Its ironic that the person least likely to need to take a vitamin supplement is the person most likely to take one.
- Five servings of different fruit and vegetables daily will ensure you get plenty of vitamins and minerals.
- Foods lose vitamins and minerals when they are cooked so it’s best to steam or poach fish and vegetables. Grilling or baking meat is better than frying.
- Choose fresh foods over processed and eat as soon as possible.
- If you’re worried about produce going off, tinned fruit and veg still contain vitamins and count towards your five a day.
- Frozen vegetables can contain more vitamins than fresh vegetables that have been stored a long time, just be sure not to overcook them.
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Vitamin A (retinol) properties |
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| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Eyesight, growth, appetite and taste. | Night-blindness. | 800 micrograms | Liver, fish-liver oil, carrots, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, enriched margarine, milk products, yellow fruits. | This vitamin is fat-soluble and so is stored in the body for a long time, especially in pregnancy. An overdose may be dangerous. | Fatty acids. |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamine) properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Nervous system, digestion, muscles, heart, alcohol-damaged nerve tissues. |
Tingling in fingers and toes, confusion, difficulties in maintaining balance, loss of appetite, exhaustion, weakened powers of concentration. |
1.4mg | Liver, yeast, rice, wholemeal products, peanuts, pork, milk. |
No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine. | High temperatures, alcohol and coffee. |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Growth, skin, nails, hair, sensitive lips and tongue, eyesight, the breakdown of protein, fat and carbohydrate. |
Itchy irritated eyes, itchy mucous membranes (nose/mouth/throat), itchy lips and skin. |
1.6mg | Milk, liver, yeast, cheese, green leafy vegetables, fish. |
No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine. | Alcohol and light (this is why milk-cartons are better than bottles). |
| Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Preventing skin conditions, nerve problems, helps the body absorb protein and carbohydrate. |
Skin inflammation. | 2mg – women taking the contraceptive pill may need more. | Fish, bananas, chicken, pork, wholegrains, dried beans. |
May cause nerve problems in large doses. Evidence is conflicting about the maximum safe dose, so get medical advice before exceeding the RDA. | The contraceptive pill, roasted or boiled food, alcohol and oestrogen (the female hormone). |
| Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Making red blood and the formation of the nerves. | Tiredness, breathing difficulties, dizziness, abnormalities in nerve tissue function. | 1 microgram | Fish, liver, beef, pork, milk, cheese. |
No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine. | Water, sunlight, alcohol, oestrogen and sleeping pills |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Immune defence system, protection from viruses and bacteria, healing wounds, reducing cholesterol, cell lifespan, preventing scurvy. It’s also a natural laxative. |
Tiredness, bleeding gums, slow-healing wounds. | 60mg | Citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, berries, tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, green leafy vegetables, peppers. |
Large doses can cause diarrhoea and nausea. Some scientists have argued that 1000-5000mg per day may damage your DNA. | Boiling food, light, smoking and heat. |
| Vitamin D properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Strong bones and teeth | Unhealthy teeth, osteomalacia (causes weakening of bones), rickets in children. |
5 micrograms | Sunlight (the action of sunlight on the skin allows our bodies to manufacture vitamin D), cod-liver oil, sardines, herring, salmon, tuna, milk and milk products. |
This vitamin is fat-soluble so can accumulate in the body. Overdoses are dangerous. | Mineral oil. |
| Vitamin E (tocopherol) properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Fighting toxins – vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant. | Weak muscles and fertility problems. | 10mg | Nuts, soya beans, vegetable oil, broccoli, sprouts, spinach, wholemeal products, eggs. |
There is a slight risk of overdose, because vitamin E is fat soluble. | Heat, oxygen, frost, iron, chlorine and mineral oil. |
| Folic acid properties | |||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning | Destroyed by |
| Production of red blood cells. It is essential in the first three months of pregnancy to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida, cleft palate or cleft lip. |
Tiredness due to anaemia, red tongue. | 200 micrograms. Women planning to conceive should take a daily supplement of 400mcg, continued for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. | Carrots, yeast, liver, egg, yolks, melon, apricots, pumpkin, avocado, beans, rye and wholewheat, green leafy vegetables. |
No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine. | Water, sunlight, oestrogen, heat. |
Minerals
| Calcium | ||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning |
| Strong bones and teeth, nerve function, muscle contraction, blood clotting. | Poor teeth and brittle bones. | 800mg | Milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt and green leafy vegetables. | High doses can lead to headaches, stomach pain, high blood pressure and diarrhoea. Excess calcium can be deposited as kidney and gall bladder stones. |
| Iron | ||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning |
| Red blood cells and muscle function, white blood cells and the immune system. | Tiredness, irritability, difficulties concentrating. | 14mg | Lean red meat, oily fish, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, nuts, wholegrains and wholewheat. | Iron is stored in the body and high doses (over 17mg) can lead to constipation, vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea. Very high doses can be fatal. |
| Magnesium | ||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning |
| Converting energy from food, cell repair, building strong bones, teeth and muscles, regulating body temperature. | Muscle spasms, and has been associated with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and weak bones. | 300mg | Green leafy vegetables, wholegrains and nuts. | High doses can cause diarrhoea. |
| Zinc | ||||
| Good for | Signs of deficiency | RDA | Good sources | Poisoning |
| Immune system, the breakdown of protein, fat and carbohydrate. | Lesions on skin, eyes and in throat, loss of taste and smell, hair loss, diarrhoea, slow healing of wounds, growth problems in children. | 15mg | Meat, shellfish, milk brown rice and wholegrains. | High doses can lead to stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. |
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