Quick Vitamin Guide & Food Sources

vegetable (1)‘Eat up your carrots – they’re good for your eyes’!  I’m sure we’ve all heard that saying as we were growing up.  But there are so many other wonderful sources of vitamin A that you may not be aware of.  Eating a diet rich in variety is the best way to keep our bodies healthy and getting all those nutrients that are necessary for health & growth.

We’ve put together a quick ready reference guide below to show benefits derived from particular vitamins and where they are naturally found.

VITAMINS BENEFITS NATURAL FOOD SOURCES
VITAMIN A
  • Eyesight
  • normal growth in children
  • healthy skin & mucous  membranes
  • resistance to infection
Beta-carotene from orange & green fruit and vegetables, carrots, dark green leafy veg: spinach, broccoli; pumpkin, apricot, rockmelon, pawpaw, mango. Retinol from liver, oily fish, butter, egg yolk, full-cream milk, cheese
VITAMIN B1
  • Carbohydrate metabolism
  • Normal appetite & digestion
  • Proper function of heart & nervous system
Brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, bran, whole grains, wholemeal flour, & bread, enriched cereals, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, soya products, lean meat, pork, peas, legumes
VITAMIN B2
  • Healthy skin & eyes
  • Metabolism of carbohydrate, protein & fat
Milk, cheese, yoghurt, yeast, yeast extract, meats, eggs, almonds, mushrooms, wholemeal flour and bread, green vegetables – spinach, parsley, broccoli
VITAMIN B3
  • Metabolism of carbohydrate, protein & fat
  • Essential for growth
  • Used therapeutically to lower cholesterol
Organ meats, brewer’s yeast, bran, peanuts, tuna, salmon, other fish, kidney, pulses, enriched cereals, eggs, vegetables, mushrooms, milk
VITAMIN B6
  • Metabolism of protein
  • Formation of red blood cells – prevents anaemia
Lean meat, liver, pork, poultry, fish: salmon, cod, soybeans, brewer’s yeast, wheatgerm, whole grains oatmeal, potatoes, banana, avocado, sunflower seeds, nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts
VITAMIN B12
  • Formation of red blood cells – prevents anaemia
  • Formation of nerve cells & DNA genetic material
  • Metabolism of carbohydrate & fat
organ meats, lean beef, fish: salmon, seafood, eggs, dairy foods, mushrooms, fortified yeast
FOLIC ACID
  • Formation of enzymes & red blood cells
  • Metabolism of DNA
Liver, brewers yeast, green leafy vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, peas, nuts, avocado, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, wheat germ, bran
BIOTIN
  • Metabolism of fat & protein
  • Growth,Nerve cells
Egg yolk, liver, kidney heart, oats, whole grains, pulses
PANTOTHENIC ACID
  • Metabolism of carbohydrate, fat & protein for energy
Pulses, nuts & seeds, eggs, vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, soybeans breads, cereals, brewers yeast, liver, fish: salmon, lean meat, whole grains
VITAMIN C
  • Healthy gums, teeth, & bones
  • Speeds wound healing & helps resist infection
  • Formation of collagen
  • a cementing material in blood vessels, bones & teeth
  • Assists iron absorption
Fruit & vegetables, citrus fruit & juices, guava, mango, capsicum, pawpaw, parsley, broccoli, brussel sprouts, bean sprouts, spinach, cabbage, pineapple, strawberries, berries, tomatoes, pineapple, rockmelon, green leafy vegetables
VITAMIN D
  • Strong bones & teeth
  • Absorption of calcium & phosphorus
Fish liver oils, oily fish, table margarine, butter, cheese, sunlight on skin
VITAMIN E
  • Acts as an antioxidant
  • Maintenance of healthy cell membranes
Wheat germ, vegetable oils, nuts, cold pressed veg oils, liver, polyunsaturated margarine, eggs, sunflower seeds, whole grains, fish, green vegetables
VITAMIN K
  • Normal blood clotting
Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, liver, eggs, cheese, whole meal flour and bread.

 

 

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