They usually come from food, there are 13 that are essential for the body to function, and they are A, C, D, E, K, plus B (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid vitamins, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid).
The vitamins that the body produces are the D and K, except in newborns.
Each vitamin has specific functions, and when there is a vitamin deficiency, it causes health problems such as heart disease, cancer or osteoporosis.
To ensure appropriate levels of vitamins in the body is necessary to eat a balanced diet so that sufficient quantities of fruits and vegetables, legumes, lentils, whole grains and dairy products have to be consumed.
The term vitamin, comes from the words "vital" and "amine" because they are necessary for life and because was thought that they were only amines, organic chemical structures.
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