Nutrition (9) — Vitamin "K"

Vitamin "K"

Its function and absorption: It is necessary for the clotting of the blood. Like vitamins A and D it dissolves in fat, but it does not pass through the walls of the intestines except by means of substances in the bile called bile salts. Bile is therefore indispensable for the absorption of vitamin "K."

Its deficiency and its sources: It is readily available to all people, and yet many lack it because of a defect in the working of the liver whereby the secretion of bile diminishes, so that the absorption of the vitamin becomes difficult or impossible. Such people are liable to death by hemorrhage, because their blood does not clot and congeal if they are wounded or undergo a surgical operation. This often happens to newborn infants, since a hemorrhage of the brain leads to paralysis. The only treatment, for infants and adults alike, is to give them vitamin K with bile salts, so that their blood acquires the natural power of clotting.

As for its sources, they are vegetables and green legumes, spinach, carrots, egg yolk, and liver.

Vitamin "E"

Its function: This vitamin has been known to be necessary for reproduction and normal growth, for the prevention of miscarriage, and for the firmness of the muscles. Our knowledge of its effect comes only through experiments on animals, and we do not know whether it has the same effect on man. It has been found to be the most stable and enduring of the vitamins. It has the power of protecting against the process of oxidation, not only in foods but also, to a certain extent, within the body.

Its sources: This vitamin is found in fatty vegetables, fatty meats, and grain oils — above all the oil of the grain germ, which is considered its richest source. Among its other rich sources is the fat found in milk and butter.

The Water-Soluble Vitamins

These vitamins are more quickly and easily absorbed than the preceding ones, without any need for the presence of fatty substances. They are stored in the body for a short time and are then excreted with the urine.

The Vitamin "B" Complex

Vitamin B

Its function: This vitamin has a direct function in human food. It is necessary for growth and important for the maintenance of the muscles, especially in the digestive system. It also strengthens the appetite and improves the respiration of the tissues, and it has a bearing on the health of the nervous system.

The need for it: Specialists believe that the need for this vitamin is affected by the total of metabolism and energy, by the weight of the body, and by the extent of its absorption and synthesis within the stomach. What a man or a woman requires of it ranges between 1.2 and 1.5 milligrams a day, according to the individual's activity. It appears that taking large quantities of it does not harm the body. The amount taken of it should suffice not merely to prevent the disease of beriberi, but also to maintain health in the various kinds of activity and in states of emergency.

Its sources: Among its best sources are yeast and grains, especially the germ of the grain and its outer layer. It is unfortunate that the milling of grains robs them of vitamin B, unless the germ is replaced by a rich substance, or the flour is used together with its bran. Pork has been found to be the richest natural source of the vitamin. Among its good sources are liver, heart, egg yolk, pulses, and leeks. Fruits and vegetables, on the whole, contain little vitamin B.

Its deficiency: Its lack causes the disease of beriberi. It is a malignant fever whose symptoms are edema of the tissues, inflammation of the nerves, sharp irritability, loss of energy, quick fatigue, disturbed digestion, and pain in the muscles. These symptoms are usually accompanied by loss of appetite and damage to the muscles of the heart. Beriberi is classified in three types — dry, wet, and acute. The symptoms of the dry and wet types are headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, disturbed digestion, quick fatigue, and pain and stiffness in the legs. The acute type is more dangerous, and among its manifestations is weakness of the heart. It has been observed that scarcity of protein, scarcity of fat, and an excess of carbohydrate have a bearing on the disease of beriberi.