Which vitamins do we need to eat?
There are 13 vitamins which all interact with our cell enzymes to regulate a variety of essential bodily functions. They are crucial for many of our metabolic processes, to release energy from nutrients, and in building and maintaining bones, teeth, skin, blood and many other vital body tissues.
There are two main categories of vitamins – fat-soluble and water-soluble. Here we explain the which are the water soluble vitamins, why you need them and where you find them in our foods.
Water-soluble vitamins
In one sentence: Water soluble vitamins can’t be stored in our bodies for long, and we wee them out, so we need to eat them almost every day.
The water-soluble vitamins are all of the B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin H. Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in our bodies, so any excess amounts of these vitamins are usually removed from our bodies in our urine. If you have taken a vitamin pill you may often see that your wee changes to a bright orange colour – that is the water soluble vitamins that your body has not been able to process. Where possible, water-soluble vitamins should be taken daily to ensure you have adequate amounts of them. However, supplementation (pills) is rarely required, if you are getting a balanced diet.