Article of the Day: For more detailed information on each water-soluble vitamin check out: Vitamins, Water Soluble .

We all know vitamins are an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. But have you ever been to someone's house and they have 18 vitamin bottles sitting out on their kitchen counter? I'm talking a bottle of vitamin C,  a bottle of vitamin E, another bottle for their B vitamins etc. etc. Is all of that really necessary? Over the next three days, I am going to give you a short and sweet explanation of; which vitamins you need, how much of each one you need, the best sources of these vitamins, and most importantly, why the heck you need them! We will break vitamins down in to three categories- water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, and minerals (which really aren't vitamins, but are just as important).

Today, we are going to discuss the water-soluble vitamins, which are thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, biotin, and vitamin C. These vitamins all dissolve in water and are cofactors of enzymes involved in metabolism. Minus vitamins B6 and B12, water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and are disposed of when you visit the little boys/girls room. So lets break these down: (click on the table to enlarge)

This informtaion is based on guidelines presented by the National Academy of Sciences.
*RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)
*AI (Adequate Intake)

Now, we know a little bit more about the different water-soluble vitamins and what they do for us. Tomorrow we will discuss fat-soluble vitamins! Stay Tuned!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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