Fat Soluble Vitamins - Names, Functions & Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin A Benefits

• Preserves Vision: Vitamin A aids in the maintenance of eye vision and the formation of tear fluid

• Body and hair growth: Vitamin A is essential for the growth of cells and hair

• Fertility: Vitamin A helps maintain fertility levels and is key to fetal development in pregnant women

• Immunity booster: Lack of immunity can trigger a host of infections in our body. Vitamin A helps in improving the immunity levels in the body

• Treats Measles: Along with dietary sources of Vitamin A, its supplements may help treat measles in children and measles-linked pneumonia

Vitamin D Benefits

• Bone Strength conservation: Vitamin D helps in the absorption and preservation of calcium and phosphorus levels in the body. Calcium and phosphorous are pivotal minerals that aid in bone growth and maintenance of bone density

• Regulates Immunity: Vitamin D strengthens and regulates the immunity system of the body. Few vitamin D supplements also prolong human lives, especially those of elders when hospitalized or under the care

Sufficient intake of vitamin D also prevents respiratory tract infections

Vitamin E Benefits

• Antioxidant: Prevents cell damage and helps in the maintenance of healthy skin and eyes

• Longer cell life: Free radicals formed out of normal body processes like ageing may damage the cells. Vitamin E might help in reducing the free radicals damage and slow down the cell ageing process in the body

Vitamin K Benefits

• Blood Coagulant: Vitamin K plays a key role in blood clotting preventing extreme blood loss in certain cases.

• Reduces risk of heart disease: Vitamin K helps prevent calcification of blood vessels, potentially minimizing the chances of heart disease. Further, it also ensures maintain bone health

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a group of fat-soluble compounds called retinoids. Its common dietary form is termed retinol.

Dietary Sources

• Vitamin A is most commonly found in animal-sourced foods in the form of preformed retinol that is ready to use by the body

• Animal-source foods rich in Vitamin A include liver, fish, cheese, milk, and other dairy products

• Vitamin A is derived from plants is termed provitamin A

• The most useful provitamin A is the beta-carotene, present in enough quantities in green, leafy veggies such as spinach, kale, and root vegetables such as carrots, sweet potato, etc. 

Deficiency Symptoms

• Common and early symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency include night blindness

• As time progresses, more severe symptoms include dry eyes with reduced tear formation, total blindness, and poor immunity

• Hair loss and skin problems are other symptoms caused due to Vitamin A deficiency 

Toxicity

• Excessive doses of animal-based vitamin A supplements, fish oil, or liver oil may cause a condition called hypervitaminosis

• Symptoms of toxicity or overdose include headache, fatigue, mouth and eye inflammation, joint pains, nausea, blurred vision, and so on

• Consumption of extremely high doses of vitamin be fatal resulting in liver damage, loss of bone density, and hair loss

• Children and people suffering from conditions of cirrhosis and hepatitis are at a greater risk of toxicity and extra care is needed

• High doses of vitamin A are harmful to the fetus and have been linked to birth defects. So, pregnant women need to be extra cautious

Vitamin D

Also termed as Calciferol and nicknamed the Sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is available in two dietary forms – Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3

Dietary Sources

• Vitamin D2: Also called Ergocalciferol is plant-based and commonly present in mushrooms, cereals, and plant-based milk

• Vitamin D3: Known as cholecalciferol, Vitamin D3 is largely found in animal-based foods such as eggs, dairy, liver, and oily fish. It is also produced by our skin when exposed to sunlight 

Deficiency Symptoms

• Osteoporosis or loss of bone density

• Osteomalacia, a condition where bones tend to become soft and brittle increasing the chances of fractures

• Rickets, seen in children, when the bones do not develop properly

• Auto-immune disorders and high infection risk

• Affects children and older adults who do not stay outdoors enough, and people living in places away from the equator 

Toxicity

• High amounts of Vitamin D can lead to a spike in calcium levels in the blood that can cause hypertension, kidney or heart damage, low appetite and weight loss, nausea, and headaches

Vitamin E

Also named as Tocopherol, vitamin E fights against free radicals in the body that cause oxidative stress and cell damage resulting in cancers and tumours.

Dietary Sources

• Available in plant-based sources such as peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, spinach, broccoli, mango, and kiwi fruit 

Deficiency Symptoms

• Poor eye vision, reduced bodily movement, and coordination caused by damage of nerves and muscles, loss of immunity are common symptoms of Vitamin E deficiency

• Affects people with a history of cystic fibrosis, a condition where the liver has a reduced capacity to absorb vitamin E 

Toxicity

• Overdose of Vitamin E can be caused by intake of its supplements but never through natural sources

• People who have been prescribed anticoagulant medicines may seek medical advice before taking Vitamin E supplements as they may interfere with blood-thinning

Vitamin K

Vitamin K performs the role of an anticoagulant, i.e., blood clotting. Without it, your body might run a risk of severe bleeding, resulting in death. Vitamin K is classified into two main groups- Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2

Dietary Sources

• Vitamin K1: Mostly found in plant-sourced foods such as green and leafy vegetables, oils, and is the main form of Vitamin K in the diet

• Vitamin K2: Found in limited amounts in animal-based foods and fermented foods such as soy, liver, egg yolks, and butter 

Deficiency Symptoms

• Hemorrhaging is a common symptom since the blood cannot clot without a sufficient amount of Vitamin K in the body

• Loss of bone density and increased risk of infections

• People on antibiotics or vitamin A supplements are at a greater risk of Vitamin K deficiency

• People suffering from diseases that reduce the absorption of fat in the body such as cystic fibrosis, or inflammatory bowel syndrome are at greater risk of Vitamin K deficiency 

Toxicity

• Contrary to other fat-soluble vitamins, Vitamin K derived from natural sources is found to have caused zero toxicity

• However, Vitamin K3, a synthetic form of Vitamin K may have some toxic effects on the body when taken in excessive amounts