Vitamins 🌟

Vitamins are tiny organic helpers we need in our food. Even though the amounts are small, missing even one shows up quickly as a clear disease. Our bodies can’t make most of them, but plants can, and the friendly bacteria in our gut lend a hand too. Remember—too many vitamin pills can hurt, so always follow a doctor’s advice! :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

A quick name-check 🧐

Scientists first called them “vitamines” (vital + amine) because the first ones they found had amino groups. When they discovered most do not, they dropped the “e.” :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Easy classification 🚦

  • Fat-soluble – dissolve in fats/oils, not water; stored in the liver and body fat.
    (A, D, E, K) :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
  • Water-soluble – dissolve in water; not stored (except B12), so we need them every day.
    (B-group, C) :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Key vitamins, food sources & deficiency problems 🍽️➡️🩺

VitaminCommon nameMain food sourcesDeficiency trouble
A—Fish-liver oil, carrots, butter, milkNight blindness, xerophthalmia (hard cornea)
B1ThiamineYeast, milk, green veggies, cerealsBeri-beri (loss of appetite, slow growth)
B2RiboflavinMilk, egg white, liver, kidneyCheilosis (cracked mouth corners), tummy upsets, burning skin
B6PyridoxineYeast, milk, egg yolk, cereals, gramsConvulsions
B12—Meat, fish, egg, curdPernicious anaemia (low haemoglobin)
CAscorbic acidCitrus fruits, amla, leafy greensScurvy (bleeding gums)
D—Sunlight exposure, fish, egg yolkRickets in kids, osteomalacia in adults
E—Wheat-germ oil, sunflower oilFragile red blood cells, weak muscles
K—Green leafy vegetablesSlow blood clotting

:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Memory tricks 💡

  • Fat-soluble stick, water-soluble drip — think “Oil sticks, water drips.”
  • Remember the B-family by their numbers — each cousin has its own job.
  • 🥕 Carrots (vitamin A) keep the night bright.
  • ☀️ Sunshine powers vitamin D for strong bones.

High-yield NEET nuggets 🎯

  1. Fat-soluble vs water-soluble classification and why storage matters.
  2. Classic deficiency diseases: night blindness (A), beri-beri (B1), scurvy (C), rickets/osteomalacia (D).
  3. Main dietary sources of vitamins A, B1, C, and D.
  4. Origin of the term “vitamin” and its link to amino groups.