Vitamins

Chemical names:

• Retinol
• Retinal
• “The four Carotenoids,” including beta carotene

Fat-soluble

Function:

• Essential for eye health

Deficiency

• May cause night blindness and keratomalacia, which causes the clear front layer of the eye to grow dry and cloudy.

Food sources:

• Liver
• Cod liver oil
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes
• Butter
• Kale
• Spinach
• Pumpkins
• Collard greens
• Some cheeses
• Eggs
• Apricots
• Cantaloupe melon
• Milk

Chemical names:

• Thiamine

Water-soluble

Function:

The heart, liver, kidney, and brain all contain high amounts of thiamin. The body needs thiamin for:

• Essential for producing various enzymes that help break down blood sugar.
• Breaking down sugar (carbohydrate) molecules from food creating certain neurotransmitters (brain chemicals)
• Producing fatty acids
• Synthesizing certain hormones

Deficiency

• weight loss
• little or no appetite
• memory problems or confusion
• heart problems
• tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
• loss of muscle mass
• poor reflexes

Food sources:

• Yeast
• Pork
• Cereal grains
• Sunflower seeds
• Nuts
• Brown rice
• Whole grains
• Fortified bread
• Pasta
• Asparagus
• Kale
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes
• Oranges
• Liver
• Eggs
• Trout
• Mussels
• Black beans
• Soybeans
• Acorn squash

Chemical names:

• Riboflavin

Water-soluble

Function:

• Essential for the growth and development of body cells and helps metabolize food.
• Energy production
• Break down fats, drugs, and steroid hormones
• Converting tryptophan into niacin (vitamin B-3)
• Converting vitamin B-6 into a coenzyme that the body needs

Deficiency

• skin disorders
• sores at the corners of the mouth
• swelling of the mouth and throat
• swollen, cracked lips
• hair loss
• red, itchy eyes

Severe riboflavin deficiency can lead to anemia and cataracts, and higher risk of certain birth defects during pregnancy.

Food sources:

• Asparagus
• Bananas
• Persimmons
• Okra
• Chard
• Cottage cheese
• Fortified cereals
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
• Organ meats
• Eggs
• Fish
• Green beans
• Mushrooms
• Almonds

Chemical names:

• Niacin
• Niacinamide.

Water-soluble

Function:

The body converts niacin into a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is a necessary part of more than 400 different enzyme reactions in the body, the highest of all vitamin-derived coenzymes. These enzymes help with:

• The body needs niacin for the cells to grow and work correctly.
• Changing the energy in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into a form the body can use
• Metabolic processes in the body’s cells
• Communication among cells
• Expression of DNA in cells

Deficiency

Severe niacin deficiency leads to pellagra, which may cause:

• Brown discoloration on skin exposed to sunlight
• Patches of skin with a rough appearance
• A bright red tongue
• Vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Depression

If pellagra goes untreated, it can lead to severe memory problems, behavioral changes, and suicidal behavior. It may also lead to an extreme loss of appetite or death.

Food sources:

• Animal-based foods are high in NAD, which the body can easily use.
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Tuna
  • Salmon
  • Milk
  • Eggs

• Plant-based foods contain a natural form of niacin that the body cannot use as easily. However, manufacturers add niacin to foods that the body can easily use.
  • Tomatoes
  • Leafy vegetables
  • Legumes
  • Broccoli
  • Grains
  • Cereals
  • Carrots
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Tofu
  • Lentils

Chemical names:

• Pantothenic acid

Water-soluble

Function:

Red blood cells carry pantothenic acid throughout the body so it can use the nutrient in a variety of processes for energy and metabolism.

• Necessary for producing energy and hormones.
• Create new coenzymes, proteins, and fats.

Deficiency

• Paresthesia, or “pins and needles.”
• Numbness and burning of the hands and feet
• Headache
• Irritability
• Restlessness and poor sleep
• Lack of appetite

Food sources:

• Beef liver
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Sunflower seeds
• Chicken
• Tuna
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Whole grains
• Broccoli
• Avocados
• Yogurt

Chemical names:

• Pyridoxine
• Pyridoxamine
• Pyridoxal

Water-soluble

Function:

• Plays a role in more than 100 enzyme reactions
• Vital for the formation of red blood cells
• Amino acid metabolism
• Breaking down carbohydrates and fats
• Brain development
• Immune function

Deficiency

Many deficiencies in vitamin B-6 are linked to low levels of vitamin B-12.

