Nutrition Basics - Vitamins III

FAT SOLUBLE, cont'd.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is responsible in part for the proper formation of bones. A lack of vitamin D results in the disease called rickets, a condition in which bones grow abnormally. People with limited exposure to sunlight, which is necessary to produce vitamin D in the body, may need to eat foods fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and cereal, to get the amounts needed for proper health.

VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, like vitamin C, that protects the body from damage by free radicals (reactive forms of oxygen produced by the body's metabolic processes) and may have cancer-fighting potential. It is found in a variety of foods and is not difficult to obtain from dietary sources unless a person is following a low-fat diet.

VITAMIN K
Vitamin K is associated with proper clotting. Although it is produced by bacteria found in the intestines, a person who eats a varied and healthy diet obtains about half the Daily Values fromfood, particularly darkleafy vegetables.

The Professional Chef, 7th Edition
by The Culinary Institute of America