Vitamins & Vitamin Supplements

About Vitamins & Vitamin Supplements

The Sporty's Health range of Vitamin Supplements offers just what you need to keep your health on track and prevent nutrient deficiencies. Vitamins are organic essential micronutrients that must be obtained from the diet or supplementation to prevent deficiencies and maintain health. Vitamins are required for a range of biochemical processes that keep us healthy and functioning optimally. 

There are two categories of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. Vitamin A (retinol) is typically found in animal products such as milk, eggs and liver, though can be derived from plant-based foods in the form of beta-carotene. Beta-Carotene is composed of two molecules of retinol linked together. However, our ability to "break apart" beta-carotene into retinol can differ from, person to person, as this process is dependent on a range of nutrients as well as healthy thyroid hormone status.

Vitamin D is known as sunshine vitamin and due to the belief that Australia get plenty of sun and most states are positioned nicely alongthe equator, it's importance is often dismissed. The sun sends us specific wavelengths of radiation at 290-315 nanometers, which stimulate production of Vitamin D in the skin. The basic starter molecule or building block needed for Vitamin D synthesis is cholesterol. Some of the best food sources of Vitamin D are cod liver oil, with a small amount found in fatty fish.

Vitamin E can be found in whole grains, one of the best natural sources of which is wheat germ oil. There are eight different types of Vitamin E, which are alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols, along with alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocotrienols. It is best to obtain all eight forms for well rounded health benefits.

Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables and is the well-known clotting nutrient. However, it peforms several other essential roles, such as supporting bone strength and preventing soft-tissue calcifications. Vitamin K is found as Vitamin K1 (phyloquinone) and Vitamin K2 (Menaquinine [MK-4 to MK-10]).

The water-soluble vitamins are B Complex and Vitamin C, which perform countless functions in the human body. Some of the roles of B Vitamins are assisting with krebs cycle activity, which is involved in energy production, and serving as cofactors for the synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain. This makes B vitamins important for supporting mood and managing psychological stress. Vitamin C is a well known vitamin commonly used during winter to ward off colds and flues.

Some lesser known roles for Vitamin C are for the synthesis of hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline, important for connective tissues such as tendons and cartilage. Vitamin C is also needed to support adrenal gland health. Other important vitamins for immune function are Vitamins A, D and E. 

Activated versions of B vitamins have become quite popular on the Australian market. Some vitamins, like Vitamin B12, need to be "activated" within the body before they become biologically helpful. One example is cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12). This nutrient needs to be converted to either methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin in order to be "active". However, depending on various genetics polymorphisms, we may or may not possess adequate amounts of the enzymes necessary to support this activation process.

Therefore, taking Vitamin B12 supplements as methylcobalamin may be advantageous. Other examples are pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) and pyridoxal-5-phosphate (activated form), riboflavin and riboflavin-5-phosphate (activated) and folate and 5-methylenetetrahydrofolate ot 5-MTHF (activated). Folate is often sold as folinic acid, which is a semi-activated form of this important vitamin. It is worth noting that there may be some benefit from taking Vitamin B6 in both forms.