Wednesday Spotlight - Vitamin Solubility and the Bs!

So, I figured we might take a little break from the vitamin/mineral highlights and talk about vitamin solubility. In doing so, we will naturally touch on the B-vitamins, as you will see. Solubility is important because it can help you more efficiently plan you nutrient intake. You see, some vitamins will store for a period of time in our bodies, whereas some must be replenished regularly.

FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS store in the liver when not immediately used by our bodies. These vitamins are A, D, E and K. Foods that contain these vitamins also are less likely to lose them during cooking. Therefore, you can plan on cooking the following foods without loss of these particular nutrients:

• Vitamin A: liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin
• Vitamin D: egg yolks
• Vitamin E: green, leafy vegetables
• Vitamin K: green, leafy vegetables

I wrote about Vitamin K and Vitamin D in August, so check those out if you want to learn more - and stay tuned for A and E!

WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS are eliminated through our urine when the body has metabolized all it can. They do not store in the body and therefore need to be taken regularly, preferably daily or throughout the day, if possible. Cooking foods with water-soluble nutrients will reduce these vitamins. The various B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble. Luckily, a lot of the C-dense foods, such as citrus fruit (oranges, limes, lemons, strawberries, melons), are mostly consumed raw. However, squash, broccoli, and bell peppers will lose some amount of their vitamin C if cooked. I wrote about Vitamin C on August 22, so take a look back if you are interested in learning more about that powerhouse nutrient!

Now, there are 8 B vitamins, and rather than inundate you in speaking to each of them individually, I will just give you an introduction here.

• B1 = Thiamin
• B2 = Riboflavin
• B3 = Niacin (spotlight on Sept 12)
• B5 = Pantothenic acid
• B6
• B7 = Biotin
• B9 = Folate
• B12 (spotlight on Aug 8)

B vitamins are important because they play an important role in the metabolism of foods for energy. They also promote red blood cell formation and contribute to the health of your skin, hair, muscles and nervous system. B vitamins also reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Good sources of B vitamins include animal proteins (turkey, tuna, liver, meat), whole grains, potatoes, beans, and lentils. Unfortunately, most of these foods must be cooked. Bananas are another source of B vitamins and are typically eaten raw. Beer drinkers and vegans need to be monitoring their B intake (specifically B12 for vegans) as they are at particular risk for deficiency.

As always, try to get your vitamins from whole foods because supplements are not biologically the same and can also lead to toxicity in large amounts. But, if you have allergies, inability to source certain foods, ethical objections, or simply personal tastes that restrict your diet in a way that affects your nutrient intake, do what you gotta do!