Vitamins!

How many of you have heard of vitamins?! Ok, awesome! Now how many of you know what each vitamin is for and how can you get it from food? That's what I thought… I didn’t really understand vitamins until I decided to sit down, research, take notes and learn about them! Now I am going to share this information with you! I found most of my data and research from my text book, “Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies” by authors Whitney and Sizer. *You can find this text book at a college bookstore or on Amazon (where I found it) if you would like more information.

Now…. onto vitamins!!!

What is a vitamin? According to the definition, a vitamin is “an essential, non caloric, organic nutrient needed in tiny amounts in the diet. The vitamins fall into two categories, fat soluble and water soluble. Solubility is basically how they are absorbed into and transported around by the bloodstream.

Fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K.

Water soluble vitamins are C and B vitamins.

Vitamin A: its chief functions are vision, maintenance of the cornea, skin, bone, tooth growth, reproduction, immunity, and helps the mucous membranes. You can obtain vitamin A from foods such as fortified milk, carrots, baked sweet potato, cooked spinach, beef liver, cooked bok choy and apricots.

Vitamin D: It helps with the mineralization of bones and teeth by raising blood calcium and phosphorus by increasing absorption from the digestive tract, withdrawing calcium from bones and stimulating retention by kidneys. You can find vitamin D in enriched cereal, sardines (yuck!), salmon, mackerel, sunlight, fortified milk, and tuna.

Vitamin E: This is an antioxidant that protects cell membranes, regulates oxidation reactions, and protects polyunsaturated fatty acids. You can find vitamin E in safflower oil, wheat germ, mayonnaise, canola oil, apples, shrimp, peanuts, cheddar cheese, whole wheat bread and sunflower seeds.

Vitamin K: helps with the synthesis of blood clotting proteins and bone proteins. Good sources of vitamin K in food are cabbage, steamed spinach, soybeans, cauliflower, canola oil, and salad greens.

Vitamin C: C plays a role in collagen synthesis which strengthens blood vessel walls, forms scar tissue, provides matrix for bone growth, is an antioxidant, restores vitamin E to active form, supports immune system and boosts iron absorption. You can find vitamin K in sweet red pepper, orange juice, green pepper, broccoli, strawberries, grapefruit, sweet potato, brussels sprouts, and cooked bok choy.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): This is part of a coenzyme active in energy metabolism. Good sources of B1 are enriched pasta, wheat bagel, sunflower seeds, baked potato, black beans, green peas, apple, fat free milk, oatmeal, summer squash, apples, pork chop, or a waffle.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): another part of a coenzyme which is active in energy metabolism. Good sources of B2 are found in beef liver, cottage cheese, enriched cereal, yogurt, milk, pork chop, mushrooms, and cooked spinach.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin): another part of a coenzyme needed in energy metabolism. You can find niacin in chicken breast, pork chop, baked potato, tuna, enriched cereal, and mushrooms.

Vitamin B12: this is part of coenzymes needed in new cell synthesis and it helps to maintain nerve cells. Food sources for B12 are chicken liver, sardines, tuna, swiss cheese, enriched cereal, pork roast, cottage cheese and sirloin steak.

Vitamin B6: is part of a coenzyme needed in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism and it helps convert tryptophan to niacin and to serotonin. Also it plays a role in making hemoglobin for red blood cells. You can find B6 in foods such as beef liver, baked potato, chicken breast, cooked spinach, cooked sweet potato, and a banana.

You are also able to buy certain supplements in a pill form but I would advise to consult with your doctor or physician so you are not taking too much of any vitamin.

Feel free to print this out or save it so you have this list of vitamins and their functions to keep on hand or in your kitchen!