Vitamins

There are 13 vitamins that are necessary for your body.  You can normally get all the vitamins it needs from the foods you eat.  Your body can make its own vitamin D and vitamin K.  If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

All vitamins have a specific job to do in the body, and if you are deficient in any of them, you can develop a deficiency disease.  But, you need to remember that high doses of certain vitamins can make you sick too.

Vitamin A - A group of compounds that aid in vision, bone growth, cell differentiation, cell division, and reproduction.  Vitamin A regulates the immune system to help fight infections by creating white blood cells to destroy bacteria and viruses.  Vitamin A helps lymphocytes fight infections more effectively.  Vitamin A also promotes healthy linings of the eyes, skin, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, urinary tract and intestinal tract which keeps bacteria from entering as easily and causing infections.

• Preformed vitamin A comes from animal-based foods.  It is absorbed in the form of retinol.  Retinol can be made into retinal and retinoic acid in the body.
• Preformed vitamin A is found in cheddar cheese, egg substitutes, beef liver, chicken liver, and milk.
• Provitamin A carotenoid is Vitamin A from colorful fruits and vegetables.  They can be made into retinol in the body.  Provitamin A carotenoids found in foods are beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin.  Beta-carotene is the easiest to make into retinol.  There are 563 carotenoids, but less than 10% can be converted into vitamin A in the body.  Some provitamin A carotenoids can function as antioxidants.
• Provitamin A carotenoid is found in apricots, apricot nectar, cantaloupe, carrots, carrot juice, kale, mango, oatmeal, papaya, peaches, peach juice, peas, red peppers, spinach, and tomato juice.
• Deficiency Disease: Rare in the U.S. Night blindness, lessened ability to fight infections such as pneumonia.

Vitamin C -

Vitamin D - Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in food, but your body can create it after exposure to sunlight.  Calciferol is the most active form of vitamin D.  Others are basically inactive in the body.  Vitamin D is converted in the liver and kidney and functions as a hormone.  It tells the intestines to absorb more calcium and phosphorus.  Vitamin D maintains the blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.  By promoting calcium absorption, vitamin D helps to create and maintain strong ones.  Vitamin D works with other vitamins, minerals and hormones to promote bone mineralization and to make bones strong.

• Vitamin D is found in fortified cereals, Swiss cheese, cod liver oil, eggs, beef liver, mackerel, margarine, milk, salmon, sardines, and tuna.
• Deficiency Disease: Rickets and osteomalacia.

Vitamin E - Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes in 8 forms.  Alpha-tocopherol is the most active form in humans and is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin E helps the immune system, aids in DNA repair and other metabolic processes.

• Vitamin E is found in almonds, broccoli, corn oil, hazelnuts, kiwi, mango, peanut butter, peanuts, soybean oil, spinach, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ oil.
• Deficiency Disease: Rare unless a person cannot absorb dietary fat, has a genetic abnormality in the transfer of proteins, or in premature infants.  People with Crohn's disease or Cystic Fibrosis may need a vitamin E supplement due to interference with normal digestion.

Vitamin K -

• Deficiency Disease:

Vitamin B

• Biotin
• Folate - A water-soluble B vitamin that is found naturally in foods.  Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and is added to fortified foods.
• Folate is found in asparagus, avocado, bananas, beef liver, dried beans, bread, broccoli, cantaloupe, eggs,  fortified cereals, fruits, Romaine lettuce, orange juice, oranges, papaya, dried peas, peanuts, spinach, tomato juice, turnip greens, white germ, and white rice.
• Deficiency Symptoms: Slow overall growth in infants and children, anemia in adults, and low birth weights or premature births in pregnant women.
• Niacin
• Pantothenic Acid
• Riboflavin
• Thiamine
• Vitamin B6 - A water-soluble vitamin that has 3 forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine.  Vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes used in protein metabolism and it is essential for red blood cell metabolism.  The immune and nervous system need B6 to work efficiently.  B6 is used in the conversion of tryptophan which is an amino acid into niacin which is a vitamin.
• Vitamin B6 is found in avocado, bananas, garbanzo beans, lima beans, roast beef, cereal, chicken breast, oatmeal, peanut butter, pork loin, baked potatoes, sockeye salmon, soybeans, spinach, sunflower seeds, tomato juice, rainbow trout, tuna, walnuts, wheat bran,
• Deficiency Symptoms: Rare in the U.S.  Dermatitis, depression, and convulsions.
• Vitamin B12 (cobalmin) - Helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells.  It is used to make DNA. 
  • B12 is found in sirloin beef, beef liver, chicken breast, clams, eggs, fortified cereals, haddock, cured ham, milk, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, white tuna, and yogurt.
  • People with Sprue, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or who have had surgery to remove part or all of the stomach may not be able to absorb enough vitamin B12 to maintain  a healthy level and may need to supplement their diet with B12.  This may be necessary in older people as well due to a larger population of intestinal bacteria makes absorption of B12 more difficult.  Strict vegetarians and vegans are at a greater risk of developing B12 deficiency, because natural food sources of vitamin B12 are only available in foods that come from animals.  Fortified cereals are an important dietary source for this reason.
  • Deficiency Symptoms: Anemia, constipation, depression, fatigue, numbness or tingling in hands and feet, reduced cognitive function,  and weight loss.