Vitamins: Vital, Various, and Very Confusing (At Times!)
Whether you’ve been tempted by those rainbow gummy vitamins in the shape of cartoon characters or the fancy personalized vitamins advertised all over social media, there’s no doubt that all of us have been drawn in by the claims plastered on vitamin bottles. While some medical professionals swear by vitamins and others warn against them, there is an endless supply of information out there regarding vitamins- and it can be a lot to wade through at times. Luckily, we’re here to break it down for you and explain what each vitamin is, what it does, and whether it should be included in your daily nutritional habits.
What are vitamins?
There’s no denying that sometimes our dietary habits can be lacking in the nutrition aspect. So many of us are focusing on the amount of food that we can eat that we forget how important nutritional quality is! While food primarily acts as the body’s energy source, it also supplies us with substances known as vitamins, which help the body grow and function normally. While some of these substances are made within the body, the body does not produce an adequate amount, so vitamin-rich foods should be eaten to fill in the gaps. Ideally, a well-balanced diet of whole foods would adequately meet nutritional needs, but occasionally, supplementation is needed (aka, the reason you keep that daily multivitamin in your medicine cabinet- even if you forget to take it sometimes!). There are 13 vitamins the body requires to function and develop normally, and these essential 13 are classified as either fat-soluble vitamins or water-soluble vitamins- don’t worry, we’ll get into what those terms mean later. Basically: we need vitamins, and most of them you can get through a balanced diet.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
While most of us assume that all vitamins are made equal, it’s incredibly important to note that not all vitamins are created equal- our body metabolizes different vitamins in a wide variety of ways! While taking too much of one vitamin might be harmless, excess amounts of others could be deadly; that’s where we get into the nitty gritty of fat/water solubility. Fat-soluble vitamins are, quite simply, vitamins that dissolve in fat; fat globules absorb these vitamins and then carry them throughout the body in the bloodstream. These vitamins do not leave the body quickly and are stored in the liver and fatty tissue; for this reason, it is possible for excessive amounts of fat-soluble vitamins to build up within the body and potentially cause a number of issues. While dietary guidelines should be considered for all macro and micronutrients, it’s especially important to adhere to these guidelines when considering fat-soluble vitamins.
Vitamin A
What does vitamin A do?
Vitamin A plays a huge role in a number of bodily processes, one of the most critical being vision (yes- this is where the idea of carrots giving you super-vision comes from!) It also plays a part in ensuring proper immune and reproductive functioning, as well as supporting heart, lung, and kidney health.
What foods can I eat to get vitamin A?
Vitamin A is naturally present in many different whole foods, including beef liver, fatty fish such as salmon, poultry, and an abundance of dairy products; one can also receive vitamin A from leafy green vegetables and yellow, red, and orange vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, kale, and squash. Fruits such as cantaloupes, apricots, and mangos are also an excellent source of vitamin A, as is fortified breakfast cereal- so pour yourself some Cheerios and stop feeling guilty about it!
How much vitamin A should I be consuming?
While vitamin A deficiencies are rare in the United States, it’s more than possible to be consuming too much of it. It’s recommended that adult women consume at least 700 mcg of this vitamin a day, while adult men should be consuming roughly 900 mcg. Seeing as it’s a fat-soluble vitamin, it’s recommended that adults don’t consume over 3,000 mcg of vitamin A per day, due to the fact that overconsumption can lead to detriments in bone health, as well as nausea, dizziness, headaches, and even death. See why it’s important to read the nutrition facts on your multivitamins?
Vitamin D
What does vitamin D do?
Vitamin D, or calciferol, is incredibly important when it comes to bone health; it helps strengthen bones and teeth by maintaining calcium and phosphorus levels within the body. This vitamin supports bone growth and repair, protects adults from osteoporosis, and assists in fracture prevention; so yes, your parents did have a good point when they said drinking your milk will build strong bones!
What foods can I eat to get vitamin D?
Vitamin D is not naturally present in many foods, aside from fatty fish like salmon, fish liver oils, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks. However, many foods in the US are fortified with vitamin D, particularly milk, breakfast cereals, orange juice, and yogurt; these fortified foods provide a great deal of the average American’s vitamin D intake.
How much vitamin D should I be consuming?
Unfortunately, most people do not consume enough vitamin D through their diet, and because the body can use sunlight to make vitamin D, many living in northern climates with limited sun access can suffer from vitamin D deficiencies. Adults under the age of 70 should be consuming about 15 mcg of vitamin D a day, and adults over the age of 70 should aim for 20 mcg. In addition, vitamin D intake should not exceed 50 mcg in order to avoid adverse health effects such as heart arrhythmias and damage to the kidneys.
Vitamin E
What does vitamin E do?
Vitamin E is an antioxidant so it rids the body of unstable molecules known as free radicals that can cause cellular damage. Antioxidants get a lot of hype these days, and for good reason- it protects cell health and keeps your tissues functioning normally! It also protects vitamin A within the body and ensures healthy immune functioning.
What foods can I eat to get vitamin E?
Vitamin E can be consumed through a number of natural food sources, such as nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. Leafy green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals can also act as a source for this vitamin- have you noticed a trend yet? We love our breakfast cereals!
How much vitamin E should I be consuming?
