Vitamins are natural and essential nutrients, which have different biochemical functions and play a major role in growth and development, help in the digestion and utilization of mineral salts and carbohydrates in the body, healing of wounds, stimulate and give strength to the digestive and nervous system, maintenance of healthy bones and tissues, for proper functioning of the immune system and other biological functions. Vitamins generally cannot be synthesized in quantities sufficient to meet the body’s needs and therefore must be obtained from the diet or from some synthetic source. Because of this, vitamins are called essential nutrients. Both plants and animals are important natural sources for vitamins. All vitamins can be synthesized or produced commercially and are available for human consumption as pharmaceutical preparations. Vitamins also differ from other biological compound, because relatively small amounts are required to complete their functions. If a vitamin is absent from the diet or is not properly absorbed by the body, it can develop a specific disease due to deficiency.
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