Like many things we consume, vitamins play an essential role in our overall health, as long as it is done in moderation.
Most of us remember our parents telling us to eat our greens and take our vitamin. But whether you’re still a kid or already an adult, vitamins are still needed for the body to stay healthy and function correctly.
Here is our Vital Vitamins Dictionary, where you can refer to whenever you want to know which vitamin does what:
VITAMIN A
Benefit: helps keep teeth, tissue, membranes, and skin healthy; extremely important for eye sight, very important for breast-feeding mothers as well.
Source: fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and fortified dairy products (eggs, fortified milk, liver, oils of some fish; orange, red, and yellow fruits and vegetables, especially in dark-green leafy vegetables (carrots, broccoli, spinach, pumpkin and squashes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe)
Deficiency may cause: rough, dry, or pimply skin, digestive problems, lowered resistance to infections, problems with becoming pregnant, poor growth, improper tooth formation, night blindness, eye disease.
VITAMIN B
There are actually eight separate vitamins in the B family: thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic.
Benefit: B vitamins increase energy levels, regulate metabolism, and help create new red blood cells.
Source: meats, fish, liver, dark/leafy vegetables, whole-grains, and fortified products (meats, fish, whole grains, peas, beans, nuts, eggs, fortified breads and cereals.)
Deficiency may cause: fatigue, dizziness, convulsions, mouth sores, nausea, nervousness.
VITAMIN B12
Benefit: helps the body make red blood cells, maintain the nervous system, digest and use fats, carbohydrates, and some proteins for energy and form the neurotransmitters in the brain.
Source: animal foods, fortified foods, and some fermented foods like: eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, soy.
Deficiency may cause: anemia, fatigue, very sensitive skin, nerve damage such as tingling sensations and numbness, muscle and nerve paralysis.
VITAMIN C
Benefit: build and maintain healthy bones, teeth, gums, red blood cells, and blood vessels, heal wounds, bruises, and fractures and protect from infection by keeping the immune system healthy.
Source: orange juice, grapefruit, tangerines, melons, oranges, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, sweet green and red peppers, unpeeled potatoes, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, Cabbage and dark green leafy vegetables.
Deficiency may cause: inflamed gums, slow wound healing, stomach disorders, reduced resistance to colds and infections, skin problems.
VITAMIN D
Benefit: helps build strong and healthy bones and teeth.
Source: While foods such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and fortified products contain vitamin D, the body largely produces this substance from sun rays absorbed through the skin.
Deficiency may cause: osteoporosis, diseases such as colon, breast, and prostate cancers.
VITAMIN E
Benefit: involved with immune system, DNA, and metabolism maintenance; may protect against heart disease and cancer and improves the way the body uses vitamin A.
Source: unsaturated fats, such as vegetable oils such as: avocados, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, and whole grain. Green leafy vegetables have smaller amounts. sunflower, safflower, canola, olive, and wheat germ oils.
Deficiency may cause: osteoporosis, diseases such as colon, breast, and prostate cancers.
