Question

Classify Vitamins A, B, C and D depending upon their solubility in water and fat and compare them.

Answer 1

Hint: Deficiencies of two fat soluble vitamins causes night blindness and rickets respectively. Also, deficiencies of two water soluble vitamins cause tiredness and scurvy respectively.

Complete step by step answer:
It is very important that the vitamins are either water soluble or fat soluble. Vitamin B and C are water soluble vitamins. Since it is water soluble, it cannot be stored in the body and excreted through urine. Therefore, it is less toxic. If we consume high amounts of this water soluble vitamins, they are excreted through urine hence it is less toxic.
 Vitamins A, D, E, K and P are fat soluble vitamins. These vitamins dissolve in fats and lipids. They are stored in the liver and tissues. If we consume high amounts of fat soluble vitamins, it cannot be excreted and hence toxic to the body.

Additional Information:
-The fat soluble vitamins are usually absorbed in fat globules (called chylomicrons) that travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the blood circulation within the body.
-If a person takes in too much of a fat soluble vitamin, over time they can have too much of that vitamin present in their body, a potentially dangerous condition called hypervitaminosis (means too much vitamin in the body).
-Persons can also be deficient in the fat soluble vitamins if their fat intake is too low.

Note: Specifically vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin. Although it can be “water solubilized” in the lab to help its absorption through the intestinal wall. Once it is absorbed into the body it would appear to behave as a fat soluble vitamin does.