Understand the Difference Between Water Soluble and Fat Soluble Vitamins

Getting sufficient vitamins is a cornerstone of maintaining your overall health and well-being. But there two categories of vitamins and they differ in the manner in which your body utilizes them. By recognizing the differences between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, you can help ensure that you get enough of these vitamins to sustain your health while minimizing your risk of overdosing on them.[1]

Steps

Consuming Water- and Fat-Soluble Vitamins

  1. Understand why it is important to know the difference between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. There are many misconceptions about vitamins and supplements, in particular that they are always completely safe for anyone to take because they are natural. This, however, is not true — vitamins and supplements can have dangerous interactions with other medications, be considered unsuitable for people with certain medical conditions and, in some cases, you can "overdose" on vitamins. With water-soluble vitamins, your body will, for the most part, eliminate excess through your urine, so there is little chance of the vitamin reaching toxic levels in your body. Fat-soluble vitamins, however, remain in your system for a longer period of time than their water-soluble counterparts, and eating too many of them can lead to an accumulation of excess amounts that may bring on a host of medical problems ranging from headache to death.[2]
    • Supplementation with fat-soluble vitamins should always be overseen by a medical professional and followed up with lab work to measure levels. Follow your doctor's advice for dosage of these vitamins.
  2. Learn about fat-soluble vitamins. Your body stores vitamins considered fat-soluble in its fatty tissues and liver. It then draws upon the stores of fat-soluble vitamins to help your body function properly.[3]
    • Foods that contain fat-soluble vitamins are generally animal products or fatty foods. Examples of foods with fat-soluble vitamins are vegetable oils, milk and dairy foods, eggs, liver, oily fish, and butter.[3]
    • You do not need to eat foods containing fat-soluble vitamins every day because your body stores excess in your fatty tissues and then draws upon these reserves when you need them.[3]
  3. Recognize different fat-soluble vitamins. There are several different vitamins that are considered fat-soluble. Recognizing these vitamins can both help you to get a sufficient amount of each and minimize your risk of consuming excess.[1]
    • Vitamin A assists your vision, promotes bone and tissue growth and aids in reproduction.[1]
    • Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in your body, which in turn helps your teeth and bones develop properly. It also helps maintain proper blood levels of both calcium and phosphorus.[1]
    • Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is on the rise due to a variety of factors including more time spent indoors and use of sunblock. As a result, many doctors recommend supplements to get sufficient vitamin D while limiting risk of too much sun exposure.[1]
    • Vitamin E protects your red blood cells and maintains immune function and the repair of DNA.[1] It may also lower your risk for some cancers and heart disease.[1]
    • Vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting and, in turn, healing wounds. There is also some evidence that vitamin K can maintain the health of your bones.[4]
  4. Eat sufficient fat-soluble vitamins. It’s important to your health to make sure you get sufficient fat-soluble vitamins from whole food sources. Only supplement as necessary to avoid overdose.[1]
    • Studies suggest that while plant sources of Vitamin A are good for you, animal sources of the vitamin are better absorbed by your body.[1]
