How Do Fat-Soluble Vitamins Work?

Fat-soluble vitamin supplements are nutritional supplements used for treating various conditions associated with vitamin deficiency. Fat-soluble vitamins play a critical role in various body functions like:

• Absorbing calcium and phosphorous from the small intestine
• Playing a role in immunity and controlling cell growth
• Acting as an antioxidant 
• Protecting red blood cells and essential fatty acids from destruction
• Clotting of the blood
• Promoting bone health
• Helping to produce proteins for blood, bones, and kidneys
• Developing vision, mucous membranes, and healthy skin

Fat-soluble vitamins are abundant in various food sources, which include:

• Fortified milk
• Cheese
• Cream
• Butter
• Fortified margarine
• Eggs
• Liver
• Green leafy vegetables
• Dark orange fruits
• Vegetables like carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins
• Egg yolks
• Liver
• Fatty fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Plant oils like soybean, corn, cottonseed, and safflower
• Whole-grain products

Fat-soluble vitamins are used in the treatment of various conditions associated with vitamin deficiency, which include:

• Postherpetic neuralgia
• Fragile X syndrome
• Erythropoietic protoporphyria
• Osteoporosis
• Hypoparathyroidism
• Vitamin D-resistant rickets
• Xerophthalmia
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia

The most common side effects of fat-soluble vitamins include:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Blurred vision
• Diarrhea
• Skin-related problems
• Joint pain
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Lethargy
• Metallic taste
• Muscle or bone pain
• Nausea
• Sluggishness
• Vomiting
• Taste alterations
• Injection site reactions

Generic and brand names of fat-soluble vitamins include:

• 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol
• Alpha-tocopherol
• AquaMephyton
• Aquasol A
• Aquasol E
• Beta carotene
• Calciferol
• Calcium/vitamin D
• Caltrate 600+D3
• Carotene
• Cholecalciferol
• Citracal
• Drisdol
• Ergocalciferol
• Lumitene
• Mephyton
• Os-Cal Calcium + D3
• Os-Cal Extra D3
• Os-Cal Ultra
• Provitamin A
• Retinol
• Retinyl acetate
• Retinyl palmitate
• Tocopherol
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K1 (phytonadione)