When we get through the vitamins we will move on to the minerals so do not stop now. We are just getting this condensed version of your nutrition started. These vitamins and minerals that your body needs are of the utmost importance and you should be learning the "whys" and make better decisions on what you are eating.

Vitamins are a very important part of your food.

If you eat food that has no nutrient value, you are wasting your body away, as well as your time.

Foods with nothing but sugar content, and maybe some carbohydrates as well, can only do your body harm. You can only eat so much, and when your hunger is satisfied you will not be able to eat anything else. And if you are full but have eaten no food with value, you are fooling yourself if you think you can continue being healthy.

Your body can be fooled for a while and then you will start to become ill in some way. Something in your body will not get enough nutrients to continue working properly and you will begin to feel worse.

Eventually you will get some symptoms that will send you to the doctor and they will ask you how you feel. You will expect them to diagnose what is wrong with you in the first appointment and they will most likely get it wrong. You just simply need to start eating nutritious food.

You will need food that can sustain life, yours.

We are going to start this Part 4 with Bioflavonoids which are a class of plant pigments which are water soluble. This means that they will be used by the body and the rest that is not used will be taken away in the excretion of urine, just like vitamin C.

Bioflavonoids are: a part of the natural vitamin C. When you are getting your vitamin C naturally from nature, as in food, then you are getting Bioflavonoids with it. They are as necessary to us as the vitamin C.

They keep us from getting cataracts, and protect our tiny capillaries, as well as promoting bile production, lowering cholesterol, and they can even be found to reduce some of the symptoms of Herpes.

Bioflavonoids are antioxidants just like vitamin C, and can also be good for circulation, as well as having an antibacterial effect just like vitamin C.

In order for vitamin C to be absorbed, Bioflavonoids are required.

The terms Flavonoid and Bioflavonoid are interchangeable. This works because most all of the Flavonoids are from biological sources. They have a natural ability to change the body's reactions to viruses, allergens, and carcinogens. This has given them the name "nature's biological response modifiers" among the natural sciences.

Quercetin can actually be helpful in the fight against a retro-virus.

Cocoa is the main ingredient of dark chocolate, which has Epicatechin in it. Epicatechin is a potent antioxidant and Flavonoid, and dark chocolate has two times the amount that is in red wine and even more than that of green tea. So do not be afraid to eat your cocoa...or dark chocolate. This Epicatechin is good for your blood flow and therefore your heart function.

Antioxidants are very good for us because their function is to oxidize the free radicals, which changes them into something that is no longer bad for us.

Bioflavonoids have also been labeled as vitamin P. Hardly anyone refers to this compound as vitamin P.

Food sources of Bioflavonoids are:buckwheat, onions, black currants, grapes, oranges, lemons, peppers, grapefruit, cocoa, prunes, plums, hot peppers, thyme, celery, apples, garlic, broccoli, berries, parsley, and mainly the white stuff right underneath the peel of oranges, and other citrus fruits.

Quercetin is the main source, which is also a Bioflavonoid, and protects the prostate gland, supports proper levels of histamine, and does a balancing act with your immune system, as well as stabilizing the membranes of your cells, and even more. You can buy Quercetin in a supplement.

Another Bioflavonoid is Proanthocyanidin. The action of this compound is also as a potent antioxidant that protects things from destroying your collagen, which is the most plentiful protein in your body.

Rutin, hesperidin, quercitrin, and and tangeritin (which is a flavone), are all citrus Flavonoids.

Some deficiencies of Bioflavonoids are: inflammation, as you have with arthritis, a tendency for easy bruising, and any of the other deficiencies you also have with vitamin C deficiency.

Vitamin A is necessary for your health. You do have to be careful with how much you take in supplement form because it is not a water soluble vitamin. It is a fat soluble vitamin, and therefore does not get excreted in your urine. Too much of this vitamin can be toxic.

This vitamin can help protect you from heart problems, and cancer, as well as work for you toward anti-aging, and lowering cholesterol levels.

However, your body can convert Beta Carotene into the vitamin A it needs, and excrete the rest as urine. Therefore there are no worries about toxic doses. Most people, and even companies these days, will prefer to use the Beta Carotene just to be safe. Toxic doses of Beta Carotene have not been found to date.

This vitamin is required for normal functioning of the ovaries, the metabolism of bone, fat storage, gene transcription, vision, supporting the immune system, fights colds and flu, fights wrinkles, supports lungs, mucous membranes, kidney, and bladder, and fades those terrible age spots.

The Thymus Gland is something else inside our body that needs vitamin A.

Food sources of vitamin A are: the most common are fish liver oil, turnip greens, yellow fruits and veggies, green fruits and veggies, kale, apricots, Spirulina, pumpkin, asparagus, broccoli, beet greens, dandelion greens, collard greens, garlic, mango, peas, eggs, real butter, dulse, papayas, spinach, watercress, Swiss chard, mustard greens, yellow squash, and red peppers.

The foods with the highest content of vitamin A carotenoids are tangerines, cantaloupe, nectarines, peaches, sweet potatoes, carrots, clams, and Mackerel.

If you are a Vegan you must be very careful to be certain you are getting enough vitamin A in your diet or take a supplement.

A zinc deficiency can create malabsorption of vitamin A.

Some deficiencies of vitamin A are: acne, poor growth, fatigue, weight loss, skin problems, reproductive problems, insomnia, ear abscesses, sinusitis, dry skin, dry hair, dry eyes, night blindness, respiratory problems, and pneumonia.

Some other symptoms of deficiency you can get with chronic toxicity are: cracked corners of the mouth, water on the brain, liver enlargement, spleen enlargement, GI tract problems, joint pain, nausea, itching, vomiting, hair loss, amenorrhea, liver enzymes being too high, and abdominal pain.

Some vitamin A toxicity symptoms can be: drowsiness, nausea, irritability, blurry vision, muscle weakness, jaundice, headaches, abdominal pain, and vomiting.

Less toxic symptoms of vitamin A toxicity can be: insomnia, weight loss, diarrhea, bone fractures, anemia, dry mucous membranes, hair loss, fatigue, and fever.

Beta Carotene is: the water soluble compound that your liver turns into vitamin A only when it needs it, and excretes the rest. It is in a class called carotenoids, which are in relation to vitamin A. Antioxidants in this class are Beta-Carotene, Alpha-Carotene, Gamma-Carotene, and Lycopene.

Carotenoids are the orange pigment in the carrots, sweet potatoes, and other orange fruits and veggies.

Food sources of Beta Carotene are: in the Vietnamese fruit Gac (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng), crude Palm oil, cantaloupe, carrots, papayas, mangoes, yellow fruits, orange fruits, papayas, mangoes, yam, green leafy veggies: kale, spinach, sweet gourd leaves, sweet potato leaves, and collard greens.

Some deficiencies of Beta Carotene are: the same as the deficiencies for vitamin A.

As we move along through the rest of the vitamins, we would be looking at vitamin D, vitamin E, and the lesser known yet just as important, vitamin K.

However, we are not done yet because we still have the minerals to talk about.