Your body needs vitamins to function, grow and heal properly. Here are the 13 essential vitamins you should be taking every day: vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6, B12, and folate).
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient, which means that it can be absorbed and stored with fat. It can be found in animal products and fish oils, as well as in fruits, vegetables, and some milk. Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin, eyes, immune system, bone growth, and reproduction. It also protects against infection and helps prevent cancer.
As with most other vitamins, you can get adequate levels of vitamin A from a well-balanced diet. There are two main forms of vitamin A, retinol and provitamin A carotenoids. Retinol is commonly found in liver and eggs, while carotenoids are typically found in colorful fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach. However, some people need more than the average amount, so a supplement may be recommended to boost your level of vitamin A in the event you are lacking it from your daily food intake.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. This vitamin helps protect your body’s cells from free radicals, which can cause cell damage. It also boosts your immune system and iron absorption. A deficiency in vitamin C can lead to scurvy, which is characterized by weakness, anemia, bruising, bleeding, and loose teeth.
It’s essential to get vitamin C from dietary sources since the human body is unable to synthesize it on its own. The best sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and beans. These are all high in vitamin C and are easy to incorporate into your daily diet.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that helps your body absorb calcium and phosphate. It also promotes healthy bones, teeth, and muscle function. It can help also prevent rickets in children and osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults.
Vitamin D deficiency is common and can cause a variety of health problems, including low bone mineral density. Symptoms can include bowed or curved bones, weaker muscles, and joints, swollen and painful joints, bone pain, and even heart disease.
Getting adequate sunlight is the best way to get the vitamin D your body needs. Most people need to spend a few minutes in the sun several times a week to reach an optimal level of 25(OH)D, which is the active form of the vitamin. You can also consume foods that contain vitamin D, such as fatty fish and fortified milk products.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E, also known as alpha-tocopherol, is a fat-soluble nutrient that helps protect your brain, eyes, and immune system. It’s also an antioxidant that prevents oxidative stress and plays a role in cellular signaling. This essential nutrient may lower your risk for heart disease, improve cognitive function and even protect against some cancers. It’s also important for healthy skin and has been shown to scavenge free radicals that contribute to signs of ageing such as fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots.
It’s important to get enough vitamin E in your diet, as a deficiency can cause problems like nerve and muscle damage, vision disorders, and kidney diseases. You can get this nutrient from foods and dietary supplements.
If you take vitamin E regularly, you should check with your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you. Overdoses can lead to severe health complications, including bleeding, fatigue, nausea, and blurred vision. Moreover, you should avoid consuming it if you are taking medications that affect blood clotting such as anticoagulants and antiplatelets.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that helps blood clot properly, maintains bone health, and prevents cancer. Adequate intake of this fat-soluble vitamin is important for people to avoid deficiency, and most individuals can get adequate amounts from a well-balanced diet.
It’s thought that vitamin K deficiency may play a role in osteoarthritis, a common condition that causes joint pain and fractures. A few observational studies have linked a higher dietary vitamin K intake with lower risk of this disease, but long-term controlled trials are needed to confirm this. If you are at high risk for developing osteoarthritis, consider taking a vitamin K supplement to boost your levels.
The vitamin K family consists of two major subtypes, vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and vitamin K2 (menaquinones). Ingestion of both forms of the vitamin can lead to a range of health benefits, from normal blood clotting to bone and heart health. Phylloquinone is the major form of vitamin K found in green leafy vegetables and plant oils such as soybean, canola, olive, and cottonseed. Ingesting these foods along with some fat can improve the body’s ability to absorb phylloquinone, particularly when consumed at the same time as a meal that contains fatty substances like cheese or nuts. Menaquinones are found in many fermented foods and are also derived from natto (fermented soy products).
The B Vitamins
B vitamins, which make up eight of the essential vitamins that we need every day, help the body convert food into energy (metabolism), and aid in the formation of red blood cells. They also maintain healthy skin, brain, and nervous system function.
If you don’t have enough of vitamin B12 (cobalamin), your energy levels may sag and you might feel fatigued. Or if you have a deficiency in folate, also called folic acid, you might develop sores on your mouth or a swollen tongue. Another common symptom is anemia, which occurs when the body doesn’t have enough healthy blood cells. This can cause fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
You can get your daily B-vitamins from a wide variety of foods. Proteins, vegetables, and dairy products all contain them. And while most people get adequate amounts of B vitamins by eating a healthy, varied diet, some conditions can increase the risk of vitamin B deficiency. For example, those who have been on proton pump inhibitors (for example, heartburn medication) for a long time or who consume excessive alcohol can have problems with vitamin B absorption. In the event where you’re not getting enough of them, you may need to take a supplement.