    • Women need approximately 2,330 international units (IU) of vitamin A per day, while men need about 3,000 IU. Get your recommended daily dose of vitamin A with foods such as cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, and yogurt. Plant sources of vitamin A include yellow, red, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, peppers, mangoes, apricots, and sweet potatoes.[5]
    • The recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is 200 IU for adults ages 19 to 15, 400 IU for adults ages 51 to 70, and 600 IU for adults over the age of 71.[1] Get vitamin D from sources such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel; eggs; as well as fortified breakfast cereals and milk.[5]
    • The recommended daily allowance for vitamin E is 15 milligrams for adults. In the event that vitamin E is listed in IU, aim to get 22 IU from natural sources.[1] Get vitamin E from foods such as plant oils including corn and olive; nuts and seeds; and wheat germ, which you can find in cereals and cereal products.[6]
    • You need approximately 0.001mg of vitamin K per kilogram of body weight. Thus, if you weigh 65kg, you need about 0.065mg of Vitamin K per day. Get vitamin K through foods such as broccoli, spinach, vegetable oils, and cereal grains.[6]
  5. Learn about water-soluble vitamins. Unlike their fat-soluble counterparts, water-soluble vitamins do not stay in the body and are generally eliminated with urination.[3] As a result, you need to consume water-soluble vitamins more frequently.[3] There is a total of nine water soluble vitamins, including B vitamins (folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 ) and vitamin C.
    • There is a wide variety of water-soluble vitamins in foods such as fruit, vegetables, potatoes, grains, and dairy foods.[3]
    • Exposing water-soluble vitamins to heat, either through cooking or boiling, can cause them to lose some of their potency or destroy them altogether.[3]
    • The optimal way to retain water-soluble vitamins is to steam or grill foods and pouring cooking water into soups or stews instead of throwing it away.[3]
    • Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, it is generally difficult to overdose of water-soluble vitamins because you eliminate them much more quickly through urine.
  6. Identify different water-soluble vitamins. There is a wide range of vitamins that are considered water-soluble. Identifying these can help you get enough of each through whole foods.[1]
    • Vitamin C, which is sometimes called ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant that promotes tissue health and helps your body absorb iron. In addition, it can help with wound healing.[1]
    • The B vitamins, which range from niacin to folic acid and B-12, are responsible for maintaining the health of several systems in your body including your circulatory system, brain health, cell metabolism and nerve function.[1]
    • Often times B vitamins can be added to help combat stress, help relieve nerve-related pain, and increase energy.
  7. Ingest sufficient water-soluble vitamins. In order to help maintain your overall healthy, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough water-soluble vitamins through whole foods. Aim to eat these every day, since your body does not store them for as long as their fat-soluble counterparts.[1]
    • The recommended daily allowance of vitamin C is 75mg for adult women and 90mg for men.[1]
    • Eating foods including citrus fruits and juices, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, broccoli and spinach can help you get enough vitamin C per day.[1]
    • The recommended daily allowance of the B-vitamins differs according to the specific vitamin. For example, adults need 2.4mg of B-12 per day; 400micrograms of B-9 or folic acid; and 14-16 milligrams of B-3 or niacin each day.[1]
    • You can get all of the B vitamins through a range of foods that includes: whole and fortified or enriched grains, nuts, peas, meat, shellfish, poultry, eggs, daily, peanut butter, and bananas.[1]

