Vitamins and Their Impact on Human Health

Vitamins are essential organic micronutrients that play significant role as coenzymes or enzymes in many vital processes such as normal cell function, growth, and development. These micronutrients are an integral part of human health which needs to be supplied by the diet in smaller amounts for the maintenance of the metabolic functions. The human body is unable to synthesize vitamins, either at all or even if produced it is not in adequate amounts. As such, they must be obtained through the diet. A total number of 13 vitamins such as vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B complex vitamins have been identified till date and many of them have been investigated for their impact on human health. The deficiency or deregulation of vitamins adversely affects the metabolism, thus implicating human health. There are several reports suggesting their therapeutic role in various diseases by participating in different biochemical pathways of the human body. In addition, they have prime therapeutic role in several diseases such as IBD, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders, etc. Recently, research investigators have shown keen interest in exploring the relationship between vitamins and human health. The present chapter provides an understanding of vitamins, their structural chemistry, biological functions, and its impact on human body.