• Anemia
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Scaling on the lips
• Cracks at corners of the mouth
• Swollen tongue
• Weakened immune system
• Confusion
• Depression

Food sources:

• Chickpeas
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Poultry
• Potatoes
• Fortified cereals
• Beef liver
• Bananas
• Squash
• Nuts

Chemical names:

• Biotin

Water-soluble

Function:

• Enables body to metabolize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
• Contributes to keratin, a structural protein in the skin, hair, and nails
• Communication among cells in the body
• Regulation of DNA

There is not sufficient evidence to conclude that taking biotin supplements helps with hair, skin, or nails.

Deficiency

• Hair thinning
• Scaly rash around eyes, nose, and mouth
• Brittle nails
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Inflammation of the intestines

Food sources:

• Egg yolk
• Liver
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Cheese
• Organ meats
• Salmon
• Pork
• Beef
• Sunflower seeds

Chemical names:

• Folic acid
• Folinic acid

The natural form of vitamin B-9 is called folate. Folic acid, which is present in fortified foods and some supplements, is a synthetic form of the vitamin.

Water-soluble

Function:

• Essential for making DNA and RNA
• Metabolism of vitamins
• Metabolism of amino acids
• Proper cell division

Deficiency

Since most people cannot take in enough leafy green vegetables for the levels needed in pregnancy, the CDC suggests that women of reproductive age to take 400 mcg of folic acid each day, alongside eating a varied diet that contains folate before and during pregnancy.

Deficiencies can affect the fetus’s brain and spinal cord during pregnancy.

• Weakness
• Headache
• Heart palpitations
• Irritability
• Sores on the tongue or in the mouth
• Skin, hair, or nail changes

Taking more than 1,000 mcg of folic acid each day can mask symptoms of a vitamin B-12 deficiency. This can cause permanent nerve damage.

Food sources:

The FDA require manufacturers to add folic acid to standardized enriched grain products to help reduce the risk of neural tube defects.

• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Peas
• Legumes
• Beef liver
• Fortified breads & cereals
• Sunflower seeds
• Fruits
• Avocado
• Papaya
• Orange juice
• Eggs
• Nuts

Chemical names:

• Cyanocobalamin
• Hydroxocobalamin
• Methylcobalamin

Vitamin B-12 contains the mineral cobalt and is sometimes called a “cobalamin.”

Water-soluble

Function:

• Essential for a healthy nervous system
• Creating new red blood cells
• DNA synthesis
• Brain and neurological function
• Fat and protein metabolism

Deficiency

People who do not eat animal products or pregnant women may need to get vitamin B-12 from supplements or fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast.

• Neurological problems
• Megaloblastic anemia
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite
• Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• Memory problems
• Depression

Food sources:

• Salmon
• Shellfish
• Beef
• Beef liver
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Milk
• Dairy products
• Fortified cereals
• Fortified soy products
• Fortified nutritional yeast

Chemical names:

• Ascorbic acid

Water-soluble

Function:

• Contributes to collagen production
• Wound healing
• Bone formation
• Strengthens blood vessels
• Supports the immune system
• Helps the body absorb iron
• Acts as an antioxidant

Deficiency

• Scurvy, which causes bleeding gums
• Loss of teeth
• Poor tissue growth and wound healing

Food sources:

• Fruits
• Vegetables

Cooking destroys vitamin C

Chemical names:

• Ergocalciferol
• Cholecalciferol

Fat-soluble

Function:

• Necessary for the healthy mineralization of bone

Deficiency

• Rickets
• Osteomalacia, or softening of the bones

Food sources:

• Exposure to UVB rays from the sun or other sources
• Fatty fish
• Eggs
• Beef liver
• Mushrooms

Chemical names:

• Tocopherol
• Tocotrienol

Fat-soluble

Function:

• Antioxidant helping prevent oxidative stress (inflammation and various diseases)

Deficiency

• May cause rare hemolytic anemia in newborns, a condition that destroys blood cells

Food sources:

• Wheat germ
• Kiwi
• Almonds
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Leafy greens
• Vegetable oils

Chemical names:

• Phylloquinone
• Menaquinone

Fat-soluble

Function:

• Necessary for blood clotting

Deficiency

• Unusual susceptibility to bleeding, or bleeding diathesis

Food sources:

• Natto
• Leafy greens
• Pumpkins
• Figs
• Parsley