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- Vitamins and Minerals for Older Adults - (https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/vitamins-and-minerals-older-adults)
- Biochemistry, Water Soluble Vitamins - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538510/ )
- Biochemistry, Fat Soluble Vitamins - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534869/)
- The balance between food and dietary supplements in the general population - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6366563/)
- What are Dietary Reference Intakes? - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK45182/)
- Biochemistry, Water Soluble Vitamins - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538510/ )
- The influence of smoking on vitamin C status in adults - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2913833/)
- Efficacy of vitamin B-6 in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: systematic review - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC27878/)
- Excess vitamin intake: An unrecognized risk factor for obesity - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24567797/)
- Do multivitamins make you healthier? - (https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/do-multivitamins-make-you-healthier)
- Vitamins and minerals for women - (https://www.womenshealth.gov/healthy-eating/how-eat-health/vitamins-and-minerals-women)
Why do We Need Vitamins?
Vitamins are chemical compounds that are essential for the growth, development and functioning of the cells in the body. They are also necessary for the absorption of nutrients into the body.Vitamins are naturally found in many foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains.| Daily Requirement | Sources |
Vitamin A (Retinol)
|
Milk, cheese, butter green leafy vegetables, cabbage, carrot, red and yellow fruits (mangoes, papaya, tomato). Large amounts of Vitamin A are also found in fish liver oils (e.g. cod liver oil). As a thumb rule, normally all coloured fruits & vegetables have vitamin A. |
| B1 (Thiamine) 1.25 mg |
Whole wheat, rice husk, brewer's yeast, peanuts, oat meal most vegetables, milk, legumes, pork, liver and meat. |
| B2 (Riboflavin) 1.50 mg |
Whole grains and their products, milk and milk products, liver and meat and other foods which have Vit. B1. |
B6 (Pyridoxine)
|
Germ wheat, bran, brewer's yeast, milk, banana, peanuts raisins, cabbage, lackdrop molasses, liver, kidney, fresh fish & meat. |
| B12 (Cobalamin) 6.0 Micrograms |
Milk products, meat, eggs, liver. |
B3 Niacin (Nicotinamide or Nicotinic acid)
|
Whole wheat, green vegetables, pulses and beans, peanuts, brewer's yeast, meat liver. |
| Folic acid 400 mcg/day |
Fresh vegetables, legumes, milk, egg etc. |
| Pantothenic acid (Vit. B5) 10 mg |
Whole wheat, bran, peas, brewer's yeast, molasses, liver and kidney. |
| Biotin 0.15 to 0.3 mg |
Small quantities available in all food items. But maximum quantity available in the white part of egg. |
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
|
Sources of Vitamin C include sweet-sour (citrus) fruits, myrobalan, tomato, watermelon, pear, cabbage, pineapple, potato and green leafy vegetables. |
Vitamin D
|
Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. It also occurs in milk, eggs and some fish liver oils. |
| Vitamin E (Tocopherol) 12 to 15 I.U. |
Milk, germinated wheat, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils (corn oil, cotton seed oil, soyabean oil), nuts and eggs are chief sources of this vitamin. |
| Vitamin K 1 to 2 mg. |
It is found in wheat bran, green leafy vegetables, tomato, cauliflower, soyabean oil, vegetable oils, and liver. |
Worried about vitamin deficiency?
Are you taking too many vitamin pills in a day?The Daily Vitamin Requirement Calculator can calculate your recommended daily intake of the vitamin, its sources, and the symptoms of its deficiency.A few commonly used measuring units in this calculator are (1✔):mg – milligrammcg – microgramIU – international unitWhat Vitamins Do We Need Daily?
We cannot synthesize vitamins or minerals and we need to rely on foods and food supplements for our everyday needs.There are thirteen essential vitamins, and they are divided into two categories, water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins.The water-soluble ones include vitamin C and the B group of vitamins. These are not stored by the body and are easily depleted (2✔). The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E remain in the body for longer periods of time (3✔).The recommended daily vitamins are:Vitamin deficiency may result from a lack of vitamin intake. Hence, it is necessary to have a proper diet routine with balanced nutrients on a daily basis.Both deficiency or overdose of vitamins can harm you (4✔).Learn about Dietary Reference Intakes
Recommended Dietary Allowances for vitamins and minerals have been published since 1941 by the National Academy of Sciences (5✔).Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)
DRIs are reference values that are quantitative estimates of the nutrient intake, which is useful in planning and assessing diets for healthy people. If you take more nutrients than required, it can adversely affect you, and if you take less, it may not meet your requirements to maintain good health.Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
RDA is defined as the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent of the population) healthy individuals in a group.Adequate Intake (AI) Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
UL is the highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population. If the intake increases beyond the UL, the risk of adverse effects increases.Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
EAR is the nutrient intake value that is estimated to meet the requirements of half the healthy individuals in a group.A Few Interesting Facts about Vitamins
- Vitamin A is derived from carotenes present in various foods and alpha-carotenes are the richest sources of vitamin A.
- The fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K, can be stored in the body fat and utilized for the body’s metabolism as and when required.
- The water-soluble vitamins, B & C, cannot be stored in the body for too long, and any excess is excreted in the urine, thus necessitating the regular intake of these vitamins (2✔).
- Smoking just one cigarette can destroy the equivalent amount of vitamin C contained in one orange (7✔).
- High doses of vitamin B6, which is used to combat premenstrual tension, can cause nerve damage (8✔).
- An over dose of vitamin A during pregnancy can harm the unborn child.
- Did you know that food fortification and infant formula supplementation with high levels of vitamins, has led to a sharp increase in the prevalence of obesity and related diseases (9✔).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it good to take a multivitamin every day?
If you find it challenging to get the recommended amount of vitamins in your daily diet, taking one multivitamin per day can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle (10✔).
2. What are the vitamins required for a woman during pregnancy?
All vitamins and minerals are important and should be taken through a healthy, balanced diet of different types of food. The following list of vitamins contains the most essential vitamins for women during pregnancy:
- Vitamin B9(Folic acid/folate)
- Vitamin B-12
- Vitamin D (11✔)
3. Can dietary supplements be harmful?
Dietary supplements are mostly safe, but certain supplements can raise your risk for new health problems, especially if you are also taking other medicines. It would be best if you always talked to your doctor or nurse before taking a dietary supplement (11✔).
