Vitamins (from Latin. vita - life and amine - nitrogen compound) - biologically active organic substances, different in their chemical nature and physiological action, necessary for the processes of assimilation of all nutrients by the body, for the growth and repair of cells and tissues and for other vital processes.
Vitamins are part of all cells of the human body, increase its resistance against infections, prevent excessive deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels and are essential for maintaining normal blood composition and preventing physiological withering of the body.
Vitamins were discovered at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At present, about 30 vitamins are known, of which the physicochemical properties and physiological significance of vitamins A, Bi (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), Bi2, Bi5, C (ascorbic acid), D, E, F, K, P (rutin), PP (nicotinic acid), folic, pantothenic and para-aminobenzoic acids, inositol, choline, biotin and a number of others have been described in detail. The animal body needs about 20 vitamins from the outside, the rest are synthesized in the internal organs.
It is well known that with diseases, especially infectious diseases, with liver disease, with pregnancy, the need for vitamins increases. For example, in diseases of the cardiovascular system, the need for ascorbic acid is greater the more severe and active the process. Most of all in vitamins need patients with colitis, diarrhea, peptic ulcer, duodenal ulcer.
Vitamin deficiency disrupts metabolism, reduces performance, causes rapid fatigue, worsens the nervous system and causes other painful phenomena.
A person's need for vitamins depends on the conditions of his life and work, on the condition of the body, on the time of year.
Insufficiency of the body with vitamins can occur and with sufficient content of them in the food due to the following reasons: violation of synthesis, absorption or partial destruction of vitamins in the gastrointestinal tract in its diseases, liver disease, infectious diseases, lesions of the nervous system and others.; violation of vitamin absorption by body cells in diseases associated with metabolic disorders; increased excretion of some vitamins in prolonged diarrhea or with urine due to kidney disease, bladder; in various poisonings, alcohol abuse and smoking; suppression of vitamin synthesis or reduction of their activity in the body under the influence of certain drugs (sulfonamides, some antibiotics, dicoumarin).
Vitamin deficiency disrupts all metabolic processes, but metabolism is also disrupted when there is an excess of them against the normal requirement. Thus, with a lack of vitamin D in children, the normal deposition of lime in the growing bones is disturbed, they soften and under the weight of the body can curve, rickets occurs. With excessive use of vitamin D calcium, which is part of the lime, accumulates no longer in the bones, but goes from the bones to the internal organs, obizvestvizvestvaetsya kidneys, heart, intestines and other organs.
In general and special literature it has been repeatedly noted that when prescribing natural vitamins there is no fear of overdose and hypervitaminization and that complexes of vitamins contained in plant and animal products are more effective than artificial vitamins, because in them they are in a harmonious combination (P. И. Shilov, T. Н. Yakovlev, A. К. Mendel). Noted, in particular, side effects, if used pure ascorbic acid, while the infusion of rose hips, having the same, if not better, therapeutic effect, does not have such an effect.
The issues of clinical vitaminology are far from being fully resolved. Data on the interrelationships of vitamins among themselves, their antagonism and synergism are controversial. Therefore, the great work now being done in the field of vitamin therapy of internal diseases will yield many more valuable observations and discoveries necessary for a clearer application of vitamins to treatment and a better understanding of the historical relationship of the development of plant and animal organisms.
The use of vitamins in the clinic has long gone beyond their use only as means of eliminating the state of hypo- or avitaminosis. Their wide participation in the most intimate processes of metabolism allows their use for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, complementing enhancing, and in some cases improving the effect of other therapeutic agents. They are primarily used to normalize metabolism, in which their role is extremely important.
Ascorbic acid, in particular, is now regarded as one of the most essential substances in the vital activity of the body, without it no metabolic process in the body takes place. It is involved in protein synthesis; without it, collagen, which makes up 40% of all proteins, is not formed, and brain protein synthesis is impossible.
Causes a number of serious metabolic disorders insufficient choline content in the body (e.g., fatty degeneration of the liver).
Vitamins are part of enzymes (about 700 of them are known so far), which are able to dramatically increase the complex and diverse processes of dissociation of substances into their constituent parts and synthesize new substances from decomposition products at low temperatures (35-40° and less). Lack of certain vitamins causes certain enzymes to stop being synthesized in the body, certain chemical reactions are turned off and metabolism is disorganized.
Vitamins are involved in the formation of hormones - biologically active substances that have a strong influence on protein, carbohydrate, fat and water-salt metabolism, growth and development, nervous activity and other functions of the body.
