Definition: Vitamins are organic substances that are found in small amounts in most foods. They are essential, meaning we must get them through food or supplementation, so that various physiological processes continue to function optimally.
They contribute to good health by regulating the metabolism and assisting the biochemical processes that release energy from digested food.
At present, the human body needs 13 vitamins in adequate amounts to maintain good health. Four of these vitamins are fat-soluble and 9 are water-soluble. Vitamins soluble in fat are obtained from the fat in our diet while the 9 others are distributed throughout a wide variety of foods.
