Guide to Your Daily Dose of Vitamins

Vitamins are an essential nutrient that we require daily in order to stay and feel healthy. However, we rarely have an idea about which food and what vitamin our body is lacking. So, to get an idea about the vitamins you need daily and the foods you need, read further.

Here’s a list of Vitamins you need daily:

1. Vitamin A or Retinol

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin crucial to our health and it has numerous important functions in the body. Firstly, it helps you to see. Vitamin A is important for vision as it supports the conjunctival membranes and cornea. It also helps in the normal growth and health of the body cells, hence it keeps your skin and the lining of certain parts of the body healthy.

2. Vitamin B1 or Thiamin

This vitamin plays a crucial role in metabolism — it helps the body’s cells transform carbohydrates into energy. Thiamin is also beneficial for muscle contraction and sending nerve signals.

Food sources of thiamin are whole grains, meat, and fish. There are a lot of products packed with Vitamin B1 like white rice, breakfast cereals, and bread.

3. Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin

This vitamin is an essential element of cellular function, energy production, growth, and development. It helps in the release of energy from proteins, too.

Eggs, lean meats, organ meats (kidneys and liver), and milk are especially rich in riboflavin. Green vegetables and mushrooms are rich sources of Vitamin B2.

 4. Vitamin B3 or Vitamin PP or Niacin

Niacin is produced and used by our body to turn food into energy. It helps keep your nervous, digestive system, and skin healthy.

Most people get an ample amount of niacin from the food they consume. Foods rich in niacin are meat, fish, green vegetables, milk, eggs, and cereal grains. Vitamin B3 is produced in the body from tryptophan, which is present in high-protein foods, too.

5. Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid helps release energy from food. It’s also needed for making fatty acids and making hormones and cholesterol.

Vitamin B5 can be found in almost all meats, vegetables, and even mushrooms. One raw avocado contains 40% of Vitamin B5.

6. Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine

This vitamin supports your immune system in generating antibodies and hemoglobin. Antibodies are elements that fight several diseases and inflammations. Hemoglobin transports oxygen in red blood cells to tissues.

The richest sources of Vitamin B6 are fish, organ meats, starchy vegetables like potatoes, and fruits excluding citrus fruits. Vitamin B6 deficiency is rarely found as it is widely available in foods. It is made by a bacterium in your body’s small intestine.

7. Vitamin B7 or Biotin

Your body requires biotin to metabolize fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose. Biotin supports your genes and DNA in working properly as well.

Most biotin in foods is bound to protein, however, certain dietary biotin is in its free form. This vitamin is generated by bacteria in your gut.

8. Vitamin B9 or Folic acid

It helps the body produce healthy new cells, hence, is very crucial when a woman is preparing for pregnancy and even when she is pregnant. Getting adequate folic acid can avoid major birth defects in the fetus’ brain or spine. Men should get an ample amount of folate too. It’s maybe involved in sperm production, too.

Foods with folic acid in them are leafy green vegetables, dried beans, fruits, peas, and nuts. Fruits packed with folate are oranges, bananas, lemons, strawberries, and melons. For example, a half cup of boiled spinach contains 33% of your suggested daily intake.

9. Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin

Vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in red blood cell formation, nerve function, cell metabolism, and the generation of DNA. The human body is can store enough vitamin B12 for many years, so Vitamin B12 deficiency is rare. Although, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you may be prone to deficiency as plant foods don’t have Vitamin B12.

Most people get an ample amount of Vitamin B12 from their daily diet. It is naturally present in fish, poultry, eggs, meat, milk, and milk products.

10. Vitamin C or Ascorbic acid

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. It is essential for normal growth, repairing and maintaining cartilage, healing wounds, bones, and teeth. Humans are not capable of synthesizing and storing vitamin C, so it is a crucial component of our daily diet. Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, helps the body reduce damage caused by free radicals. 106% of your daily recommended value is in one small red bell pepper.

You can even take daily supplements of Vitamin C like EvaFizz’s Vitamin C effervescent tablets. They are packed with the goodness of Vitamin C and Ashwagandha.

 

 

 11. Vitamin D

Vitamin D aids in regulating the amount of phosphate and calcium that are required to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. Vitamin D has other roles in the body, like the modulation of cell growth, reducing inflammation, and, neuromuscular and immune function.

There are not too many foods that include Vitamin D. The flesh of fatty fish, including salmon, mackerel, tuna, and fish liver oils are the best sources in the regular diet. But Vitamin D can also be generated by ultraviolet rays when they touch the skin.

Most bodies can make enough Vitamin D from being out in the sun daily even for a shorter time.

12. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is the common name for a group of fat-soluble compounds with antioxidant activities. It aids in maintaining healthy skin and eyes, and it fortifies the immune system to fight against diseases and infections.

Several foods include Vitamin E like vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, and leafy greens are rich sources of Vitamin E.

13. Vitamin K

Vitamin K helps in blood clotting, so it’s extremely crucial for healing wounds. Vitamin K helps your body by producing proteins for healthy bones and tissues.

There are different categories of Vitamin K. Most people get Vitamin K from green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and some fruits. One cup of raw spinach includes 121% of your daily suggested intake, a half cup of boiled broccoli includes 92% and a half cup of roasted soybeans has 36%. Bacteria in your gut also yield small amounts of another form of Vitamin K.

In simple terms, these tiny nutrients have a huge impact. Ensure to get your fill of these vitamins in your daily diet. Your body will thank you for it!