Your body needs 13 vitamins to perform its daily functions and develop normally, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. These vitamins include eight vitamins in the B complex--riboflavin, thiamine, pantothenic acid, biotin, niacin, vitamin B-12, folate and vitamin B-6, as well as vitamins A, C, D, E, K. Each of these vitamins performs a specific function in your body and to learn about their functions, benefits and sources, you must know where to look and what to look for. Becoming well-informed about vitamins will help you make better choices about what food you eat and what kind of supplements you may want to incorporate into your diet.
Step 1
Make a list of the vitamins you want to learn about first. You may have heard that a certain vitamin is good for eyesight or bone formation and want to learn more about it. Learning about vitamins with a narrow search like this will make the whole experience easier and less overwhelming. You may also want to approach learning about vitamins as a whole if you are planning on taking a multivitamin and want to know what each vitamin you are taking does for your health.
Step 2
Go to your local health food store or library and ask the librarian or store clerk to point out the best books she has available on vitamins. When considering a book, check the date of publication or reviews because scientific studies constantly evolve, and you want to obtain the most up-to-date information regarding vitamins and their benefits. Also check the credentials of the author of the book. Doctors and nutritional counselors often publish good books with useful information regarding vitamins, such as the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing--the A-to-Z Guide to Supplements" by nutritional counselor Phyllis Balch, or "Vitamin Bible for the 21st Century" by Dr. Earl Mindell.
Step 3
Research information on vitamins online through reliable sources, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration article "Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins," or through Harvard University's School of Public Health website.
Step 4
Ask your primary care doctor to give you information regarding the vitamins in which you are interested. Many times, doctors have printouts with valuable information regarding vitamins and their benefits, or they can simply sit down and talk with you about vitamins and suggest further resources for your learning.
References
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Vitamins
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-to-Z Guide to Supplements"; Phyllis Balch; 2002
- "Vitamin Bible for the 21st Century"; Dr. Earl Mindell; 1999
- FDA: Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins
- Harvard School of Public Health: Vitamins
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