Vitamins

Vitamins play a vital part in human metabolism. Some are produced by the human body itself, others must be regularly ingested via food. However, the bodies of some animals can produce vitamins that the human body cannot produce. This page explores how to meet the human requirements for vitamins in a colony on Mars.

Vitamins are classified according tot he following list : A, B₁ to B₁₂, C, D₁ to D₅, E, K.

Foods that contain vitamins

• Fruit
• Vegetable
• Meat
• Algae

Foods that contains few vitamins

• Cereals
• Noodles
• Potatoes

These foods provide carbohydrate for energy needs, but do not have high vitamin contents.

Vitamin A

This vitamin is required for maintaining the skin and mucus linings. It is available in meat(especially liver), cheese, eggs, oily fish and milk. Due to energy restrictions on Mars this kind of food can not be easily produced.

Vitamin B6

This vitamin is required by the human body to produce blood and to manage the energy processes of proteins and carbohydrates. It is available in pork, chicken, turkey, cod, but also in whole cereals, vegetables, soy beans and peanuts. Due to the availability in herbal food the demand for the Martian settlers can be met by agricultural production methods.

Vitamin B12

This vitamin is needed to process folic acid. It can be found in meat and algae. The latter can be grown on Mars in aquaculture.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, can be produced with agricultural products or synthesized from glucose.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin through exposure to UV light.

Artificial production of vitamins

Some vitamins can be produced artificially on an industrial scale, but with current knowledge an adequate supply of all vitamins seems not to be possible on an artificial basis. Natural food is inevitable, even for a martian settlement.

External links

• Food Standards Agency: Vitamins and minerals