VITAMINS
Vitamins are essential substances for normal body function. They are all the more important that the body often cannot produce them in sufficient quantity. The inputs must therefore be provided by diet.
The 13 substances that meet this definition are often cited under two names: a scientific name and a more common name.
Thus, "vitamin C" and "ascorbic acid" refer to the same vitamin.
Vitamins are grouped into 2 categories, depending on their properties:
Water-soluble vitamins
Soluble in water, they are not stored in the body. They must therefore be consumed daily! Only vitamin B12 is water-soluble and stored in the body.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Soluble in fats, they are stored in the body, and more precisely in the liver and adipose tissue.
Vitamins play multiple roles in the human body. They are involved at both the cellular and molecular levels, with various roles, such as hormonal functions or the production of energy in the body.
It is essential to maintain one's "vitamin capital" intact, and thus to have a varied and balanced diet. Despite all our efforts, it is also sometimes necessary, especially during seasonal change, to recharge our "batteries" with vitamins.