Luckily, it’s very difficult to consume too much or too little vitamin E; it’s recommended that vitamin E intake stays between 15 mg and 1,000 mg, but it hasn’t been found that excessive amounts of this nutrient can cause adverse health effects.
Vitamin K
What does vitamin K do?
K, so…. Vitamin K is a little more complicated (see what I did there?). While it sounds like it should be one substance, vitamin K is actually a group of compounds that have a common chemical structure. These compounds are incredibly important to your health, particularly in regard to the part it plays in blood clotting, bone metabolism, and a long, long list of other complex (see also: confusing) physiological functions.
What foods can I eat to get vitamin K?
Vitamin K is found in a number of foods, such as leafy green vegetables (kale, collard greens, spinach), milk, cabbage, liver, and eggs. Unfortunately, this is one vitamin you can’t get through breakfast cereal- what a tragedy!
How much vitamin K should I be consuming?
Similar to vitamin E, it’s pretty unlikely that under/overconsumption can occur with vitamin K, other than unexpected and rare circumstances. Nonetheless, most adults should be consuming between 90-120 mcg of vitamin K per day.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
The other nine essential vitamins we have yet to discuss are water-soluble; the name is pretty self-explanatory here. These nutrients dissolve in water and are easily and rapidly absorbed into bodily tissues; they also don’t pose the same risk for toxicity as fat-soluble vitamins, due to the process through which excessive amounts are excreted through urination- gross, but yay! Water-soluble vitamins include all components of the vitamin B Complex, which contains 8 separate B vitamins, and vitamin C.
Vitamin B Complex
The Basics
B vitamins make up a huge chunk of our essential vitamins- 8/13!- and each of them play a huge part in making sure our bodies are running normally. These eight vitamins include:
· B-1: thiamine
· B-2: riboflavin
· B-3: niacin
· B-5: pantothenic acid
· B-6: pyridoxine
· B-7: biotin
· B-9: folic acid
· B-12: cobalamin
What does the vitamin B complex do?
Seeing as B vitamins make up a massive part of our essential vitamins, it’s no surprise that they play a role in just about everything our body does. From cell health to digestive health to hormone functioning, B vitamins are incredibly vital to our health and wellness! They also play a role in brain health, energy levels, vision, red blood cell regulation, appetite, cardiovascular health, nerve functioning, cholesterol production, and more. It’s also incredibly important to note that vitamins B-9 and B-12 are essential during pregnancy, seeing as vitamin B-9 reduces the risk of birth defects and vitamin B-12 deficiencies can lead to a number of harmful birth defects. If it’s not clear yet: we need our B vitamins!
What foods can I eat to get plenty of my B vitamins?
The good news is that it’s fairly easy to reach your recommended intake levels for these vitamins by keeping a balanced diet rich in whole foods. By eating a diet rich in dairy products, meat, eggs, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, legumes, and fruits, your vitamin B intake should be met accordingly. It’s also a good idea to include types of yeasts, soy products, wheat germ, shellfish, and sea food.
How much of each B vitamin do I need?
Seeing as these vitamins are water-soluble, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll consume too high of a dose of any of them through responsible supplementation and diet; however, extremely high doses of vitamin B-3 and B-6 can cause serious side effects such as nerve damage and liver damage, so please supplement responsibly! In addition, each of these vitamins has different recommended daily intakes, which are listed below.
Thiamine: 1.1 mg
Riboflavin: 1.1 mg
Niacin: 14 mg
Pantothenic acid: 5 mg
Pyridoxine: 1.3 mg
Biotin: 30 mcg
Folic acid: 400 mcg
Cobalamin: 2.4 mcg
Vitamin C
What does Vitamin C do?
Just like vitamin E, vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects our cells from harmful free radicals, which might slow or prevent certain cancers and other types of oxidative stress. It also can help prevent cataracts, assists in collagen production, supports immune system function, assists in neurotransmitter production, and assists in iron absorption. Your glass of orange juice certainly comes with perks!
What foods can I eat to get vitamin C?
I’m sure we all know that citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits are great sources of vitamin C, but veggies are full of the nutrient, as well! Red peppers, green peppers, tomatoes (I know it’s a fruit, but I refuse to accept it), broccoli, strawberries, brussels sprouts, and cantaloupes supply large amounts of vitamin C, but these foods should be eaten raw or steamed to reduce the amount of vitamin C lost during cooking. It should also be noted that fortified breakfast cereals often have vitamin C added to them- the pattern continues!
How much vitamin C should I be consuming?
It’s extremely important that vitamin C requirements are met to avoid a number of unfortunate side effects, including scurvy; scurvy might sound like an out-of-date woe for pirates, but even now, it can lead to severe consequences such as depression, bone disease, and even death. Adults should be consuming between 75-90 mg of vitamin C a day and should not consume over 2,000 mg, even though it hasn’t been shown that vitamin C can cause excessive damage is over-consumed.
To sum it up…
It’s easy to see that we need all 13 of these vitamins in order to feel our very best! While learning the details of each can be somewhat tedious, not meeting these requirements could cause some devastating health outcomes. If you find that you aren’t meeting the requirements for any of these nutrients, it’s an excellent idea to talk to your healthcare provider in order to provide an adequate form of supplementation. And please, please, PLEASE always read the nutrition facts on your vitamin bottles- you deserve nothing but the best!
Sources
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b-complex#side-effects
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324856#who-should-take-them
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminK-HealthProfessional/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/