, and also to protect against health problems such as depression, post-menopausal symptoms, ageing skin, cancer or arthritis. In addition, more than a few people are looking for additional benefits such as perhaps better sleep, athletic performance or even more energy.

The main categories of supplements are gender (male-female), age (children-teenagers-over 50), athletes and the need for energy and stimulation.

Balanced Diet or Dietary Supplement?;

There is no doubt that your diet is your first priority. Many of the essential nutrients are present in almost all food groups, and even in some specific foods such as flour, cereals and salt, they are enriched with specific nutrients.

One advantage of the diet is that it protects you from a possible excess intake of certain nutrients. On the contrary, when taking supplements, it is much easier to ingest potentially dangerous amounts of certain ingredients. For this reason, the advice of a specialist is essential before you start taking a supplement.

Therefore, these preparations are not necessary for a healthy body that is able and willing to follow a balanced and varied diet through intelligent nutritional choices. However, there are some exceptions.

For whom are they necessary?;

Supplements can be an important aid for several groups of people who, either because of organic problems (malabsorption, increased needs, etc.) or due to restrictive diet (vegetarians etc.) are at high risk of nutritional deficiencies. Indicatively, dietary supplements could be useful in:

People taking chronic medication, which affects the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals
Special populations, such as pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly, where there is an increased need for specific nutrients
Smokers, who have an increased need for antioxidants
People who follow restrictive diets aimed at weight loss for prolonged periods
Vegetarians, who exclude certain foods from the daily diet for a long time
Women of childbearing age, where it is necessary to ensure adequate intake of specific nutrients (e.g. folic acid)
Athletes and sportsmen, depending on their training level, the training goal and the quality of their diet

Supplements are therefore only necessary for certain groups of people. However, it is important to be taken after consulting a doctor or graduate Dietitian-Nutritionist , after a deficiency in a nutrient has been identified (based on specific tests or a clinical evaluation) or if deemed necessary and not without the recommendation of a health professional.