Vitamins are essential in diseases of the nervous system. In our body, the nervous system regulates metabolic processes, and violation of them in turn leads to functional disorders of the central nervous system.
It has been found that after nervous overstrain in human blood increases the content of cholesterol and, as a rule, decreases the content in i-tamins Bi, B2, B6, PP and ascorbic acid, which take an active part in metabolic processes and are widely used in general neuroses, hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, etc.
In the treatment of nervous diseases are also used nicotinic acid, which dilates brain vessels without increasing intracranial pressure, and vitamin B12 in diseases of the peripheral nervous system.
Vitamins Bj2, folic acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin K have a positive effect on the hematopoiesis system, improve blood composition and are used in a number of blood diseases.
Insufficient content of vitamin Bi2 in the body leads to disruption of normal hematopoiesis in the bone marrow. The need for this vitamin in healthy people is easily replenished by various foods in the daily diet and the deficiency is usually due to impaired absorption in the stomach and intestines.
Folic acid, close in its properties to vitamin B2, is necessary for the normal formation of red blood cells in the body to replace the destroyed. Folic acid should be in the norm. When it is deficient, the body loses its ability to retain vitamin Bc, with its help, vitamin Bi2 is more likely to enter the bone marrow. Folic acid in large quantities is found abundantly in the green parts of plants .
Ascorbic acid promotes prothrombin in the blood, especially in liver damage, and increases excretion with feces and reduces cholesterol in the blood. It has been observed that ascorbic acid stimulates erythropoiesis to some extent.
Vitamin K stimulates prothrombin function of the liver, promotes normal blood clotting, and vitamin K in normal blood clotting this clotting does not increase. Vitamin K is abundant in the green parts of plants.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) promotes the accumulation of vitamin B12 stores in the liver.
Quite effectively used vitamins in diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular ascorbic and nicotinic acids, thiamine, vitamins Bi P and F.
Under the influence of ascorbic acid reduces the permeability of the vascular wall, increases its elasticity, blood vessels become less brittle and fragile. Especially favorable effect of ascorbic acid on the capillaries. With the help of ascorbic acid, cholesterol deposits and other harmful protein products are removed from the artery walls. It inhibits the development of atherosclerosis and reduces hypercholesterolemia.
Vitamin P also has the ability to increase capillary strength. Both of these vitamins mutually enhance the biological activity of each other. There is also literature data on the hypotensive effect of vitamin P.
Vitamin F counteracts excessive deposition of cholesterol in the tissues and promotes its elimination from the body. Choline also prevents the deposition of cholesterol in the walls of blood vessels.
Nicotinic acid increases the tone of peripheral vessels, has a vasodilating effect (arterioles and capillaries dilate). Prolonged intravenous administration of nicotinic acid increases blood cholesterol.
Thiamine has a favorable effect on the muscles of the heart, causes an increase in maximum and minimum blood pressure, enhances the effect of cardiac drugs.
Great importance is attached to vitamins in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The gastrointestinal tract has a leading role in the processes of absorption and assimilation of vitamins, and a number of vitamins in turn favorably affects the secretion and motor function of the stomach. Most of all in vitamins need patients, especially those suffering from diarrhea, peptic ulcer disease of the stomach and duodenum, forced to use a sparing diet for a long time. Sulfonamides and many antibiotics suppress intestinal flora, as a result of which the synthesis of some vitamins (B group, vitamin K) by intestinal microflora is disturbed. It is much more useful when the body itself synthesizes vitamins, rather than receiving them in ready-made form. Ascorbic acid, nicotinic acid, thiamine and vitamin PP are most important in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.
In diseases of the liver and biliary tract, fat absorption is impaired and therefore the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins is impaired. The liver takes an active part in the metabolism of vitamins. In diseases of the liver and biliary tract have a positive effect on vitamins: ascorbic and nicotinic acid, thiamine, vitamins A, K, B6, B12, folic acid. Vitamin A deficiency, in particular, can lead to changes in the mucous membranes of the bladder, renal pelvis and gallbladder, which is a contributing factor in stone formation.
Vitamins are also used in diseases of the kidneys (lack of choline, for example, leads to kidney damage), respiratory organs, infectious, glands of internal secretion, as well as in blood disease, radiation sickness, in surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, in the treatment of nervous diseases and as a prophylactic agent..
