Vitamins are critical to keeping the body functioning properly, feeling good and preventing disease. Between a balanced diet and a high quality vitamin supplement, you should be able to get the level of vitamins your body needs to run at optimum capacity. Certain groups of people, such as pregnant women, nursing mothers, athletes or people who have bone loss from osteoporosis, may need higher doses of certain vitamins.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is necessary to maintain the skin, eyes, hair, respiratory system and bones. It also helps protect the respiratory tract from infections, and it helps with proper cell division. Not getting enough vitamin A may cause eyesight problems, breathing issues and hair loss. The best sources of vitamin A are in egg yolk, whole milk, butter, oranges, cantaloupe, carrots and green, leafy vegetables.
B Vitamins
The B vitamins affect every part of the body. B1, or thiamine, is necessary for growth and the breakdown of carbohydrates. It is found in egg yolk, most fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts. B2, or riboflavin, is necessary for cell growth. It can be found in eggs, milk, green vegetables, meat and liver. B6, or niacin, is necessary for the skin, digestive system and brain function. You can get it in meat, chicken, turkey, liver and green vegetables. B12, or biotin and folic acid, prevents anemia and neurological disorders. Wheat cereals, leafy, green vegetables, beef, veal and organ meats contain B12.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important to form and maintain the connective tissues. Without a sufficient amount of vitamin C, you may experience scurvy. Good sources of vitamin C are most citrus fruits and juices, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage and onions.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D works by helping the body absorb calcium and phosphorus. Not getting enough vitamin D may cause rickets and tooth loss. It also helps with muscle function. Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but it can be found in fortified milk, egg yolk, salmon and some fish oils, such as cod liver oil.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E aids in healing scars. It also serves as an antioxidant, helps prevent heart attacks by preventing plaque from adhering to artery walls and may help slow various forms of dementia. Good sources of vitamin E are soybeans, safflower oil, corn oil, wheat germ and many nuts.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is needed for clotting blood, calcium absorption into the bones and minimizing or preventing kidney stones from forming. It is in oats, rye, alfalfa and some fats.
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