Vitamins are organic compounds which are needed to sustain life. You get vitamins from food, because the human body either does not produce enough of them or none at all. An organic compound contains carbon. When an organism (living thing) cannot produce enough of an organic chemical compound that it needs in tiny amounts, and has to get it from food, it is called a vitamin. Vitamins play a vital role in the enzymatic processes of your body and a shortage of them in your diet can cause a host of wellness related problems.