Our journey through the B vitamins reaches vitamin B3, called niacin — one of the hardest-working vitamins in the entire body. It takes part in hundreds of chemical reactions, more

Next in our tour of the B vitamins is vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine. If thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin are mainly about energy, B6 is the one most closely tied

Having finished the B vitamins, we now meet the most famous vitamin of all: vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid. Almost everyone reaches for it at the first sign

Now we move into the fat-soluble vitamins, and we begin with one that is unlike any other: vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin.” What makes it special is that your body

We close this series where the whole subject of vitamins began historically — with deficiency. It was by studying the diseases caused by missing vitamins that scientists discovered them in

The second of the fat-soluble vitamins is vitamin E, the body’s great protector of fats. While vitamin C guards the watery parts of the body, vitamin E works in the

We complete the four fat-soluble vitamins with vitamin K — perhaps the least famous of all the vitamins, yet one with a job so important it can be a matter

We have already looked at the three big nutrients that give the body energy and building material — carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. But none of them would work properly without

Few topics attract more attention — and more marketing — than “boosting” the immune system. The honest truth is that no single vitamin is a magic shield, but several vitamins

Walk down any pharmacy aisle and you will see countless “beauty” vitamins promising glowing skin, thicker hair, and stronger nails. Behind the marketing there is a real truth: skin, hair,