Vitamins are organic compounds essential for the normal growth, development, and maintenance of the body functions. These micronutrients?? are obtained from different sources. Some vitamins are absorbed in small quantities from the diet, while others are produced in the body when exposed to sunlight, or by indigenous bacteria present in our body. Vitamins are essential for many physiological functions. Deficiency of these micronutrients is more common in pregnant women and children under the age of five years. Vitamin deficiency is detrimental to growth and development, intellectual growth, and perinatal sustenance. Serious cases of low vitamin levels are associated with mortality and morbidity. There are two major classes of vitamins depending on their solubility in fat or water.
