Water-soluble vitamins

What are they?

Water-soluble vitamins are vitamins that dissolve in water and are not stored by our body, in fact, excess amounts are eliminated through urine.

All those of group B and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are water-soluble vitamins.

Food sources

B vitamins are found in many frequently consumed foods, but especially in those of animal origin.

Vitamin C is widely distributed in nature in the plant world. The foods that are richest in it are:

For everyone, however, it must be remembered that air, light, temperature are able to deplete the content of vitamin C.

Absorption

Medications (laxatives, oral contraceptives, antibiotics), coffee, smoking, and alcohol can reduce the body’s absorption or utilization of vitamins.

The reduced availability may also be due to a disorder of malabsorption in the gastric and intestinal (subjects who have undergone surgery or who suffer from chronic and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Effects

In general, B vitamins are involved, as coenzymes (i.e. they promote the functions of enzymes), in almost all metabolic and food transformation processes, thus allowing the use of sugars, fats and proteins to obtain energy.

Therefore they become fundamental in the harmonious development of all the structures of the organism, including nervous tissue, and especially in the age of growth.

Vitamin C participates in the synthesis of collagen (protein fundamental component of supporting tissues), and has high antioxidant activity: it is able to counteract the action of free radicals, which are involved in aging and many degenerative diseases.

Deficiency

The deficiencies of B vitamins occur mainly in nervous tissue and all evolving tissues.

In addition to neurological manifestations, in particular vitamin B12 deficiency causes a disease called pernicious anemia, i.e. a severe lack of red blood cells, while an organism deficient in vitamin B2 can suffer consequences on the skin (lesions of the tongue, mouth, ears and cheeks), redness of the eyes, dizziness, weight loss and hair loss.

Vitamin C deficiency, in adults, causes scurvy, a disease typical of poor countries, which initially manifests itself with tiredness, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle pain and increased sensitivity to infections and, subsequently, involves gums supporting tissues (bones, teeth and cartilage).

Integration

In the presence of certain diseases, a diet that excludes foods of animal origin (strict vegetarians) or conditions of increased need (such as growth, pregnancy, intense sports activity, convalescence) may be helpful to resort to supplements.

Precautions

For water-soluble drugs there is usually no problem of overdose since generally the unused dose is excreted with the urine. In any case, excessive doses of vitamin C can promote gout or, if associated with iron deficiency, destroy vitamin B12.

An excess of vitamin B6 can cause neurological symptoms; Overdoses of B2 can cause visual disturbances and overdoses of B3 can cause vasodilation, associated with flushing, or gastro-intestinal disorders.