There are many different Vitamins that the body relies on to protect itself against infection, grow and heal properly. It is since the 1900’s that people have started to realise a diet with the right amount of these vital vitamins in can be very beneficial to that person. For example they noticed things such as if you want to protect against scurvy you would make sure your diet had enough Vitamin C, so fruit such as lemons was popular with the navy during the 1800’s (they knew the benefits the food had even before they knew why it had this effect), as they used to go through epidemics of the condition. Some of these vitamins and the benefits they can have:

Vitamin C - This has proven to have many benefits for the human body over the years some of these are; it helps with the production of anti-bodies so ensuring your body is healthy enough to fend off certain diseases, it is essential in helping your body produce collagen and turn help keep your skin healthy, blood vessels, bones and joints. It has also been proven to have an affect on those suffering from hay fever, if the sufferer takes around 1000-2000 milligrams each day it has been shown to reduce the effects. It helps the skin heal quicker and the body absorb iron into the system if taken as a supplement it can help those with iron deficiencies absorb what iron they do take in quicker than their body would normally.

Iron - Although a deficiency in Iron can cause the body problems such as Anaemia if a supplement is taken to an excess then it can cause the body more harm than good, in some cases it has been known to cause permanent organ damage. Anaemia is a blood deficiency and means there is not enough oxygen being transported around the body via the Haemoglobin (red blood cells), it causes symptoms such as a feeling of weakness, fatigue and in more severe cases you can get palpitations, sweatiness and shortness of breath.

Vitamin D - One of the main symptoms that can occur if it is a child that has a suspected Vitamin D deficiency is Rickets; this is a problem where the patient has swollen bones, it may just appear as their foot or arm being swollen but when a scan and blood test is carried out it will then be apparent. In adults the symptoms would be Osteomalacia the main symptoms of this condition being weak bones, a feeling of weak muscles or spinal bone pain. In children especially it is important to ensure they receive enough Vitamin D in their diet as it helps their bones and teeth develop healthy and strong and prevents against things such as Rickets and Osteomalacia later on in life.

There are many different benefits to be had from different vitamins so ensuring your body is getting the right amount of these vitamins is essential to your body maintaining functions such as your immune system. You will be able to get most of the vital vitamins your body needs from a varying diet of fruit and vegetables, if your life style means you are unable to maintain a healthy diet then you can speak to a nutritionist about supplements you could take to maintain the right the levels.