Beauty and health functions and sources of various vitamins

Vitamins are a large class of nutrients that are indispensable for maintaining the normal functions of the human body. They are a component of many enzymes that play an important regulatory role in material metabolism. Although the human body's requirement for vitamins is minimal, the effect is great. When the supply of vitamins in the body is insufficient, it can cause obstacles to the body's metabolism, resulting in obstacles to skin function. Various vitamins have their unique effects in beauty, skin care and health care. Below is an introduction to various vitamins and beauty skin care.

Note 1: The recommended daily intake refers to the amount required to maintain basic normal life activities. If there are deficiencies or special needs, additional supplements are needed.

Note 2: Because water-soluble vitamins are quickly excreted from the body, cumulative poisoning rarely occurs, while fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can cause cumulative poisoning.

1. Vitamin A, fat-soluble

Main functions: Regulate the metabolism of the epidermis and stratum corneum, and have a certain anti-aging and wrinkle-removing effect; help to keep the skin soft and plump, make the skin smooth and delicate and prevent skin cancer (good for the eyes).

Main food sources: animal liver, dairy products, fish, eggs, etc.; carrots, sweet potatoes, persimmons and other dark fruits and vegetables.

Recommended daily intake: 0.8 mg

Side effects of excessive intake: One-time excessive intake can cause drowsiness, headache, vomiting and dry skin; long-term excessive intake can cause bone and joint destruction, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and weight loss.

Carotene is formed by the connection of two vitamin A molecules, which will be divided into a single structure of vitamin A in the body to achieve the role of vitamin A supplementation. So supplementing carotene and carotenoids can supplement vitamin A, and there is no poisoning.

2. Vitamin B1 (thiamine, also known as anti-beriberi vitamin), water-soluble

Main functions: prevent seborrheic dermatitis and eczema, improve skin health

Main food sources: cereals, beans, yeast, dried fruits, hard fruits, animal liver, eggs, lean meats, milk, vegetables and fruits

Recommended daily intake: 1.2～1.5 mg

Side effects of excessive intake: Long-term overdose can cause headache, vertigo, irritability, arrhythmia, edema and neurasthenia.

3. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), water-soluble

Main function: The skin resists sun damage and promotes cell regeneration

Main food sources: viscera, egg yolk, milk

Recommended daily intake: 1.2～1.5 mg

Side effects of excessive intake: long-term overdose may cause itching, numbness, burning, and tingling

4. Vitamin B3 (niacin), water-soluble

Main functions: inhibit the transfer of skin melanin (good whitening effect), prevent skin roughness, prevent allergic itching skin diseases; help restore damaged cells or skin; reduce solar dermatitis; increase skin moisture content; make skin barrier Increased function and increased ceramide content.

Main food sources: green leafy vegetables, milk, soy milk, unrefined grains, corn, peas, peanuts, nuts, honey, lean meat, animal offal, etc.

Recommended daily intake: 12-15 mg

Side effects of excessive intake: Long-term overdose can cause vasodilation, potential tingling, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and long-term liver damage.

5. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), water-soluble

Main functions: External use can improve and repair the skin barrier function and enhance the skin's resistance to surfactants; it has a certain effect in curing skin cracks and improving skin allergies.

Main food sources: meat, unrefined cereal products, malt and bran, animal kidneys and hearts, green leafy vegetables, brewer's yeast, nuts, chicken, unrefined molasses.

Recommended daily intake: 4-7 mg

Side effects of excessive intake: May cause mild gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea.

6. Vitamin B6, water-soluble

Main function: Promote the metabolism of amino acids to keep the skin healthy, promote the growth of epithelial cells, can be used to prevent skin roughness, acne, sunburn, antipruritus and suntan, and can also be used to prevent seborrheic skin inflammation, general Acne, dry seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, and scaly skin changes.

Main food sources: meat, milk, egg yolk, fish, rice bran, whole wheat, spinach, beans

Recommended daily intake: 1.2-1.5 mg

Side effects of excessive intake: Long-term overdose can cause neurological side effects, such as numbness of hands and feet and muscle weakness.

