Vitamins are essential nutrients that help your body function properly and fight disease. Because your body cannot produce vitamins, you must obtain them from the foods you eat or, in some cases, from supplements. Vitamins are classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) dissolve in fat before being absorbed into the bloodstream to perform their functions. Because fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored in the body for longer periods than water-soluble vitamins, they pose a higher risk of toxicity when consumed in excess.
A low-fat diet may result in a deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins because fat helps in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. For proper nutrition, focus on eating balanced meals that include healthy fats as well as a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruits.
Vitamin A
A lack of vitamin A can result in night blindness (nyctalopia) and keratomalacia, the latter of which can lead to permanent blindness if not treated. It is most common in developing countries, usually as a result of malnutrition. Night blindness and extremely dry, rough skin may indicate a vitamin A deficiency. Other symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include decreased infection resistance, and slower bone growth.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is common since most foods do not contain vitamin D. According to research, It affects nearly half of the world’s population. Vitamin D is unique in that it is produced by your skin through exposure to sunlight. Individuals with fair skin and young convert sunlight into vitamin D far more efficiently than those with darker skin and those over the age of 50. A lack of vitamin D has been linked to an increased risk of autoimmune diseases, common cancers, hypertension, and infectious disease.
Vitamin D is required for your body to function properly. Getting enough vitamin D may also help you stay healthy by protecting you against diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, infections, and immune system disorders, as well as certain types of cancer such as colon, prostate, and breast cancers.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E deficiency is uncommon and occurs as a result of abnormalities in dietary fat absorption or metabolism. People who severely restrict their total dietary fat may not get enough vitamin E because vegetable oils are high in vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K deficiency due to a lack of vitamin K in the diet is uncommon, but fat malabsorption diseases can cause a state of deficiency. Vitamin K deficiency can occur in babies or those on anticoagulants or antibiotics. For the first week, newborns require a supplement because they lack the gut flora needed to generate vitamin K. Antibiotics can cause a temporary deficiency in vitamin K. After all, intestinal bacteria are sometimes killed as a result of long-term antibiotic use.