Question

Which of the vitamins given below is water soluble?
(A) Vitamin C
(B) Vitamin D
(C) Vitamin E
(D) Vitamin K

Answer 1

Hint: Water soluble vitamins are those which cannot be stored in our bodies, they get removed via urine and need to be taken on a regular basis through our diet.

Complete step by step answer:
-First of all let us see what vitamins are.
Vitamins are basically an important necessity for normal functioning of cell, cell growth and development also. These vitamins are required in small amounts in our diet to fulfil these basic functions and their deficiency causes various diseases.

-We should also know that there exist 13 essential vitamins which are required for our body to work in a proper manner. They include:
1) Vitamin A
2) Vitamin C
3) Vitamin D
4) Vitamin E
5) Vitamin K
6) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
7) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
8) Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
9) Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
10) Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
11) Vitamin B6
12) Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
13) Vitamin B9 (Folate or folic acid)

-Now let us see how these vitamins have been classified.
The vitamins are basically classified into 2 types on the basis of their solubility as water and fat soluble vitamins. Let us now talk about them.
1) Fat soluble vitamins: They are those vitamins which are stored in our body’s fat tissues known as adipose tissues. Our body absorbs these vitamins in the presence of dietary fat. There are 4 fat-soluble vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E and K.
2) Water soluble vitamins: They are those vitamins which cannot be stored in our body and the extra water soluble vitamins pass out from our body through urine. Since they cannot be stored, our body has a very small reserve for them and so they need to be regularly taken through diet. Only 2 of the vitamins are water soluble, they are: Vitamin B and C.
So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Note: An important thing to remember is that Vitamin B12 is the only water soluble vitamin that can be stored in our liver for many years. It is extremely important for metabolism because it helps in the formation of our red blood cells and also proper functioning of our central nervous system. Its deficiency can cause pernicious anemia.
Remember that there are certain vitamins which when taken in high doses can prove to be toxic and hence we should take a balanced diet.