7. Vitamin B12 (anti-pernicious anemia vitamin, also known as cobalamin), water-soluble

Main function: help skin health, maintain skin elasticity and luster

Main food sources: animal offal, meat, shellfish, eggs, fermented food, milk and dairy products

Recommended daily intake: 2.4 micrograms

Side effects of excessive intake: long-term overdose may cause asthma, urticaria, eczema and other allergic reactions

B vitamins play an extremely important role in the neurodevelopment of the fetus. Deficiency can lead to neurodevelopmental retardation and intellectual impairment of the fetus. So pregnant women should pay special attention to not lacking!

8. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), water-soluble

Main functions: Anti-oxidation and anti-aging, enhance collagen proliferation, increase skin transparency, anti-wrinkle and anti-wrinkle; dilute and reduce melanin deposition, with whitening effect. Since one of the main structural proteins of the body is collagen, and VC is closely related to the synthesis of collagen, the lack of VC can lead to a series of problems related to the lack of collagen; severe lack of VC leads to scurvy (this is why it is called Ascorbic acid)

Main food sources: fresh vegetables such as greens, leeks, spinach, peppers, etc., fresh fruits such as oranges, red dates, hawthorn, kiwi, etc.

Recommended daily intake: about 100 mg. If there is a need for whitening, it can be increased to 200mg-400mg.

Side effects of excessive intake: Long-term overdose can cause stomach pain and intestinal dysfunction, affect the production of red blood cells, make the body weak, fatigue, and reduce immunity

9. Vitamin D, fat-soluble

Main functions: Promote skin metabolism and enhance resistance to eczema and scabies. Taking vitamin D can inhibit the formation of skin erythema. VD plays an extremely important role in the absorption and utilization of calcium. Deficiency in childhood can cause rickets. In recent years, it has been reported that VD may also be related to cardiovascular health.

Main sources: exogenous sources such as fish, liver, eggs, milk, endogenous sources refer to synthesis in the skin by UV irradiation

Recommended daily intake: 5-10 micrograms

Side effects of excessive intake: long-term overdose can cause eye inflammation, skin itching, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, fatigue, etc.

10. Vitamin E (tocopherol), fat-soluble

Main function: anti-oxidation. Enhance skin's moisturizing ability, maintain skin elasticity, anti-oxidation, prevent premature aging of skin cells; effectively resist skin damage from strong summer sunlight, prevent frostbite, burns, etc.

Main food sources: wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, butter, egg yolks, nuts and beans

Recommended daily intake: about 14 mg

Side effects of excessive intake: Long-term use of large doses can cause platelet aggregation and thrombosis. It can also cause gastrointestinal dysfunction, dizziness, and blurred vision. Women can cause menorrhagia or amenorrhea.

11. Vitamin K1, fat-soluble

Main function: VK is related to blood coagulation function. Lack of VK can lead to poor coagulation and easy bleeding. The combination of vitamin K1 and vitamin A can improve dark circles caused by fatigue

Main food sources: green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, meat, eggs, milk, liver, etc.

Recommended daily intake: 70-140 micrograms

Side effects of excessive intake: The amount required is very small, and the resulting hyperplasia is rare. It is reported that overdose may cause blood clots.

A regular and balanced diet can promote healthy and beautiful skin. As long as the diet is balanced and nutritious, there is no need to supplement vitamins. However, it must also be realized that with the proliferation of refined carbohydrates, modern people’s diets are becoming more and more unbalanced, and there is insufficient consumption of coarse grains, fruits and vegetables, and VC, VB and VA are insufficient in many people’s diets. Therefore, this Some people should consider dietary supplements.

Many cosmetics now contain vitamins, making full use of the beauty effects of vitamins. We can use some moisturizing skin care products in addition to a healthy diet, but we must not rely too much on cosmetics and ignore the leading role of a healthy diet.