When it comes to our diets, experts are always telling us how important it is that we get the right amount of vitamins each day. For many of us, that means a vitamin supplement at breakfast time and a balanced diet – but do you know what each of those vitamins actually does for your body? Our bodies are made up of around 50 trillion cells – the Earth is home to 7 billion people, so there are 7,000 times more cells in your body than there are people on the planet! Each of those cells has a specific job, and with each of those jobs, chemical reactions occur to ensure that they function effectively. This is where vitamins come into play, as the body uses enzymes to speed up the pace of these chemical reactions. Vitamins work to help enzymes work as efficiently as possible.
Vitamins are vital for a healthy body, and your diet should be your first port of call when it comes to ensuring that you’re getting your daily intake. For example, in order to keep your immune system running smoothly, keep your skin in good condition and fend off damage from the ageing process by boosting the production of collagen, vitamin C should be a key component of your diet. You can get your vitamin C intake from citrus fruits, such as oranges and limes, as well as peppers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – there’s so many more functions in your body that can be boosted by vitamins.
Vitamin A helps to keep your eyesight healthy and bolster your immune system, and B vitamins are crucial in order to keep your nerve cell function in good condition, as well as helping to produce energy in the cells and promote the production of red blood cells. Vitamin D, created through exposure to natural sunlight as well as through foods such as fortified bread and breakfast cereals, keeps your bones healthy by ensuring that calcium is absorbed properly. If you want to keep your skin healthy, vitamin E should be the top of your list – this prevents cell damage which occurs as a result of daily cell activity – almonds, for example, are a great source of vitamin E. Lastly, vitamin K helps the blood to clot which forms scabs and protects the body when it’s wounded.