Your body requires small amounts of 13 distinct vitamins to function correctly. Different types of food provide the vitamins, which fall into two categories: fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and water-soluble B vitamins and vitamin C. Your body absorbs fat-soluble vitamins through fat tissue and stores them in fat tissue and your liver, and it absorbs water-soluble vitamins through water before they leave your body in urine.
Vitamin A
Also referred to as retinol, vitamin A is a multipurpose nutrient that enables your eyes to see in different levels of light and your bones and teeth to develop properly. It also helps your eyes, skin and tissue lining your lungs, mouth, nose and throat maintain sufficient moisture and remain healthy. Although animal products such as dairy foods and liver are the main natural sources of vitamin A, certain fruits and plants including carrots, mangoes and sweet potatoes contain the antioxidant compound called beta-carotene, which your body is capable of transforming to vitamin A.
B Vitamins
The B group of vitamins consists of eight separate nutrients: vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12, folate or folic acid, biotin and pantothenic acid. The first three nutrients are alternatively called thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Together, the B-complex vitamins contribute to the formation of red blood cells, promote the health of your nervous system and skin, protect your eyesight and help your body process food for energy. The vitamins occur in many types of food, including beans, dairy products, fish, fortified cereals and grain products, fruit, meat, nuts, poultry and vegetables.
Vitamin C
Famous for its strong association with citrus fruits and the popular beverage orange juice, vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is found in various fruits and vegetables such as berries, grapefruit, melons, bell peppers, broccoli and spinach. The vitamin's functions range from boosting your immune system to improving cell health to helping wounds heal. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that may decrease the risk of medical conditions including cancer and heart disease, notes Colorado State University.
Vitamin D
The principal role of vitamin D is increasing your body's efficient use of calcium and phosphorus. Since both minerals are critical for strong bones and teeth, consuming sufficient vitamin D is especially important during childhood when children are still growing. Your skin is actually capable of producing the vitamin after exposure to sunlight, but certain foods are good sources also, including fatty or oily fish such as salmon and tuna, as well as fortified dairy and grain products.
Vitamin E
Another antioxidant, vitamin E primarily protects and promotes the health of cells, particularly their membranes. The main sources of the nutrient are fruits, nuts, vegetables and vegetable oil. In fact, the source of over half of the vitamin E in an average person's diet is vegetable oil and products containing such fat, points out Colorado State University.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K contributes to healthy bones and the formation of blood clots when needed. Although intestinal bacteria produce some vitamin K, common food sources of the nutrient include green vegetables and vegetable cooking oils such as canola, cottonseed, olive and soybean varieties. As with all of the vitamins that people need to survive, the best way to get adequate amounts -- and avoid consuming too much -- is to eat many kinds of nutritious food rather than rely on dietary supplements.
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