Doctor Bon

Vegetables such as green peppers are good source o vitamin C, and fruits such as strawberries are another good source. The various vitamin-like compounds – carnitine, inositol, taurine, and lipoic acid - are necessary to maintain normal metabolism in the body.

They all can be synthesized by the body, but their biosynthesis often occurs at the expense of other nutrients, such as essential amino acids. The need for these compounds often increased during times of rapid tissue growth, as is the case with the preterm infant.

There is no concern that deficiencies of these vitamin-like compounds exist in the average healthy adult. But more research is needed to clarify whether deficiencies might arise in certain disease states and whether the compounds should be included infant formulas and total parenteral nutrition solutions. Currently, manufactures often add these vitamin-like compounds to infant formulas.