What are the characteristics of water-soluble vitamins?

Vitamin are chemically unrelated organic substances that are grouped together because each is essential in the diet in minute amounts and is required for specific metabolic reactions within the cells. Vitamins fall into two categories: those that dissolve in water (water soluble vitamins) and those that dissolve in fat (fat soluble vitamins).

The nine water-soluble vitamins – eight B vitamins and vitamin C are found in the watery components of foods, such as the juice of an orange. Water-soluble vitamins have a vital roles as coenzymes which are necessary for almost every cellular reaction in the body. These vitamins are distributed into water-filled compartment of the body, including the fluid that’s surrounds the spinal cord.

Characteristics of water-soluble vitamins:
*Most are readily absorbed in the jejunum
*Water-soluble vitamins are easily absorbed and just as easily excreted in the urine
*Human body stores very small amounts of each of these vitamins.
*Because of their limited storage, daily intake is important.
*Deficiency symptoms appear relatively quickly
*Lower risk of toxicity
*Easily absorbed into blood travel freely in blood
*In food, it easily dissolves in water and drain away with cooking water, some destroyed on exposure to light, heat or oxygen during processing
*Less stable
*Most B vitamins share similar roles, vitamin C serves many different roles on the body

What are the characteristics of water-soluble vitamins?

Impact of processing and storage to water soluble vitamins

Certain vitamins are sensitive to processing and storage. Processing medium or the environment is a critical factor in influencing the stability or retention of water soluble vitamin. Generally, the water soluble vitamins especially thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C , are more susceptible to losses due to leaching during washing and blanching.

Choy sum

Certain water soluble vitamin are susceptible to oxidation (thiamin and cobalamin), the processes are different from those for the fat soluble vitamins.

Water soluble vitamins are generally more heat heat-sensitive than fat soluble vitamins. Vitamin C and thiamin are the most heat sensitive. Thiamin is extremely water soluble and destroyed by heat is much can be leached into the cooking or storing liquids during preparation of both meats and vegetables. Losses in the making of soy flour are minimal, but losses in the making of soy flour into tofu stored in water are 85% or greater.

Vitamins stable at acidic pHs include ascorbic acid, niacin, free folacin and thiamin. Biotin, thiamin, free folic acid, pantothenic acid and ascorbic acid are loss more readily at alkaline pHs.

Physical factors also contribute to the loss of vitamins during processing and storage. Electromagnetic radiation in the visible and near ultraviolet region is one such factor.

Folic acid is easily lost during storage of fresh vegetables at room temperature and through many heat processes. Oxidative destruction of 50-95% of the folate can occur with protracted cooking or canning. Riboflavin and niacin are both relatively stable on heat preservation, although riboflavin is very sensitive to light and will undergo degradation in the present of both heat and light together.
Impact of processing and storage to water soluble vitamins