Vitamin A: It is fat-soluble. Its main function on the human body is to maintain the growth of various epithelial cells, promote the regeneration of "rhodopsin", prevent night blindness and corneal softening, and enhance resistance to infectious diseases. force. The epithelial cells of the elderly are susceptible to damage and their resistance is relatively low. Therefore, appropriate supplementation of vitamin A is necessary. In addition to the portion that can be obtained from the diet (such as carrots, animal livers, dark vegetables, eggs, and milk), vitamin A capsules can be taken separately, once a day, 1 capsule per time, with a content of 25,000 International units, take intermittently.

Vitamin E: It is fat-soluble and is also called "tocopherol". The main functions of the human body are to eliminate free radicals, resist oxidation, remove "lipid peroxide" in the body, and eliminate "lipofuscin" in the body, thereby delaying the aging process of the body. Animal experiments have confirmed that vitamin E can extend the average life span of animals and reduce the incidence of cancer. As a result, the peroxidation of lipids continues to increase, lipofuscin deposition is obvious, biofilm damage aggravates, and muscle atrophy becomes thinner. Therefore, vitamin E should be supplemented. In addition to the dietary intake (which is widely found in green plants, especially various natural vegetable oils), oral vitamin E capsules (a daily dose of more than 400 mg) can cause side effects such as blurred vision, diarrhea, and fatigue. Care should be taken to avoid this.

Vitamin C: Water-soluble, also known as "ascorbic acid". Its effects on the human body are relatively complex, mainly maintaining the normal functions of blood vessels, muscles, bones, teeth and other organs. In particular, it can enhance the elasticity of capillaries and prevent bleeding, so it is called ascorbic acid. It can also increase the body's resistance to various infectious diseases, promote wound healing, and accelerate the formation of connective tissue. For the elderly, it is of great significance to increase resistance to various infections by taking vitamin C; at the same time, it has special health value for the elderly to maintain the health of blood vessels, especially capillaries in various parts, and prevent bleeding. . In addition to ingesting part from food (widely found in various fresh fruits and vegetables), vitamin C tablets can be taken orally, 3 times a day, 1-2 tablets each time (each tablet contains 100 mg), which can be taken for a long time. , generally no side effects.

Vitamin B1: Also known as "thiamine", it is water-soluble and can prevent beriberi (specifically referring to peripheral neuritis and other functional disorders caused by lack of vitamin B1, not the commonly referred to as athlete's foot or "athlete's foot"). "Athlete's foot") increases appetite, nourishes nerves, improves muscle function, etc. When the elderly have poor appetite, suffer from peripheral neuritis symptoms, or indigestion, taking vitamin B1 plays an important role in recovery. Vitamin B1 is widely found in coarse foods such as cereals, wheat, and soybeans. If the elderly eat refined white rice, flour, etc. for a long time, they may be deficient in vitamin B1. Oral supplementation is taken 3 times a day, 2 tablets each time, each tablet contains 10 mg, and can be taken long-term or intermittently.

Except for the above four vitamins, other vitamins are generally not deficient. Unless there are special diseases, a special vitamin may be considered (for example, patients need to use vitamin B12 when they are anemic, and when they have hemorrhage, they need to supplement vitamins. K etc.). However, when considering health preservation, health care, and preventive medication, supplementing vitamins A, E, C, and B1 is the most valuable. Of course, it is best to consult the relevant doctor regarding the duration and dosage of taking it.

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Vitamins, also known as vitamins, are an indispensable nutrient for the human body. They were named by Polish scientist Funk, who called them "life-sustaining nutrients." Nutrients”.

Vitamins are a type of nutrients necessary to maintain human health. They are essentially low-molecular organic compounds. They cannot be synthesized in the body, or the amount synthesized cannot meet the needs of the body, so they must be supplied by food. The daily requirement of vitamins is very small (often measured in milligrams or micrograms). They are neither raw materials for body tissues nor energy-supplying substances in the body. However, they are important in regulating material metabolism, promoting growth and development, and maintaining physiological functions. It plays an important role. If a certain vitamin is lacking for a long time, it will lead to various diseases.

