Vitamins and minerals are the micronutrients to carry out various everyday functions. Vitamins and minerals must be obtained from the food we eat.
Vitamins are organic substances generally classified as fat-soluble or water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, which dissolve in fat and tend to accumulate in the body.
Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C, B vitamins, and choline (a vitamin B-complex). Water-soluble vitamins are dissolved in water before the body can absorb them and, therefore, cannot be stored. Thus, any water-soluble vitamins unused by the body are primarily lost through urine.
The following table summarizes water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins.
