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Vitality of the Swiss Alps!

#Healthyandhappy

Essential Vitamins – A Gift from Nature

Vitamins are essential for human life. Our body needs them for important metabolic functions, and they play an important part in our diet. As the body cannot produce them, vitamins have to be ingested regularly and in sufficient quantities together with food.

Function: Biotin supports a variety of central metabolic functions. It is part of the transformation from dietary energy into body energy. A sufficient bodily supply of biotin is reflected in healthy skin, hair and nails.

Function: Together with other vitamins, cobalamin (vitamin B12) plays an important role in blood production, cell division and the regeneration of mucous membranes. It is necessary for activating folic acid, and —in conjunction with other vitamins— it lowers homocysteine levels, thus helping to prevent arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Function: Folic acid is necessary for cell division. It also plays a significant role in the blood production process and is important for fetal development in the mother’s womb. Together with other B vitamins, folic acid lowers the body’s homocysteine levels, thus helping to prevent arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Function: Niacin is involved in a range of bodily functions. Together with riboflavin, niacin is essential for the metabolism of energy, and plays a role in cell division and DNA repair. It is also needed for the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol.

Function: Pantothenic acid is involved in multiple body functions, including the synthesis of bile acid, cholesterol, haemoglobin and vitamins A and D. It also plays a role in body detoxification and in eliminating medicines from the body. Pantothenic acid strengthens the defences of mucous membranes and promotes hair growth, in addition to helping hair retain its colour. It is contained naturally in innards, whole-grain products, eggs and nuts, but also in fruits, vegetables and milk. Chronic inflammations or a regular intake of medicines (including contraceptive medicines) can, among other things, cause the body to have an increased need of pantothenic acid, which is often ingested in insufficient quantities, even with a normal balanced diet.

Function: Pyridoxine (vitamin B5) promotes growth and is involved in numerous metabolic reactions, including the production and breaking down of proteins, the production of bile acid for fat metabolism, and haemoglobin creation, among other functions. In addition, it plays a role in the immune system and in the transmission of nerve impulses.

Function: Riboflavin promotes skin healing and strengthens mucous membranes, eyes and nails. Riboflavin is also involved in sugar metabolism.

Function: Thiamine plays a necessary role in the transmission of impulses between nerve and muscle cells, as well as the regeneration of the nervous system after high levels of strain, among other roles. In addition, it is important for the process of obtaining energy from carbohydrates, and stimulates appetite, strengthens the cardiovascular system and helps against concentration disorders. Care must be taken with thiamine to prevent it being leached out of food.

Function: Vitamin A has a wide range of functions in the body. For example, it strengthens the eyes and plays a role in the perception of light and darkness and of colours. In addition, vitamin A is crucial for body growth during childhood, and it strengthens the immune system and is responsible for the continuous production of new body cells. Vitamin A is thus important for healthy skin, hair and teeth. Natural sources of vitamin A are animal products, especially liver, which is where vitamin A is stored. It is, however, possible to provide the body with its precursor: beta-carotene, which is then turned into vitamin A by the body. Beta-carotene is present in a variety of vegetables, including carrots, spinach and kale. A prolonged unbalanced diet can cause a vitamin A deficiency. In addition, a long-lasting infectious disease can inhibit vitamin A absorption and increase its excretion. Special care should be taken with children, as they have a reduced capacity for storing vitamin A.

Function: Vitamin C is the best-known vitamin. It is extremely important for the production of bone and connective tissue, it strengthens the immune system, and has an antioxidant effect on cells. In addition, it is involved in detoxification reactions in the liver and improves iron absorption.

Function: Vitamin D is the precursor to a hormone that regulates the body’s calcium and phosphate levels. Vitamin D is thus crucial for bone and teeth growth during childhood and their health during adulthood. Overall, vitamin D has more than 30 known functions in the body, the most important of which include muscle production and the strengthening of the immune system. The daily food intake of vitamin D through animal products normally covers only 50% of the body’s needs. However, vitamin D is also synthesised in sufficient quantities in human skin if there is enough exposure to the sun. Vitamin D production decreases significantly in the autumn and winter months, especially in older people and those with highly pigmented skin. In addition, sun creams with a very high level of protection are often recommended for significant skin cancer prevention, thus also inhibiting vitamin D production.

Function: We are constantly exposed to free radicals from UV radiation, stress, cigarette smoke, drugs, etc. These particles accelerate aging processes and increase the risk of cancer. Vitamin E has an antioxidant effect and removes free radicals from the body. The importance of vitamin E is, however, greater than previously thought, despite the fact that it is still largely unexplained.

Function: Vitamin K supports blood coagulation and is important for bone growth and health, together with vitamin D. A sufficient intake of vitamin K is especially important for infants and the elderly, as it plays an important role in the development and health of bone structure.

 

Function: 
Blood coagulation

Function: Vitamin K2 is important for bone development and artery decalcification. The most important natural source of vitamin K2 is liver, but it is also present in the Japanese dish “natto” (fermented soy beans). It is also found in small amounts in other fermented foods such as yogurt, cheese, quark or sauerkraut. In the case of animal products, the quality of animal feed plays an important part in the vitamin content of the final product. A traditional Western diet normally only covers ¼ of the ideal daily intake of vitamin K2, and diet supplementation is therefore recommended.