Vitamins
Are you looking for individual vitamins for targeted supplementation or combined vitamin preparations? Then you've come to the right place. We offer food supplements in capsule, drop and powder form.
Vitamins – vital substances
Vitamins. Their name says it all. Derived from the Latin term "vita" (life), these natural substances are indeed vital for us humans. As they fulfil many tasks in the human body and are involved in numerous biochemical processes, vitamins are essential for our organism. Vitamins are components of numerous enzymes and are therefore involved in the entire metabolism. For example, they are involved in building and protecting cells as well as in the formation of hormones or energy production and ensure that our immune system is in a good starting position.
Vitamins are soluble in water or fat. With a few exceptions, they cannot be produced by the body itself, but must be supplied to the body from outside.
What are vitamins?
By the time the first vitamins were discovered in 1908, it became clear that we humans cannot live on the energy provided by food alone. Our diet also provides us with several micronutrients that are indispensable for the functioning of our organism. These essential substances include 13 vitamins that must be supplied regularly and in sufficient quantities through food - because, with a few exceptions, we cannot produce them ourselves.
What vitamins are there and what do they do?
Vitamins are divided into two groups according to their solubility: fat-soluble and water-soluble. While fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K, water-soluble vitamins include the B vitamins as well as vitamin C.
Unlike macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, proteins), vitamins are not used as building blocks or for energy production. Rather, they serve our bodies as auxiliary and material substances to fulfill important tasks within the metabolism. Among other things, vitamins are involved in the growth, formation, and maintenance of various tissues and the protection of cells against oxidative stress, as well as in the formation of hormones and energy production.
Which vitamins does the body need?
Each of the 13 vitamins performs specific tasks in our body. It is therefore important to ensure that our bodies are always sufficiently supplied with all vitamins.
Vitamins at a glance
Fat-soluble vitamins | Water-soluble vitamins |
Vitamin A | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) |
Vitamin D | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) |
Vitamin E | Vitamin B3 (Niacin) |
Vitamin K | Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) |
Vitamin B12 | |
Biotin (Vitamin H) | |
Vitamin C |
Fat-soluble vitamins
As the name suggests, fat-soluble vitamins are only soluble in a fatty environment. This means that a fat carrier must always be present for a vitamin to be absorbed into the body. Thus the vitamins in the intestine must be packed together with fats to be transported from the intestine into the tissues.
Our body can store fat-soluble vitamins in large quantities. Important vitamin stores include the liver and the fat deposits. Our body can take the necessary amounts from these stores if we do not ingest all the required vitamins every day.
While vitamins A and D can also be synthesized by our body itself, vitamins E and K must be supplied through our daily food.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient involved in the visual process and contributes to the maintenance of normal vision. Furthermore, vitamin A is central to numerous metabolic processes, such as iron metabolism and cell specialization. It is also important for maintaining normal skin including mucous membranes and contributes to a well-functioning immune system. Vitamin A also plays a significant role in the renewal of blood cells and the immune system.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for the human body because it takes on countless tasks in the organism. It contributes to the maintenance of bones and teeth as well as normal muscle function. Vitamin D also plays a role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from food and supports the functioning of the immune system.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an important protective factor for the cells. Through its ability to protect cells from oxidative stress, vitamin E can protect cell walls and other body structures from damage.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is the short form for “coagulation vitamin” (after the Danish word “Coagulation”), which describes its role in the maintenance of blood clotting. It is also involved in the formation of substances that contribute to bone metabolism and bone mineralization. It thus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
Water-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins are distributed in all water-containing areas of the body, for example in the blood and intercellular spaces. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, they cannot be stored in the body, except for vitamin B12. They must therefore be continuously supplied through the diet.
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin B or rather the vitamins of the B-complex (thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12) and needed for the smooth functioning of the nervous system. Besides the function of the nerve cells, they also support our mental well-being and fulfill other tasks in the body. Vitamins B1 and B2 contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system. Biotin, folate, and other vitamins contribute to normal mental function. Vitamins B2, B6, and B12 support energy metabolism and help to reduce tiredness and fatigue.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is primarily known for its work in the immune system. However, vitamin C can do much more and is involved in many other processes in the body: this water-soluble vitamin supports the normal function of blood vessels via its role in collagen formation. It is also important for our antioxidant defense system: it helps protect cells from oxidative stress and promotes the regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E.
Biotin
Biotin has numerous tasks in the body – among other things, it contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and hair. Biotin also plays an important role in numerous metabolic processes, such as energy metabolism or the metabolism of macronutrients and the nervous system.
Folic acid
Folic acid is involved in several metabolic processes in the body. Among other things, it plays an important role in cell division, blood formation, and the growth of maternal tissue. This is why folic acid is especially important during pregnancy. Folic acid is found in plant foods as well as in animal products, although the animal-based form is better absorbed by the body.
Niacin
Niacin, unlike most vitamins, can also be produced by the human body itself from the amino acid tryptophan. As a component of important enzymes, it plays an essential role in metabolism, where it contributes to energy metabolism and the reduction of fatigue and exhaustion. In addition, this vitamin supports the maintenance of normal skin and mucous membranes.
Pantothenic acid
Pantothenic acid contributes to normal energy metabolism. It supports brain performance and is also involved in the normal synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones, vitamin D, and some neurotransmitters.
Which vitamins should not be taken together?
While certain minerals in high doses can interfere with the absorption of other specific mineral representatives, this is not the case with vitamins. Certain vitamin combinations are even considered particularly beneficial. For example, the two vitamins D and K combine to make strong bones, while several B vitamins (biotin, niacin, vitamins B1, B6, and B12) together support nerves and the brain.