Naturepulse Botanicals Private Limited

Oils and Fats along with carbohydrates and proteins are major components of the human diet. Oil provide energy, fat soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D and E), and essential fatty acids that are required for proper growth and development. The production of vegetable oils (canola, corn, cottonseed, coconut, olive, palm, peanut, safflower, soybean, sunflower) is high through out the world, space and consumption is increasing, especially among the lower socioeconomic groups. A higher consumption of vegetable oils over animal fats is preferable because vegetable oils contain much less saturated fats than animal fats (Table 1), and they contain no cholesterol . Vegetable oils are suitable as vehicles for vitamin A, D and E fortification, as the production and refining of the oils is a centralized process. As vitamins A,D and E are fat soluble, they can be uniformly distributed in oil. The stability of vitamin A is greater in oils than in any other food and oil facilitates the absorption of vitamin A by the body. Vegetable oils are consumed by almost everyone ; thus it is possible to improve people's access to fat soluble vitamins through fortification.

Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, is involved in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. Vitamin A helps us to see in dim light and is necessary for proper bone growth, tooth development, and reproduction.

Early in the 20th century scientists discovered that rickets, a childhood disease characterized by improper bone development, could be prevented by a compound isolated from cod liver oil referred to as "fat-soluble factor D," now known as vitamin D. The vitamin was also called "calciferol," since it was found to boost calcium deposits in bone. Because vitamin D is so important in skeletal growth and strong bones, many foods are fortified with this vitamin to ensure that children obtain adequate amounts.

Vitamin D3 (Vitamin 1,25(OH)2 D3) is a naturally occurring bodily substance that many believe to exert a protective effect in multiple sclerosis - both in the development of the disease and in limiting its progression. It is naturally produced in the skin in response to sunlight but is also present in certain foodstuffs (particularly oily fish). It is also available as a dietary supplement from health food stores.