Show Doctor Doctorin in the Kitchen by Laurence M M. Hursh MD M.D. I Consultant National Dairy Council VITAMIN INTERRELATIONSHIPS INTERRELATIONSHIPS-II II Second of a II part four series aeries of 01 articles To know the Importance of vitamins vita mins you Ou need to understand how individuals cells In our bodies work Your body consists of or more than n a trillion cells They all work together to perform chemical functions that arc are essential But Dut assisting each cell with its specific tasks arc are numerous en en- Enzymes are arc known chemically chem chem- chemically as biochemical catalysts A catalyst helps Induce chemical reactions and allows changes to occur under milder conditions It ItIs Itis Itis is estimated that in helping the cell to do Its Jobs individual Indi enzymes en cn perform their specific tasks about times a minute Since it is also believed that thit each cell contains about 1000 different enzymes a cell obviously is a n very busy place Cant Can't Work Alone Aone But nut some enzymes enzymes cannot work alone They have to have the help of a co coworker So the workers co-workers are arc known as its its' coenzymes And here Is' Is where vitamins are arc important important im for forma many y coenzymes are in fact vitamins vitamins or vitamins are needed for their I production So it Is true when your chemistry book tells you that a primary function of or vitamins is assisting enzymes in carrying out the many chemical happenings that arc are essential essential es cs sentia for life How Were Vere Vitamins Discovered Vitamins are the newest nutrIent nutrient ent group in nutrition Discovered as recently as 1913 the first known vitamin was as you would suppose vitamin A. A It had been known yn before then by scientists I that something other than pure prot protein ln fats carbohydrates or minerals was at work in foods something that encouraged growth Working with laboratory animals vitamin A was discovered and since then the tho whole host of pre known vitamins has been i identified each for its particular contributions to nutrition Vitamin A of oC course Is best known for Its prevention of night blindness We dont don't know how it works but a deficiency of this vitamin will result in an inability to see sec in dim light Vitamin A is obviously important in the whole visual process But nut it IUs is also important im in maintaining your skin and mucous membranes Without enough vitamin A the moistness and pliability of your eyelids and I eyes for example would dry up Dry rough itching skin also can result Eye Membranes les The membranes of the eye are especially susceptible to vitamin A deficiency In World War II U because because be be- cause of extreme shortages of vitamin A over over a long time DanIsh Danish Dan Dan- ish children developed an eye disease called They had been getting only skim milk Many lost When whole milk was restored to Danish childrens children's diets the disease was brought under con con- trot The factor was the vitamin A AIn Ain Ain in and butter Other good sources of vitamin A include cream cheddar type cheddar type cheese Ice cream liver egg yolk dark green and deep yellow vegetables d deep ep yellow Vf fruits its |