Vitamins are essential for the balanced function of the body. Fat soluble vitamins are found in fatty foods and fish liver oils. Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K are the fat soluble vitamins.
Groups of Vitamins
Vitamins are of two groups:
- Water soluble vitamins
- Fat soluble vitamins.
B-Complex vitamins and vitamin C comes under Water-soluble vitamins.
Fat Soluble Vitamins are
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
Factors:
- Fat soluble vitamins are required for the maintenance of the good health.
- Over dosage of fat soluble vitamin could be toxic which leads to diseases in the body.
- Everyday the body does not require the fat soluble vitamins since they are stored in the liver when it is not used.
- Generally fat soluble vitamin supplements are not needed for all persons.
Fat Soluble Vitamin Levels
Vitamin A: For adults, 3,000 mcg is the highest intake level.
Vitamin D: For one year period it is enough to take 50 mcg as tolerable highest level.
Vitamin E: The tolerable upper intake level will be varying. Over dosage of vitamin E is more hazardous to the people who are taking blood-thinning medications.
Vitamin K: the tolerable upper intake is not yet found. Breakdown of red blood cells and liver damage are the defects obtained due to the over intake of vitamin K. So intake of large amount of vitamin K is not advisable for all.
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K all are related structurally. The four fat soluble vitamins are known to be lipid-soluble vitamins. Each of the lipid-soluble vitamins has many related biological active compounds with them. Potency of each group of fat soluble vitamins of its active form will vary from one another.
Vitamin A:
Alpha and beta-carotenes and cryptoxanthin are considered to be useful for human beings. Beta-carotene is very active than the others. The primary form of active vitamin is retinol and it is useful in the retina of the human eye for visual process.
Vitamin D:
Vitamin D has 10 substances. Vitamin D2 and D3 are the most important ones. Get vitamin D2 from yeasts and fungi and vitamin D3 is obtained from your diet itself. When sunlight is exposed to the skin, the pro- vitamin in the body’s skin is converted into vitamin D3.
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is otherwise known as Tocopherols. They could be named by considering their potency. Alpha Tocopherols is the most active form of Vitamin E.
Sources:
Fat soluble vitamins are in fatty food items and in fish-liver oils. Rice is rich in vitamin A and D. Generally a small amount of fat is required for the body in the diet for the absorption of vitamins. Human liver stores the vitamin A&D. If you give more and more vitamin A & D from the diet to your body then surplus will be accumulated in the liver.