Vitamins can make or mar a person’s health, and there are many natural sources of vitamins that most people do not know. When sufficient, they’re responsible for things as basic as hair growth and as serious as our sight. In fact, we need a daily supply of them. The major issue is how to get them.
For so long, these vitamins have been processed into tablets, capsules and suspensions. However, these supplements ought to be taken strictly by prescription. Using them outside of that could be dangerous to the health that you’re trying to maintain in the first place. Plus, they’re quite expensive.
On the other hand, these vitamins are present in a lot of foods around us. Not only are they healthier, they are tasty, affordable and very accessible. It is no wonder that the concept of a balanced diet is constantly hammered.
In this article, we will examine different vitamins, their uses, and the foods they’re present in, just waiting to boost your health.
Read also: Eating Healthy on a Budget with Simple Foods
Vitamins: their uses and natural sources
Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays a vital role when it comes to maintaining a healthy eyesight, boosting your immunity, and keeping skin healthy. You can find it in foods like ugwu (fluted pumpkin leaves), orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, carrots, and red palm oil – all of which are excellent natural sources of vitamins.
To get the most out of these foods, it is important to prepare them gently. For example, add ugwu leaves to your soups or stews right at the end of cooking so they retain their beta-carotene content. Beta-carotene is the pigment in food that gets transformed into Vitamin A.
You can roast or boil sweet potatoes with their skins on to preserve the nutrients. Palm oil should be added after the heat is turned off to prevent the breakdown of vitamin A. That’s right, skip the bleaching.
Vitamin B Complex
When it comes to energy, brain function support, and healthy red blood cells, the B vitamins are what you need. They include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, B12, and folate.
They can be found in foods like beans, groundnuts, millet, eggs, plantains (unripe or ripe) and fish.
To preserve their vitamins, beans should be soaked before cooking to reduce cooking time and nutrient loss. Turning beans into moi-moi is also a great way to hack the vitamins in it; it helps you retain more water-soluble vitamins.
Millet, when fermented into ogi (pap), becomes easier for the body to absorb, making it a great breakfast option. For longer-lasting energy, boil unripe plantains, making them great natural sources of vitamins.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C supports immune function, speeds up wound healing, and helps your body absorb iron. For this vitamin, fresh fruits and vegetables are the best sources. You can easily find it in pineapples, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, ewedu, and guava.
Because vitamin C is sensitive to heat, it is best to eat some of these foods raw. While citrus fruits are perfect as a snack or dessert, it is advised that you cook ewedu quickly over low heat to preserve its vitamin content.
Vitamin D
You see, it’s not enough to eat calcium-rich meals; your body needs to absorb it too. That’s where Vitamin D comes in. They help your body absorb calcium, thereby strengthening your bones.
While sunlight exposure allows our bodies to produce vitamin D naturally, some foods can also provide it. You can get them from foods like catfish, mackerel, egg yolks, and mushrooms.
To keep the vitamin D intact, bake or steam fish instead of deep-frying it. Egg yolks are best eaten soft-boiled or scrambled at low heat.
Don’t forget the sunshine! Your skin makes vitamin D when exposed to morning sunlight.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage and supporting skin and eye health. For this, groundnuts, avocados, palm oil, and sesame seeds are all good local sources.
Eating groundnuts roasted without salt is a healthy way to get this vitamin. Avocados are best eaten fresh, while palm oil should be fresh and unbleached for maximum vitamin E content.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps your blood clot when you get a cut and also contributes to bone health. Leafy greens such as bitter leaf, ugwu, spinach, and ewedu are excellent sources. It is present in Basil (Scent leaf/Efirin) too.
To keep these nutrients intact, avoid overcooking leafy greens. Add them toward the end of cooking, or lightly steam them. For bitter leaf, wash it gently to remove excess bitterness without losing too many vitamins.
Add scent leaves to dishes just before taking them off the heat to preserve their vitamin K and add a burst of flavor.
Conclusion
It is no secret that vitamins are beneficial for us, but we often think we can only obtain them from expensive supplements. The truth is that we don’t know that there are natural sources of vitamins in our everyday food items, so we don’t give most of the foods around us enough credit.
Our everyday meals can give us all the vitamins we need to keep our bodies strong, our minds sharp, and our energy high. Ugu is more than just leaves for a pop of green in your soup, it’s stronger immunity, better eyesight, and healthier bones within your reach.
By including these meals in your diet, you’ll do your body a huge favor.