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Our bodies need an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals for its proper functioning, growth and development.

However, there are several people who suffer from a deficiency of one or more vitamins because of their lack of a balanced diet. For such people, Vitamin supplements serve as an alternative to natural vitamin sources. But it is best to improve your eating habits so that you consume the right amount of vitamins required by your bodies. 
 
Vitamins can be divided into two broad categories – water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins.

Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body. They travel through your bloodstream and since they get flushed out of our bodies through urine, we need to replace such vitamins on a daily basis. B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine), biotin and pantothenic acid are all water soluble vitamins.

On the other hand, fat soluble vitamins are absorbed by the body from the intestinal tract .Once these vitamins are absorbed, the body stores them and utilizes them as and when the need arises. If you consume fats or oils that cannot be easily digested, there can be a shortage of fat-soluble vitamins in the body. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins.

And whether it is a developing fetus in Mother’s womb or a grown up adult looking after his daily chores, lack of even a single kind of vitamin can cause Deficiency diseases. These deficiencies can be classified as :

Primary Deficiency- Primary deficiency occurs due to an inadequate intake of vitamins in your diet.

Secondary Deficiency- Secondary deficiency may result because of some disorder preventing or limiting the absorption or use of vitamins in the body. 

Sources and deficiency diseases of various Vitamins

Vitamin A :

Sources : Eggs, Dark Green & Yellow Fruits and Vegetables, Dairy Products, Liver.

Deficiency Disease: Night-blindness; Keratomalacia and Keratinisation of the nasal and respiratory passage epithelium.

Vitamin B1

Sources : Baked potato, beef kidney/liver, whole grain, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), dried ham, kidney beans, dried navy beans, dried orange juice, oranges, oysters, peanuts, peas, raisins, rice, brown and raw, wheat germ, whole-grain products.

Deficiency Disease: Beriberi

Vitamin B2

Sources : Dairy products, green leafy vegetables, whole & enriched grains, beef, lamb, eggs

Deficiency Disease: Ariboflavinosis, painful tongue and fissures to the corners of the mouth, lips

Vitamin B 3

Sources : Meat, fish, whole & enriched grains, beans, nuts & peas

Deficiency Disease: Pellagra

 
Vitamin B 5

Sources : Most plant & animal foods especially lean meats, whole grains, legumes

Deficiency Disease: Paresthesia

Vitamin B 6

Sources : Fish, poultry, lean meat, whole grains, and potatoes

Deficiency Disease: Anemia

 
Vitamin 9

Sources : Green leafy vegetables, dried beans, poultry, fortified cereals, oranges, nuts

Deficiency Disease:Deficiency during pregnancy is associated with birth defects, such as neural tube defects

 
Vitamin 12

Sources : Beef, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products

Deficiency Disease: Megaloblastic or Pernicious Anaemia

 
Vitamin C

Sources : Citrus fruits, tomatoes, melons, berries, green & red peppers, broccoli

Deficiency Disease: Scurvy

Vitamin D

Sources : Egg yolk, fatty fish, milk; also made in skin when exposed to sunlight

Deficiency Disease: Rickets and Osteomalacia

Vitamin E

Sources : Vegetable oil, wheat germ, nuts, dark green vegetables, whole grains, beans

Deficiency Disease: Deficiency is very rare; mild hemolytic anemia in newborn infants

And it is not just an adult but even a developing fetus in the mother womb requires vitamins and minerals for its growth. If adequate amount of vitamins is not supplied, the child may develop a deficiency or disease.

Sources of rich in the following vitamins