There are many types of vitamins, usually divided into two categories according to their solubility: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. The former includes A, D, E, and K, which are insoluble in water but soluble in fat and lipid solvents. They coexist with lipids in food and are closely related to lipid absorption in intestinal absorption. When lipids are malabsorbed, such as biliary obstruction or prolonged diarrhea, their absorption is greatly reduced and may even cause deficiency.

The simplest example is the well-known principle of carrots eating oil. Fat-soluble vitamins have low excretion efficiency, so if they are taken in too much, they can accumulate in the body, causing harmful effects and even poisoning.

Water-soluble vitamins include ascorbic acid and vitamin C of the B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12, PP, etc.). B vitamins are components of coenzymes. B6, pantothenic acid and biotin among the B vitamins are widely present in food and can be synthesized by intestinal bacteria. No typical deficiency has been found in humans. The characteristics of water-soluble vitamins are that they are soluble in water and insoluble in fats and organic solvents. It is easily excreted from the body through urine and has high excretion efficiency, and generally does not produce accumulation or toxic effects.

Vitamin is an essential organic compound in human metabolism. The human body is like an extremely complex chemical factory, constantly undergoing various biochemical reactions. The reaction is closely related to the catalytic action of enzymes. For enzymes to be active, coenzymes must be present. It is known that many vitamins are coenzymes of enzymes or component molecules of coenzymes. Therefore, vitamins are important substances for maintaining and regulating normal metabolism of the body. It can be considered that vitamins exist in human tissues in the form of "biologically active substances".

Most vitamins cannot be synthesized in the human body, or the amount of synthesis is insufficient to meet the needs of the human body. Therefore, it must be obtained from food.

The content of vitamins in food is small, and the human body does not need much, but it is an indispensable substance. If there is a lack of vitamins in the diet, it will cause metabolic disorders in the human body, leading to vitamin deficiency. For example, lack of vitamin A can lead to night blindness, dry eyes and dry skin; lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets; lack of vitamin B1 can lead to beriberi; lack of vitamin B2 can lead to cheilitis, angular stomatitis, glossitis and scrotal inflammation; lack of PP can lead to scrotal disease. Pellagra; lack of vitamin B12 can cause pernicious anemia; lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy.

Vitamins are a huge family. There are dozens of known vitamins, which can be roughly divided into two categories: fat-soluble and water-soluble. The former includes vitamins A, D, E, and K, while the latter category includes the B vitamins and vitamin C, as well as many "vitamins."

The vitamins currently discovered in medicine mainly include:

Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamin A. Maintain normal vision and prevent night blindness; maintain epithelial cell tissue health; promote growth and development; increase resistance to infectious diseases; prevent and treat dry eye disease.

Vitamin D. Regulates the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the human body, promotes absorption and utilization, and promotes bone growth.

Vitamin E. Maintain normal reproductive capacity and normal muscle metabolism; maintain the integrity of the central nervous system and vascular system.

Vitamin K. Stop bleeding. It is not only the main component of prothrombin, but also prompts the liver to produce prothrombin. Vitamin K deficiency in children

Water-soluble vitamins

Vitamin B1. Maintain normal functions of circulation, digestion, nerves and muscles; adjust the function of the gastrointestinal tract; form coenzymes of decarboxylase and participate in sugar metabolism; can prevent beriberi.

Vitamin B2. Also called riboflavin. Nucleotin is a component of many important coenzymes in the body. These enzymes can transfer hydrogen during the metabolism of substances in the body. It is also a necessary substance for protein, sugar, fatty acid metabolism and energy utilization and composition. It can promote growth and development and protect the health of eyes and skin.

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). Anti-stress, anti-cold, anti-infection, prevent the toxicity of certain antibiotics, and eliminate postoperative abdominal distension.

Vitamin B6. Plays an important role in protein metabolism. Treat neurasthenia, dizziness, atherosclerosis, etc.