Staying Healthy through Diet

  1. Stick with a healthy diet. Maintaining a diet of healthy and nutrient-rich foods and meals can promote your overall health. Foods that have moderate levels of fat, complex carbohydrates, and are high in vitamins and minerals, for example, are best for your general health.[7]
    • You should aim to eat about 2,000 calories per day to maintain optimal body function, or more if you are active and not trying to lose weight.[8]
  2. Get enough vitamins and nutrients. A key part of any healthy diet is getting enough vitamins and nutrients to bolster your overall health. A part of this is getting enough fat- and water-soluble vitamins, in addition to other vitamins and nutrients. You will enough of the recommended daily allowances if you eat foods from the five food groups. There are five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy.[9]
    • Try to eat 1-1.5 cups of fruit daily. Whole fruits including raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries are good and nutrient-rich choices. You can also get fruits from drinking 100% fruit juice.[10] Select different fruits each time you eat that. This can help ensure you get different nutrients, including many water-soluble vitamins. For example, have blueberries and strawberries one day, and have raspberries and blackberries the next.
    • Aim for 2.5-3 cups of vegetables every day. Vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, spinach, or peppers can provide what you need. You can also drink 100% vegetable juice.[11] Change up the vegetables you eat so that you get different nutrients, including many water-soluble vitamins.
    • Consume 5-8 ounces of grains per day. At least half of your daily intake should be from whole grains. Foods like brown rice, cereal, oatmeal, and whole wheat pasta or bread are good choices.[12] Grains also offer Vitamin B, which is one of of the primary water-soluble vitamins.[13]
    • Get 5-6.5 ounces of protein per day.[14] You can find protein in lean meats such as beef, pork, or poultry; cooked beans; eggs; peanut butter; or nuts and seeds.[15] Protein is also a source of many fat-soluble vitamins.
    • Consume 2-3 cups, or 12 oz., of dairy per day.[16] You can get dairy from sources including cheese, yogurt, milk, or even ice cream.[16] Dairy contains many fat-and water-soluble vitamins.[14]
  3. Steer clear of unhealthy foods. Avoid eat unhealthy or junk foods as much as possible. These are generally lacking in the vitamins and nutrients you need to maintain your health.
    • Starchy foods contain a lot of refined carbohydrates, which can spike blood sugar. Foods including bread, crackers, pasta, rice, cereal, and baked goods are all examples of starchy foods.
    • Avoid eating too much sodium. Every person needs a little sodium in their diet, but many foods are often too high in sodium. This is especially true of mass-processed foods. Try alternative seasonings like garlic or herbs to help you stay away excess sodium.
  4. Plan your meals. Putting together a meal plan can help make sure that you’re getting sufficient nutrients, including water- and fat-soluble vitamins.[17] It has the additional benefits of helping you avoid junk food and maybe even saving money.
    • For example, figure out what you’ll eat for breakfast each day of the week. This can help get your day started right. Try and pack your lunch if you don’t have a meeting. This minimizes the risk of buying unhealthy fast foods and ensuring you stay on track with getting enough nutrients. If you have a lunch meeting, select the least processed food on the menu. Salads without cheese or heavy dressings are excellent choices.
  5. Allow yourself cheat days. There are times when you may just want junk food like a burger and fries. Let yourself cheat occasionally. If you are eating an otherwise healthy diet, this is unlikely to rob you of important vitamins and nutrients
    • Some studies have shown that an occasional cheat day may help you keep up your diet because you’re not denying yourself any foods you sometimes want.[18]
    • You may find that you don’t really want unhealthy foods if you’re eating a healthy and nutrient-rich diet.
  6. Use supplements sparingly. In some cases, like if you have a limited diet or are a vegan or vegetarian, it is difficult to get enough vitamins and nutrients through food choices alone. While it’s generally ok to take a multivitamin or supplements to help you get what you need to maintain your health, get as much of these as possible from foods.[1]
    • Some multivitamins and even single vitamin supplements have so-called “megadoses,” which can be detrimental to your health if used over a long period of time.[1]
    • Consult with your doctor about taking multi-vitamins and supplements.[1]

Tips

  • Try using this mnemonic device for remembering fat and water-soluble vitamins. You can remember fat-soluble vitamins by using a phrase such as Allen Kicked Dirt Everywhere, where the beginning letter of each represents one of the fat-soluble vitamins. For the water-soluble vitamins, it may help to use a nonsense rhyme to remember such as C8B swimming in the sea, which represents vitamin C and the 8 B vitamins, while the sea part may help you remember that these vitamins are water-soluble.

Warnings

  • Multivitamin use is very popular. It is important to remember that the supplement industry is loosely regulated and many supplements have false or misleading information. Before spending money on extra supplementation, speak pharmacist and doctor regarding which brands are best.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 http://www.mayoclinic.org/documents/mc5129-0709-sp-rpt-pdf/doc-20079085
  2. ↑ http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/happens-excess-watersoluble-vitamins-fatsoluble-vitamins-dangerous-5060.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamins-minerals.aspx
  4. ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-K.aspx
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-A.aspx
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-E.aspx
  7. ↑ http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/tips-for-weight-loss/the-new-math-of-counting-calories
  8. ↑ http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/your-health-and-your-weight/your-health-and-your-weight
  9. ↑ http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/
  10. ↑ https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruit
  11. ↑ http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/vegetables.html
  12. ↑ http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains.html
  13. ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/eating-well-as-you-age.htm
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/tips-for-weight-loss/women-get-nutrients-while-cutting-calories
  15. ↑ http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/protein-foods.html
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 https://www.choosemyplate.gov/dairy
  17. ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/eating_habits.html
  18. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/cheat-on-your-diet-and-still-lose-weight
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