Why fat isn’t the bad guy! Fat soluble vitamins – what you need to know.
3rd February 2026
Good fats, also known as unsaturated fats, are essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. The four fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K. They are absorbed along with dietary fats and are essential for normal bodily functioning. Without adequate healthy fats in the diet, the body may not be able to absorb these crucial vitamins, potentially leading to deficiencies.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/different-fats-nutrition/
So what does each fat-soluble vitamin do?
· Vitamin A: Is important for vision, cell growth, and immune function.
· Vitamin D: is essential for calcium absorption and bone health.
· Vitamin E: acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage.
· Vitamin K: is crucial for blood clotting and bone health. .
Where can they be found?
· Vitamin A: can be found in liver, dairy products, and colourful fruits and vegetables.
· Vitamin D: Is called the sunlight vitamin because sunlight exposure helps the body produce vitamin D, and it's also found in fatty fish and fortified foods.
· Vitamin E: is found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.
· Vitamin K: Leafy green vegetables are a good source.
Deficiencies
Deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins can affect anyone but certain groups of people such as newborns or growing children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and the elderly and people with digestive tract disorders, liver diseases, chronic illnesses are more at risk.
Our intake is almost exclusively through diet.
The consequences of fat-soluble vitamin deficiency depend on the specific vitamin which is lacking. For example a combination of eye disease and immunity impairments in the case of vitamin A deficiency or osteopenia (bone thinning) in the case of vitamin E deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalacia, muscular weakness leading to falls, and eventually rickets.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of a deficiency in one of the fat-soluble vitamins relies on blood tests which are not normally part of a routine test but can be done at GP Care Now.
So, if you are worried about being deficient in any of these vitamins, make an appointment today and speak to one of our experts.