Vitamin B12. Anti-fatty liver, promotes the storage of vitamin A in the liver; promotes cell development and maturity and body metabolism; treats pernicious anemia.

Vitamin B13 (lactate).

Vitamin B15 (panine). Mainly used to fight fatty liver and increase the oxygen metabolism rate of tissues. Sometimes used to treat coronary heart disease and chronic alcoholism.

Vitamin B17. Highly toxic. Some people think it can control and prevent cancer.

Para-aminobenzoic acid. It is one of the most recently discovered vitamins in the B vitamin family. It can be synthesized in the human body.

Inositol. One of the B vitamins, it is a fat-loving vitamin like choline.

Vitamin C.

Connects bones, teeth, and connective tissue structures; has a bonding function between cells in the capillary wall; increases antibodies and enhances resistance; promotes the maturation of red blood cells.

Vitamin P.

Vitamin PP (niacin). It plays a role in transmitting hydrogen during the physiological oxidation process of cells and has the effect of preventing and treating skin diseases.

Folic acid (vitamin M). Anti-anemia; maintains normal cell growth and immune system function.

Vitamin T. Helps blood clotting and platelet formation.

Vitamin U. It plays an important role in treating ulcers.

Vitamins are organic compounds required for human nutrition and growth. If the body lacks vitamins, certain diseases will occur. Therefore, some people believe that vitamins are nutrients and the more they are consumed, the better. Do people need more vitamins? The answer is no. The key to proper nutrition is "moderate". Excessive intake of certain vitamins is not only unhelpful but harmful to the body.

We know that vitamins can be roughly divided into two categories: water-soluble (vitamins B, C) and fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, K, etc.). The excess of water-soluble vitamins can generally be excreted in the urine, while the excess of fat-soluble vitamins A or D cannot be excreted. This gives people the impression that eating too much water-soluble vitamins is harmless. Some people advocate taking 3-5 grams of vitamin C daily to achieve health care purposes. In fact, this is harmful. Experiments have confirmed that long-term daily consumption of more than 1 gram of vitamin C can cause oxaluria, hyperuricemia, and hyperuricemia. Some people may develop rashes, edema, decreased blood pressure, and nausea all over their body. Among the fat-soluble vitamins, poisoning caused by excessive intake of vitamin A and vitamin D is the most common. Excessive vitamin A can cause insomnia, asthma, dizziness, hair loss, nausea, diarrhea and other symptoms; excessive vitamin D can cause loss of appetite, fatigue, constipation, weight loss and low-grade fever.

Normal people need 50-100 mg of vitamin C, 2500-3000 international units of vitamin A, and 300-400 international units of vitamin D every day.

From a nutritional point of view, the so-called vitamins should be a class of substances that cannot be synthesized by the human body (or the amount of synthesis cannot meet the needs) and are indispensable in the normal metabolic process and regulation of physiological functions of the human body. They are nutrients that must be supplied by food. Therefore, certain typical clinical symptoms will appear when lacking. So far, no deficiency has been found due to lack of amygdalin, so these two substances cannot be called vitamins at all.

Vitamin B15 and vitamin B17 are food ingredients that are beneficial to human health proposed by some foreign nutrition scholars and are called vitamins, but so far they have not been recognized by scholars around the world.

Recent research shows that vitamins also have some special functions, such as the mood-regulating effect of pantothenic acid, the reducing effect of folic acid and vitamin B12 on DNA loss, and the beneficial cardiovascular effects of folic acid and B6.

For vitamin supplements, it should be supplemented from two aspects: diet and vitamin preparations. Fruits and vegetables have high vitamin content, but since the vitamin content of each vegetable and fruit is different, it may not be possible to provide a balanced vitamin supplement in all aspects. Vitamins are also lost during the processing and cooking of vegetables and fruits, so vitamin preparations can play a balancing role. However, vitamin preparations are not easy to absorb and are not naturally green, so supplementation with fruits and vegetables is still the main option.