Vitamins

 

Each of the vitamins listed below has an important job in the body. A vitamin deficiency occurs when you do not get enough of a certain vitamin. Vitamin deficiency can cause health problems.

Not eating enough fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains and fortified dairy foods may increase your risk for health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and poor bone health (osteoporosis).

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Eat: milkproducts, meat, egg, leafy greens, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, fish, roots, grains, fruits, oils

 

have goats for meat and milk products

have quail for meat and eggs

have a greenhouse for growing vegetables, roots and herbs and spices

have fruit trees

have nut trees

make olive oil

have beans plants

have peas plants

buy lentils

buy sardines

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Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin.

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• Dark-colored fruits

• Dark leafy vegetables

• Egg yolk

• Fortified milk and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, butter, and cream)

• Liver, beef, and fish

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Thiamine (vitamin B1): helps the body cells change carbohydrates into energy. Getting enough carbohydrates is very important during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is also essential for heart function and healthy nerve cells.

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• Dried milk

• Egg

• Enriched bread and flour

• Lean meats

• Legumes (dried beans)

• Nuts and seeds

• Organ meats

• Peas

• Whole grains

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Riboflavin (vitamin B2): works with the other B vitamins. It is important for body growth and the production of red blood cells.

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• Dairy milk.

• Yogurt.

• Cheese.

• Eggs.

• Lean beef and pork.

• Organ meats (beef liver)

• Chicken breast.

• Salmon.

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Niacin is a B3: vitamin that helps maintain healthy skin and nerves. It also has cholesterol-lowering effects at higher doses.

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• Avocado

• Eggs

• Enriched breads and fortified cereals

• Fish (tuna and salt-water fish)

• Lean meats

• Legumes

• Nuts

• Potato

• Poultry

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Choline B4: helps in normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Lack of choline can cause swelling in liver.

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• meat 

• fish

• dairy

• eggs

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Pantothenic Vitamin B5: acid is essential for the metabolism of food. It also plays a role in the production of hormones and cholesterol.

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• Avocado

• Broccoli, kale, and other vegetables in the cabbage family

• Eggs

• Legumes and lentils

• Milk

• Mushroom

• Organ meats

• Poultry

• White and sweet potatoes

• Whole-grain cereals

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Vitamin B6 / Pyridoxine: is also called. Vitamin B6 helps form red blood cells and maintain brain function. This vitamin also plays an important role in the proteins that are part of many chemical reactions in the body. The more protein you eat the more pyridoxine your body requires.

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• Avocado

• Banana

• Legumes (dried beans)

• Meat

• Nuts

• Poultry

• Whole grains (milling and processing removes a lot of this vitamin)

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Vitamin B7 / B8 / Biotin / Vitamin H: is essential for the metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates, and in the production of hormones and cholesterol.

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• Chocolate

• Cereal

• Egg yolk

• Legumes

• Milk

• Nuts

• Organ meats (liver, kidney)

• Yeast

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Vitamin B9 / B11 / Folate: works with vitamin B12 to help form red blood cells. It is needed for the production of DNA, which controls tissue growth and cell function. Any woman who is pregnant should be sure to get enough folate. Low levels of folate are linked to birth defects such as spina bifida. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid.

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• Asparagus and broccoli

• Beets

• Brewer's yeast

• Dried beans (cooked pinto, navy, kidney, and lima)

• Fortified cereals

• Green, leafy vegetables (spinach and romaine lettuce)

• Lentils

• Oranges and orange juice

• Peanut butter

• Wheat germ

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Vitamin B12, like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism. It also helps form red blood cells and maintain the central nervous system.

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• Beef, liver, and chicken.

• Fish and shellfish such as trout, salmon, tuna fish, and clams.

• Fortified breakfast cereal.

• Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.

• Eggs

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Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant that promotes healthy teeth and gums. It helps the body absorb iron and maintain healthy tissue. It is also essential for wound healing.

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• Broccoli

• Brussels sprouts

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Citrus fruits

• Potatoes

• Spinach

• Strawberries

• Tomatoes and tomato juice

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Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin," since it is made by the body after being in the sun. Ten to 15 minutes of sunshine 3 times a week is enough to produce the body's requirement of vitamin D for most people at most latitudes. People who do not live in sunny places may not make enough vitamin D. It is very hard to get enough vitamin D from food sources alone. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. You need calcium for the normal development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. It also helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.

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• Fish (fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and orange roughy)

• Fish liver oils (cod liver oil)

• Fortified cereals

• Fortified milk and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, butter, and cream)

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Vitamin E is an antioxidant also known as tocopherol. It helps the body form red blood cells and use vitamin K.

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• Avocado

• Dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and turnip greens)

• Margarine (made from safflower, corn, and sunflower oil)

• Oils (safflower, corn, and sunflower)

• Papaya and mango

• Seeds and nuts

• Wheat germ and wheat germ oil

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Vitamin K is needed because without it, blood would not stick together (coagulate). Some studies suggest that it is important for bone health.

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• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Cereals

• Dark green vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus)

• Dark leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, collards, and turnip greens)

• Fish, liver, beef, and eggs

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Carnitine helps the body to change fatty acids into energy.

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