The Vitamins. What do they do for your body?

The lowdown on the 13 essential vitamins

A guide to the Vitamins

Vitamins can be divided into two groups.

The water-soluble vitamins (the B vitamins, and vitamin C) which can be dissolved in water, are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and easily excreted by the body (thanks urine). And the fat-soluble vitamins (D, E, K and A), which can only be digested with foods containing some fat, and which are stored in the liver and your adipose tissue i.e. your friendly neighbourhood fat cells.

Click through on each of the vitamins below for the whole story, plus easy ideas for incorporating these bad boys into your meals.


Vitamin C

the famous one....

Alter-ego – also known as ascorbic acid, and dehydroascorbic acid.

Find out more here.


Vitamin E

the anti-oxidant one....

Alter-ego – also known as tocopherol, vitamin E is actually a family of about 8 different compounds although alpha- (or α-) tocopherol is the only form that can meet human nutrient requirements.

Find out more here.


Vitamin b2

the artist formally known as Vitamin G...

Alter-ego - Also goes by the name of riboflavin.

 Find out more here.


Vitamin B6

the sensitive one....

Alter-ego – Also known as pyridoxine.

 Find out more here.


Vitamin B12

the vegan’s enemy...

Alter-ego – Also known as cobalamine.

Find out more here.



Vitamin D

the one that plays hard to get...

Alter-ego – Also known as D2 (in its plant and supplement form), and cholecalciferol or D3 (the animal form of vitamin D).

Find out more here.


Vitamin K

the enigmatic one....

Alter-ego – Menaqione, and phylloquinone are the two main types of vitamin K.

Find out more here.


Vitamin B3

the healthy skin one...

Alter-ego - Also known as niacin, or nicotinic acid.

Find out more here.


Vitamin B7

the one that was almost Vitamin H....

Alter-ego – more commonly known as biotin, B7 is another of the B-vitamins (along with B5 and B6) that doesn’t often get talked about.

Find out more here.


And last but not least - choline

the almost man...

Find out more here.



Vitamin A

the one that’s a bit like James Bond...

Alter-ego – The three different forms of vitamin A are also known as retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid. The body can also convert beta-carotene (a naturally occurring chemical found in orange and yellow coloured plants) into vitamin A.

Find out more here.


vitamin b1

the history maker....

Alter-ego - Also known as thiamin.

Find out more here.


Vitamin B5

the shampoo one...

Alter-ego – Better known as pantothenic acid.

Find out more here.


Vitamin B9

the pregnancy one...

Alter-ego – Better known as folate, or folic acid (which is its synthetic form).

Find out more here.