Keywords
Human Nutrition
Deficiency
Prevention
Fat-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins
Micronutrients
Health
Metabolism
Immunity
How to Cite
Abstract
Vitamins are needed by the human body in small amounts, but they are important for many normal body functions. They help the body use nutrients, support growth, maintain immunity, form blood cells and keep organs and tissues working properly. There are 13 commonly recognized essential vitamins. They are divided into fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and water-soluble vitamins (the B-group vitamins and vitamin C). A lack of vitamins can happen because of poor food choices, increased requirements, problems with absorption, some diseases, certain medicines or limited access to nutritious food. Different deficiencies can lead to problems such as night blindness, rickets, anemia, nerve problems and scurvy. The main way to prevent deficiency is to eat a varied diet. In some situations, fortified foods or supplements are also needed. At the same time, taking very large amounts of supplements is not always safe. This article explains the main vitamins, their sources, functions, deficiency disorders and simple ways of prevention.References
1. Minden, A. (2026). The Roles of Vitamins in Human Health and the Effects of Vitamin Deficiencies. In Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology for Pharmacists and Health Professionals: From Biomolecules to Drug Development (pp. 501-525). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
2. Fatima, G., Dzupina, A., Mahdi, A. A., Fedacko, J., Magomedova, A., & Yousif, N. G. (2026). Role of vitamin-E as a vital nutrient in health and diseases. Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, 41(3), 310-323.
3. Guettler, M., & Barker, T. (2026). Vitamins and Human Health: Editorial. Nutrients, 18(17), 2868.
4. Kaushik, M., Vanangamudi, M., Sharma, S., Guptha, P. M., Surendran, V., Abubakar, M., & Rai, S. N. (2026). From nutrients to health outcomes: integrating diet, disease risk, and lifelong wellness. 3 Biotech, 16(6), 206.
5. Cashman, K. D. (2026). Vitamin D and other micronutrient deficiency prevention: the role of data in informing national, regional and global policy. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 85(2), 174-184.
6. Pec, J., Pająk, W., Kleinrok, J., Rusztyn, K., Flieger, J., Teresińska, B., ... & Baj, J. (2026). The Role of Vitamins and Micronutrients in the Prevention of Melanoma: A Review of Current Evidence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(3), 1428.
7. Baxtiyorovich, A. R. (2026). VITAMIN DEFICIENCY AND ITS EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH. Научный Фокус, 3(36), 208-210.
8. Orywal, K., Socha, K., Iwaniuk, P., Kaczyński, P., Farhan, J. A., Zoń, W., ... & Mroczko, B. (2025). Vitamins in the prevention and support therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(3), 1333.
9. Qu, C., Wang, Y., Ding, J., & Na, L. (2026). Insights into vitamin D targeting gut microbiota to affect health: A bibliometric and visual analysis (1997–2024). Acta Alimentaria, 066-2026.
10. Bashar, A., Prabhat, P., & Begam, N. (2026). Public Health Importance of B-Group Vitamins.
11. Wiacek, M., Nowak, E., Lipka, P., Denda, R., & Zubrzycki, I. Z. (2026). Vitamin Supplementation in Sports: A Decade of Evidence-Based Insights. Nutrients, 18(2), 213.
12. Yang, Y., Ni, X., Liu, N., Li, Q., Fang, Q., Szeto, I. M. Y., ... & Li, J. (2026). Global evidence on vitamins in human milk: A 2002–2022 systematic review with a focus on China and implications for maternal diet and infant formula. Food Research International, 118943.
13. Tang, Y., Zheng, X., & Yan, F. (2026). A smart nutrition system for vitamin B12 deficiency management from sensing to precision intervention. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 1-17.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Bhatt Geetansh, Memon Mohammed Salman, Singh Aryan Joseph, Rahman Mustafizur
