The Vitamins

The Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects in Nutrition and Health, Sixth Edition presents both overviews and in-depth discussions of the sources, chemistry, metabolism and functions of these essential nutrients in physiology and health. Sections cover perspectives (history of discovery, general properties and impacts), individual Vitamins (their respective chemistries, metabolism), and their dietary sources and global needs. In addition, the inclusion and interpretation of recent clinical research findings relevant to all vitamins, particularly vitamins A, D, E, K, C, thiamin, folate and vitamin B12 is included, along with an expanded discussion on single-carbon metabolism), implications to neuropathies, and more.

• Presents complete information about vitamins in a format useful as both a teaching text and desk reference
• Includes coverage of vitamin-related topics not typically found in general nutrition texts (e.g., enteric microbial biosynthesis of vitamins, global prevalence of deficiencies, diagnosing 'silent' asymptomatic vitamin deficiencies, histories of vitamin discoveries)
• Contains useful appendices of key reference information (e.g., vitamin requirements of humans and animals, vitamin contents of foods, sources of vitamin information)

Gerald F. Combs, Jr. is an internationally recognized leader in nutrition, particularly in the areas of micronutrient functions, diet and cancer prevention, and sustainable food systems. He has conducted research ranging from fundamental studies with cultured cells and animal models to human metabolic and clinical investigations, including studies in China, Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Malawi. He has lectured in some 30 countries and published more than 350 scientific papers and reviews, and 15 books, including six editions of The Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects in Nutrition and Health. He received his graduate training in nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University, where he later served on that faculty for 29 years before being named Director of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks ND from 2020-2015. He presently is a Senior Scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.