Vitamins are special nutrients your body needs in small amounts to work properly and stay healthy. Unlike proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that your body needs in large quantities for energy and growth, vitamins are needed in tiny amounts but are absolutely essential. Without them, your body can't perform basic functions like healing cuts, building strong bones, or fighting off illnesses.

Your body can't make most vitamins on its own, so you have to get them from food. Different vitamins do different jobs: Vitamin C helps heal wounds and keeps your immune system strong, Vitamin D helps build sturdy bones, and B vitamins help your body turn food into energy. When sailors centuries ago spent months at sea eating only dried meat and hardtack, many developed a disease called scurvy because they weren't getting Vitamin C from fresh fruits and vegetables. Their gums bled, and some even lost teeth, all from the lack of one small nutrient.

Today, most people get the vitamins they need by eating a varied diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins.