13 Vitamins from A to K: How to Get Enough

In this blog post, we will discuss the 13 vitamins from A to K and what each vitamin does for your body. We will also go over how you can get enough of the 13 different vitamins in your diet and show you some of the best foods that offer these 13 vitamins.

Introduction

Most of us understand that vitamins are good for us. Many of us take supplements to improve the supply of vitamins in our bodies. However, it had not been until 1912 that Polish biochemist Casimir Funk thought of the principle of vitamins, which he called crucial amines.

Vitamins are small natural substances that all living microorganisms need. They assist in the metabolic process, converting fat and carbohydrates right into power, and they likewise figure in the development of bone and soft cells.

Funk uncovered vitamins when he established that thiamine (vitamin B1), which exists in brown rice, treated beriberi’s nerve system condition. Funk additionally believed that vitamins could heal various other diseases that were common during that time, including scurvy, rickets, and sprue.

Checking out the substantial selection of vitamins and also supplements offered at the area of organic food stores today. It’s hard to believe that before the 1930s, food was the only resource for vitamins. And for those of us staying in the industrialized globe, the vitamin supplement market is mainly unnecessary since we can still obtain all the vitamins we require from the food we eat. Besides, several refined foods have minerals and vitamins added to them.

In total, there are 13 Vitamins from A to K. These are the widely identified vitamins today. The analysis below aims at answering the following questions:

• What are they?
• How they improve the human body?
• What are their primary functions as well as where can we find them?
• What is the US Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)?

Vitamin A (Retinol)

Vitamin A helps the body grow and repair damaged skin cells. It is also important for our vision, immune system, cell growth, and more.

Key Function: Vitamin An is necessary for vision. It assists the retina of the eye to function properly, especially at night. Night blindness is an early indicator of shortage, and blindness can result if preventative actions are not taken. Vitamin A likewise aids in preserving healthy and balanced skin, and it is in some cases utilized in the therapy of acne. It also contributes to the growth of bones, and it aids in managing the immune system and battles any infection.

Source: In order to get enough vitamin A through your diet, you should eat eggs, fish that are high in omega fatty acids, and vegetables like carrots, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, deep orange, and dark green fruits.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 900 µg/700 µg

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Vitamin B is important for making red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body. It also helps with brain function and can help prevent anemia by increasing iron absorption in your digestive system, as well as preventing fatigue or lethargy.

Key Function: All 8 of the B vitamins help the body convert fat and carbohydrates into power. For healthy skin, hair, eyes, and also liver, all vitamin B complex is needed. Thiamine was the first to be found. It is vital for heart wellness and the mind and even nervous system to work properly.

Source: You can get enough Vitamin B in your diet by eating liver, pork, or beef that is well-cooked and contains some fat, whole grains like oats and wheat germ as well as beans, eggs, and dairy products to increase the amount of iron you consume.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 1.2 mg/1.1 mg

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Key Function: Riboflavin is an anti-oxidant that battles the complimentary radicals that harm the body. It plays an essential duty in breaking down and dispersing fats, carbs, and proteins throughout the body. It additionally aids in the absorption of iron as well as vitamin B6.

Source: Exceptional resources of vitamin B2 consist of mushrooms, soybeans, yogurt, eggs, and also dark, leafy environment-friendlies such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach. Some industrial flours, as well as cereals, are also strengthened with this vitamin. Be sure to store these foods at night, considering that riboflavin is conveniently destroyed by light. It can likewise be lost in water when food is boiled or saturated.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 1.3 mg/1.1 mg

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Niacin helps maintain a healthy heart and can help increase your energy levels so it’s important for those who are trying to lose weight.

Key Function: Vitamin B3 helps to boost the degree of good cholesterol (HDL) in your body, hence enhancing flow. It is likewise involved in the repair of DNA.

Source: You should make sure you include foods such as legumes like beans, lentils or peas, peanuts or soybeans, and leafy greens like spinach in your diet to increase your intake of niacin.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 16 mg/14 mg

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Pantothenic acid helps our cells produce energy so it’s important for those who are trying to lose weight because this 13th vitamin can help us burn more calories.

Key Function: Vitamin B5 helps in the generation of the red cell and helps maintain a healthy digestion system. It also assists the body in using other vitamins, especially B2.

Source: You should be able to find enough pantothenic acid in foods like eggs, meat, or leafy greens but you can also get it from whole grains such as oats and rice so there are many things that you can do to make sure your diet has sufficient amounts of this 13th vitamin.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 5 mg/5 mg

Vitamin B6

Key Function: Like the other B vitamins, B6 assists the body to convert fat and also carbohydrates into power, and it contributes to healthy and balanced skin, hair as well as eyes. Vitamin B6 is also involved in the brain growth of the unborn child while pregnant and in infancy. It also assists the body’s immune system to function properly. It is sometimes made use of as a treatment for early morning health issues.

