Water-soluble vitamins (mainly B and C) dissolve in body water. They are easily lost (i.e., through urine) and need to be replaced often.
Fat-soluble vitamins
(vitamins D, A, E, and K) are absorbed along with the fats you eat. They can be stored, so make sure you don't eat too many. The biggest and most obvious difference between a water-soluble and a fat-soluble vitamin is how they are absorbed and stored in the body.As the name suggests, water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water relatively quickly and are not stored in the body. Instead, once the necessary amount of vitamins is absorbed, the excess is released and eliminated.
Fat-soluble vitamins Fat-soluble vitamins are just the opposite.
. These vitamins dissolve in fat and are stored in tissues, so the body has access to them as needed.This means that it would be easier to absorb more fat-soluble vitamins than are actually needed, since the kidneys do not eliminate them once the needs are met. Over time, you can build up a dangerous amount of fat-soluble vitamins if you don't follow the daily intake limits set by the National Academy of Sciences. There are four fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K. The amount allowed for children and adults varies.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking or plan to take these vitamins to make sure you stay within a safe daily intake range. Taking too much of these vitamins could cause a variety of health problems, such as birth defects, blurred vision, heart rhythm problems, and liver problems. Vitamins play a vital role in many biochemical functions of the human body and are essential components for maintaining optimal health. There are two main groups of vitamins: fat-soluble (they are easily stored in fat when absorbed) and water-soluble (they are washed and not easily stored).
While adequate intake of all vitamins is important, regular intake is required to avoid deficiency due to the transient nature of water-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and vitamin B complex (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, and cobalamin).
Water-soluble vitamins
are those that dissolve in water and are easily absorbed into tissues for immediate use. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, excess fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty (adipose) tissues for future use.This brings us to the next difference between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, which is the frequency with which they must be consumed. These 13 essential vitamins fall into one of two categories: water-soluble or fat-soluble vitamins. The difference between the two is that it depends on whether and in what way vitamins are stored in the body, whether eating too much or in insufficient quantities can cause harm, etc. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are absorbed by fat, while water-soluble vitamins (all other than these four) dissolve in water. This means that excessive amounts of fat-soluble vitamin supplements can cause problems such as vitamin toxicity.
Water-soluble vitamins are easily absorbed by the body, which means you won't be storing large amounts to help maintain the body's natural nutritional balance. While water-soluble vitamins are quickly absorbed and the excess is released, fat-soluble vitamins dissolve more slowly and the excess is stored in the liver. Pantothenic acid helps to metabolize fats and proteins, and can be found in a wide variety of foods, such as cereals, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, legumes, dairy products, vegetables and mushrooms. A general lack of water-soluble vitamins is rare in North America, although it can occur in cases of alcohol use disorders, malabsorption syndromes, strict veganism, and states of malnutrition.
