Vitamins – nutritional function and organic sources

There are thirteen essential vitamins required to maintain optimal body function. It’s certainly possible – and indeed preferable – to obtain your required vitamin intake from organic food sources. The key to doing this is, like most things, balance. Eating a balanced selection of leafy green organic vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, legumes, organic poultry, dairy, meat, seafood and cold-pressed oils will ensure most people’s vitamin needs are fulfilled. By choosing organic food sources to deliver your vitamin requirements, you’ll significantly reduce your exposure to pesticides and the various agricultural chemical contaminants routinely used in large-scale industrial agriculture. Let’s take a closer look at each of the vitamins, their function, and their best organic food sources.

Vitamin A combines with other antioxidant nutrients to repair minor cell damage and boost the immune system. It promotes general healing and is effective against certain inflammatory conditions, particularly those affecting the musculature and skin. Vitamin A is prescribed for some visual problems such as night blindness and glare intolerance. Along with its antioxidant properties, vitamin A contributes to maintenance of healthy skin, hair, teeth, and gums. Due to potential toxicity in large doses, supplements containing vitamin A should always be prescribed by a qualified health practitioner. Regular dietary sources of vitamin A include organically grown carrots, pumpkin, beetroot, sprouts, free range eggs, fresh butter, and milk

The B grouping of vitamins is important for a wide range of bodily functions, particularly those associated with the circulatory, nervous, and endocrine systems. Commonly encountered as a lifestyle related vitamin deficiency, elements of the B group can be depleted through combinations of stress, extended working hours, insufficient sleep, unsuitable food intake, alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise, and prolonged exposure to environmental pollutants.

Noticeable symptoms of a B vitamin deficiency may include various manifestations of depression, anxiety, memory problems, muscular cramps and weakness, dry skin, anaemia, prematurely greying hair, and weight loss. Diagnosis and treatment of B group deficiencies is frequently complex, requiring high level skills. Research on developmental nutrition has emphasised the importance of unprocessed whole foods for providing optimum dietary levels of many B group vitamins.

Vitamin C is renowned for its antioxidant properties and positive influence on the immune system. Frequently prescribed in dosages well above the recommended daily intake during times of illness, stress, and physical development, vitamin C is relatively safe on account of its water solubility. A significant volume of research now demonstrates a wide range of clinical and therapeutic applications. Vitamin C is effective in reducing the severity of colds and many strains of flu infection. Double blind clinical trials have confirmed its ability to promote regeneration of damaged spinal discs, along with protective effects against lung cancer, heart disease, atherosclerosis, and allergic rhinitis.

Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of collagen and can help to reduce facial lines and repair damaged skin. It balances the production of sex hormone and improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients through tiny blood vessels and capillaries. Vitamin C is required in most chelation therapies which attempt to remove accumulations of toxic metals from the body.

Like other nutrients, vitamin C content of most fresh produce will be reduced if raised in poor soils or subject to prolonged storage. Under typical urban living conditions, stores of vitamin C are subject to depletion when the body resists high levels of environmental pollution, including the pesticides and other treatments applied through agricultural pursuits. Choosing organically certified produce is an effective means for ensuring vitamin content without the risk of toxic chemical additives.

The best dietary sources of vitamin C include fresh sprouts, peppers, kiwifruit, citrus fruits, raw vegetables, rosehip tea, blackcurrants, citrus fruits, and most types of berries. Most of these natural foods are also rich in flavonoids and other nutrients which increase the efficacy of vitamin C.

Vitamin D is one of the few essential nutrients which can be synthesised within the body. This process requires the absorption of radiant sunlight or artificial light through the skin. The major symptom of a serious vitamin D deficiency is a deformity of the bones and joints known as rickets. During the nineteenth century phase of the industrial revolution, many children suffered serious cases of rickets as a consequence of spending long hours indoors and underground in poorly illuminated factories and mines. Vitamin D can also be obtained from a number of foods including organic dairy produce, deep and coldwater fish oils, particularly cod liver.

Vitamin E is an oil soluble nutrient with significant antioxidant properties. There are many documented health benefits associated with adequate intake of this vitamin. In combination with other rejuvenating agents, vitamin E is known to protect the cardiovascular system and increases overall circulation to the skin and other organs. The increased circulation assists with male and female fertility, and improves the efficiency of the endocrine system. Vitamin E is often prescribed with medicinal herbs as a natural treatment for some stress related conditions. It is also included in some topical skin applications and beauty products. By contributing to the integrity of cell membranes, vitamin E may assist in the prevention of certain types of cancer and blood disorders.

Symptoms of deficiency can include premature ageing, muscle degeneration, anaemia, reproductive disorders, sexual dysfunction, mood disorders, and insomnia. Due to potential toxicity in large doses, supplements containing vitamin E should always be prescribed by a qualified health practitioner. Regular dietary sources of vitamin E include organically certified whole grains, cold pressed vegetable oils, fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, apricots, and avocadoes.

Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting (the K in vitamin K comes from the German koagulation). Some research indicates that vitamin K may play an important role in bone health, particularly during old age. Regular dietary sources of vitamin K include organically certified broccoli, spinach, cereals and cold-pressed vegetable oils.