Source: You can obtain vitamin B6 from bananas, nuts, starchy veggies (like potatoes), and whole-grain items.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 1.3–1.7 mg/1.2–1.5 mg

Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

Biotin helps our cells use sugar and is important for cell growth and repair. It also helps our body with the breakdown of fats so we can use them as energy which is good because it can help us maintain a healthy weight.

Key Function: Biotin is required for cell growth and metabolic rate. It assists in the transfer of carbon dioxide in the body, which is thought to enhance hair and nails. It aids the body in maintaining a consistent blood glucose degree.

Source: You should eat whole grains like oats, rice, or wheat to increase your intake of biotin but you can find some in eggs, leafy greens, and dairy products as well.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 30 µg/30 µg

Vitamin B9 (Folic acid, Folate)

Key Function: Vitamin B9 aids in cell division and growth, such as in infancy and pregnancy. It likewise plays a part in the correct development of a child’s nervous system. It assists our bodies in creating healthy and balanced red blood cells as well as stopping anemia.

Source: Leafy veggies like spinach as well as green turnips are a major source of vitamin B9. Broccoli, particular fruit juices, and beans (including beans, peas, and lentils) are also great resources of this vitamin and prevails in prepared cereals and bread.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 400 µg/400 µg

Vitamin B12

Key Function: Vitamin B12 plays an essential function in preventing many neurological cases, consisting of numbness or prickling in the hands and feet, sleep problems, loss of memory as well as clinical depression. It assists our body’s red blood cells to grow generally, and it supports the promotion of DNA, our genetic material.

Source: Vegetarians and vegans often tend to reduce vitamin B12 since plant foods do not naturally contain it. Nevertheless, soy and rice milk frequently include B12 as an additive, as do yeast essences and vegan burgers. Eggs, milk, and cheese are rich sources of vitamin B12.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 2.4 µg/2.4 µg

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important for our immune system and helps with protecting cells from infections. It can also help us get over a cold more quickly.

Key Function: Almost a star in the world of vitamins, nearly everyone grabs a vitamin C tablet at the very first indicator of a chilly. Besides helping disease-fighting leukocytes and antibodies, therefore improving the body’s immune system, vitamin C is practical in keeping great sight.

Source: In order to increase your intake of vitamin C, you should eat citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, or tangerines as well as vegetables that are dark green in colors such as spinach, kale, or broccoli.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 90 mg/75 mg

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps absorb calcium in the body and can help prevent inflammation of muscles, nerves, or bones. It also increases your energy levels which is important for a healthy lifestyle.

Key Function: Sunlight vitamin plays a vital duty in bone health and wellness. A growing checklist of illnesses is linked with low levels of vitamin D. These can be numerous sclerosis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rickets, cardiovascular disease, diabetic issues, anxiety, and several types of cancers.

Source: Unlike various other vitamins, the best method to obtain vitamin D is not from food but to merely step outdoors. The reason: our bodies create it from sunlight. Often, concerning 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight, a day is enough for the body to generate an adequate amount of vitamin D. Apart from coming into contact with UV radiation from sunlight, eating foods high in vitamin D like eggs, fish, and mushrooms, or taking a supplement.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 15 µg/15 µg

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is important for the activation of enzymes that break down fat cells which can help with weight loss efforts. It also helps our immune system as well as preventing cell damage caused by free radicals.

Key Function: Researches have revealed that people with high dietary intakes of vitamin E and zinc are secured against age-related macular deterioration, an eye condition typical among individuals aged 50 and older. Vitamin E also shields Alzheimer’s disease. High in antioxidants, vitamin E assists the immune cells in generating antibodies, and also it can help reverse some of the decreases in immune function that includes aging.

Source: Seeds and nuts such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, and almonds are rich in vitamin E. Whole-grain grains, as well as rice bran, are additionally excellent sources of this vitamin. It is important to get enough vitamin E in your diet by eating spinach, avocados, and nuts as well as drinking vegetable or fruit juice.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 15 mg/15 mg

Vitamin K

Key Function: Vitamin K assists your blood to embolisms generally, and it plays a vital duty in bone health.

Source: For almost everybody, the bacteria in our intestines make vitamin K. It’s also found in green, leafed vegetables, including spinach, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. Fruits such as grapes, kiwi fruit as well as avocados are also abundant in vitamin K.

Daily Allowance (male/female): 110 µg/120 µg

Conclusion

These were all the 13 vitamins from A to K explained.

So while vitamins are valuable and important to your health, however, remember that overdoing it can be a bad thing. Overtaking any vitamin supplements, causing you to run the risk of toxicity. Always look for expert guidance before taking any vitamin supplements, especially if you are breastfeeding or expecting).

However, you won’t likely overdose simply from your food consumption. The secret to keeping a healthy and balanced, and vitamin-rich life is to take in various fresh, whole foods.