Vitamins are critically important to your health and are found in foods of all kinds. It’s important to understand their function, and how to ensure that you are getting enough of them in your diet.
What Are Vitamins?
Vitamins are nutrients that you need to keep your body functioning properly. They are found in plants and animals, which is why you need vegetables and meat in your diet.
There are two categories of vitamins – fat-soluble and water-soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body in fatty tissue and the liver, and can stay in the body for days to months.
Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored and leave the body when you urinate. This means that you need a more regular intake of water-soluble vitamins, which include vitamin C and all B vitamins.
Why Are Vitamins Important?
Vitamins are important to many functions in the body, including:
- Growth and development
- Immune system function
- Energy production
- Bone health
- Nervous system function
- Blood clotting
Vitamin deficiencies can lead to many symptoms and health issues, including:
- Fatigue and weakness
- Dry hair and skin
- Easy bruising and bleeding
- Depression
- Poor wound healing
- Higher risk of infections and infectious diseases
- Higher risk of broken bones
- Balance issues
- Poor night vision
- Irregular heartbeat
This list is not all-encompassing. Vitamin deficiencies can have a plethora of negative effects on the body.
The 13 Vitamins and Their Functions and Sources
Currently, there are 13 recognized vitamins, each with an essential function in the body.
- Vitamin A (fat-soluble): Necessary for eye health.
Found in:
- Orange, yellow, and green vegetables and fruits
- Leafy greens
- Dairy products
- Liver and meat
- Vitamin B1 (water-soluble): Helps the body to produce enzymes that break down blood sugar.
Found in:
- Whole grains
- Bananas and oranges
- Nuts
- Liver
- Vitamin B2 (water-soluble): Necessary for growth and development, and the metabolism of food.
Found in:
- Dairy
- Leafy greens
- Mushrooms
- Meats
- Vitamin B3 (water-soluble): Necessary for the growth and function of cells.
Found in:
- Meat and fish
- Eggs
- Potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Vitamin B5 (water-soluble): Necessary for energy and hormone production.
Found in:
- Chicken, beef, liver
- Eggs
- Avocado
- Broccoli, tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Vitamin B6 (water-soluble): Necessary for the formation of red blood cells.
Found in:
- Meat, poultry, and some fish
- Peanuts
- Soy products
- oats
- bananas, watermelon
- milk
- Vitamin B7 (water-soluble): Necessary for the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, and keeping the hair, skin, and nails healthy.
Found in:
- Whole grains
- Organ meat
- Fish
- Egg yolks
- Soybeans
- Vitamin B9 (water-soluble): Necessary for making DNA and RNA.
Found in:
- Liver
- Leafy greens
- Legumes
- Peas, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts
- Vitamin B12 (water-soluble): Necessary for nervous system health.
Found in:
- Meat and fish
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Vitamin C (water-soluble): Assists with collagen production, wound healing, bone formation, strong blood vessels, immune system function, iron absorption. It’s also an antioxidant.
Found in:
- Citrus fruits
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts
- Potatoes
- Vitamin D (fat-soluble): Necessary for healthy bones.
Found in:
- Fatty fish
- Fortified milk
- Egg yolks
- Sunlight
- Vitamin E (fat-soluble): Antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress which can lead to inflammation and disease.
Found in:
- Plant based oils
- Nuts
- Mangos, kiwi
- Avocadoes
- Spinach
- Vitamin K (fat-soluble): Necessary for blood clotting.
Found in:
- Leafy greens
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
Do I Need Vitamin Supplements?
A healthy, balanced diet should generally give you all the vitamins that you need, but supplements may be necessary if you are pregnant, vegan, or have certain medical conditions. You need to be careful using vitamin supplements. They can interfere with certain medications, and it is possible to get too much of some vitamins.
What About Minerals?
Minerals are also nutrients that the body needs, and originate in soil and water. Essential minerals, functions, and sources are as follows:
- Calcium: Essential for bone health, muscle, and nerve function, and blood clotting. Found in dairy foods, leafy greens, legumes.
- Iodine: Essential for growth and thyroid function. Found in seafood, seaweed, iodized salt, bread.
- Iron: Essential for red blood cell production, oxygen distribution around the body. Found in red meat, fish, poultry, whole grains, beans.
- Magnesium: Essential for energy and parathyroid function. Found in legumes, peas, beans, nuts, milk, whole grains.
- Potassium: Balances fluids in the body, aids in heart function. Found in leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, meat, fish, nuts, seeds.
- Zinc: Essential for wound healing, cell and enzyme production, processing fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Found in meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, dairy, breads.
Like vitamins, you should be able to get all the minerals you need from a healthy, balanced diet, but you may need supplements if you are pregnant, vegan, or have certain medical conditions.
In Closing
Understanding vitamins is important so that you get the nutrients that you need to stay healthy. If you need information about nutrition, or you want to find out if vitamin and mineral supplements are right for you, Health Service Alliance is here to help. We are dedicated to providing compassionate, personalized, and accessible care regardless of your ability to pay. Reach out today to learn more.
