13.

Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances necessary for the
maintenance of normal metabolic function. For a healthy body are
necessary small amounts of vitamins. Vitamins are important
enzyme systems which catalyze the metabolism of proteins, fast
and carbohydrates.
Vitamins are distributed in nature (vitamin K is formed in the
gut by a bacteria, exposure to sunlight-Vitamin D), another
vitamins are ingested with food.
When a person has gastrointestinal tract disorders, there is
some problems with the absorption and leads to vitamin
deficiency, like beriberi, rickets, pellagra. Vitamin deficiency in
young induces retardation of growth and development.
Vitamins are divided into 2 main groups: fat-soluble and
water-soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble group includes vitamin A,
D, E and K., water-soluble group includes vitamin B and C.
The fat soluble ones are stored in the body. A deficiency may
appear only after a long time of deprivation from vitamin supply,
or when the gastrointestinal tract disorders prevent from the
absorption.
The water-soluble ones cannot be stored in the body in large
amounts and even short time of deprivation leads to deficiency.
An excess of vitamins is non-toxic, because any excess is
excreted with the urine or destroyed in the body.