Your body cannot produce its own vitamins, making it very important to receive adequate vitamins from your diet. Vitamins perform a variety of activities in your body, from regulating your metabolism to boosting immune system functioning. Carefully monitor your vitamin intake to ensure you do not become deficient in one or more nutrients, which can cause serious health problems.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports immune system activity, promotes cell development, and improves skin and eye health. Adult men need 900 micrograms of vitamin A per day, while women need 700 to 750 micrograms each day. Breastfeeding women should get at least 1,300 micrograms of vitamin A daily. To boost your vitamin A intake, eat fortified cereal, milk, eggs, liver, fish oils, or dark orange or green vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, papayas or mangoes.
Vitamin C
Teen boys and girls need 45 to 75 mg of vitamin C each day. Adult men require 90 mg, adult women need 75 mg, pregnant women need 80 to 85 mg and breastfeeding women must consume 120 mg of vitamin C daily. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and contributes to bone, tissue and blood vessel health. Good sources of vitamin C include tomatoes, berries, broccoli, spinach, oranges, grapefruits and bell peppers.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D, or calciferol, improves bone health and aids in calcium absorption. Your body manufactures vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight, but many people still need additional vitamin D through supplements. Teens and adults should get 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Adults above the age of 70 need 20 micrograms per day. Dairy products are fortified with vitamin D. Other sources of this vitamin include oily fish, liver and cod liver oil.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that maintains cell health. Adult men and women need 15 mg of vitamin E per day. Vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, avocados, whole-grain products, wheat germ and nuts contain high levels of vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Naturally-occurring bacteria in your large intestine produce vitamin K. The Institute of Medicine does not provide a recommended dietary allowance for vitamin K but suggests that 120 micrograms per day for men and 90 micrograms for women are adequate intakes of this micronutrient. Boost your vitamin K consumption by eating whole-grain cereal, vegetables and meat.
B Vitamins
Your body requires a number of B vitamins to function properly. You should get between 1.1 and 1.2 mg per day of thiamine, or vitamin B-1, for muscle and nervous system health. Men need 1.3 mg of riboflavin, or vitamin B-2, while women need 1.1 mg per day. Niacin, or vitamin B-3, helps your body convert food into usable energy. Men should receive 16 mg of niacin per day, while women need 14 mg. Protect your nervous system functioning by getting 1.3 to 1.7 mg of vitamin B-6 each day. Your body requires 400 micrograms of folate, or vitamin B-9, and 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 per day to create new blood cells.
Many cereals are fortified with essential B vitamins. Other sources include meat, poultry, yeast, dark green vegetables, bananas, dates, figs, dairy products, fish and whole-grain products.
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