Why vitamins and what role do they have in our body?

Vitamins are organic compounds that act in small amounts and have a role in the development, functioning and maintenance of the body. Apart from vitamin D which is synthesized in the skin, vitamins must be provided by food in minimal quantities, a few milligrams or even micrograms per day.

Deficiencies take time to settle but can result in fatigue, memory problems but also diseases such as scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), beriberi (vitamin B1 deficiency).

There are 13 vitamins described and many functions can and will be attributed to them, as a preventive role against diseases such as cancer, cataracts, bone pathologies, cardiovascular diseases, fetal malformations and immunity deficiency.

A) Water-soluble vitamins

The water-soluble vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12, C are not stored by the body but eliminated by the kidney and in sweat so if the daily needs are not met, the reserves s ‘exhaust. Depending on the origin of spirulina, vitamin C is either absent or in negligible quantity.

NEED / DAY FOR AN ADULT

B1 (thiamine) → 1.5 mg
B2 (riboflavin) → 1.8 mg
B3 (niacin) → 20 mg
B5 (pantothenate → 6 – 10 mg
B6 (pyridoxine) → 2 mg
B8 (biotin) → 0.1 – 0.3 mg
B9 (folate) → 0.4 mg
B12 → (cobalamin) 0.003 mg
C → (ascorbic acid)

B) Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble. They are found in foods rich in fat and are stored in the liver or in adipose tissue, hence the risk of overdose.

If vitamin D is present in fatty substances (exogenous source) it is also produced by the skin (endogenous source) following exposure to the sun.

Β-carotene represents 80% of the carotenoids contained in spirulina, the remaining 20% ​​are physoxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These two carotenoids are converted to vitamin A only by mammals. Vitamin A is found in animal foods (liver, cod liver oil, fish, eggs and dairy products) in the form of retinol, which can be used directly; in plants it is its precursor, β-carotene, or provitamin A, only transformed according to the needs of the organism which is found. 4 g of spirulina provide as much β-carotene as 100 g of brightly colored vegetables.

Vitamin content in μg / g of Spirulina dry matter