Ah, vitamins, where would we be without them? Well the straight answer is that we’d not be here at all. Unfortunately, in modern society, there is little emphasis put on the importance of getting all the vitamins that we need. With everyone on such busy schedules and relying more readily on fast food, we’re seeing more and more vitamin deficiency problems — even though we now have the means to fix them. What is a vitamin anyway? A vitamin is merely an organic compound that the body needs to function. This compound must be procured through a proper diet or the person deficient in it will suffer various health problems.
Thirteen Essential Nutrients
For humans, we have thirteen specific nutrients that we consider to be vitamins. These are:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Vitamins B
- Vitamin B-complex consists of folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. All of the vitamins listed are necessary for human survival. Now, what is a vitamin for a human may not be one for, say, your family pet. For example, most animals don’t require vitamin C to grow. All of these vitamins serve different purposes within our bodies. Some regulate metabolism and cell growth, while others exist simply to help enzymes work more effectively. The point is that the right amounts of each of these vitamins within a human body create a healthy individual.
As with most things, too much intake of these vitamins can be detrimental too. For example, large doses of vitamin A given to pregnant women can lead to fetal development issues. Overdoses of antioxidant-fruits.comacin can lead to severe liver damage. Make sure when you are looking into the best sources of certain vitamins that you don’t overdo the dosages. Vitamins can be toxic in large amounts.
Foods High in Certain Vitamins
- Vitamin A – eggs, meat (including fish), milk
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine) – cereals, pasta, soybeans
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – bananas, green beans, asparagus
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) – nuts, poultry, legumes
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – meat, avocados, cabbage
- Vitamin B6 – nuts, bananas, liver
- Vitamin B7 (biotin) – liver, peanuts, raw egg yolk, Saskatoon berries
- Vitamin B9 (folate) – pasta, spinach, asparagus, sunflower seeds, cantaloupe, orange juice
- Vitamin B12 – meat and dairy products
- Vitamin C – oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupe
- Vitamin D – fish, eggs, cheese
- Vitamin E – corn, nuts, spinach, seeds
- Vitamin K – cabbage, cauliflower, egg yolks
As you can see, consuming antioxidant fruits not only helps to reduce free radicals but also provides you with a good source of Vitamin C. Many antioxidant fruits are particularly high in this vitamin. These antioxidant fruits include cantaloupes and cherries. So what are you waiting for?
