Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins mostly act as catalysts that facilitate biochemical reactions in the body. Each of them has its own unique and irreplaceable function. We are not able to produce vitamins to ensure normal physiological needs, and therefore we have to obtain them from the outside, most often from food.

Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in body tissues, so it is possible to overdose on them, unlike water-soluble vitamins, whose possible excess is excreted in the urine without consequences.

Breast milk contains enough vitamins for the needs of the infant, with the exception of vitamin K and D, therefore it is necessary to supplement both of these vitamins. Vitamin K is needed to prevent haemorrhagic disease of the newborn and is given to all newborns shortly after birth. Vitamin D is needed to prevent rickets and is given daily from the second week of life.

The lack of fat- soluble vitamins is especially dangerous for patients with malabsorption syndrome and cholestasis (in both cases there is a risk of a deficiency of vitamins A, D, E, K, zinc and essential fatty acids ). Vitamin D deficiency is common in people with reduced exposure to sunlight (UVB). The use of certain medicines can also lead to a lack of vitamins ( antibiotics – vit. K; phenobarbital, phenytoin – vit. D, K and folate ; mineral oils – vit. A, D, E, K).