Vitamins
What are vitamins?
Vitamins are just nutrients which we need from foods to ensure optimal health and to help prevent nutritional deficiencies.
Our bodies can't make the macro-nutrients we need to function, so this requirement is met solely by diet. Most people with a healthy balanced diet will easily obtain enough vitamins.
Water Soluble
Vitamins come in two main forms, water-soluble and fat-soluble. The body easily looses water-soluble vitamins through bodily fluids and must be replaced every day.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B1
Peas, bananas, nuts, whole grains.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B3
Meat, fish, wheat flour, eggs.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B6
Pork, soya beans, peanuts, oats, bananas, milk.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B9
Leafy greens, chickpeas, edamame beans, broccoli, liver, foods fortified with folate.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B2
Milk, eggs, fortified cereals, mushrooms.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B5
Chickens, beef, eggs, avocado.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B7
Needed in trace quantities and is avaliable in many food sources.
Water Soluble
Vitamin B12
Only found in animal products and in fortified plants foods.
Water Soluble
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is probably the most talked about Vitamn especialy when it comes to colds and flu because it contributes to healing but it also maintains healthy skin, blood vessels, and cartilage, and even plays a role in collagen.
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Sources include; oranges, peppers, broccoli, bananas.
Fat Soluble
Fat-soluble vitamins tend to accumulate within the body, so are not needed in the diet on a daily basis
Fat Soluble
Vitamin A & E
Vitamin A & E are antioxidants which help to protect cells from free radicals and ageing. Vitamin A contributes to cell renewal and repair(it has been noted that excess during pregnancy can hurt the baby.) Vitamin E reduces the effects of skin ageing and the risk of skin cancer.
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Vitamin A Sources include; carrots and sweet potatoes. Sources of Vitamin E include almonds and avocados.
Fat Soluble
Vitamin D
Vitamin D often referred to as 'the sunshine vitamin' is unique because it is a hormone that we produce in our own bodies with exposure to sunlight, so we don't need to get it from diet if we get enough exposure to sunlight (bu that doesn't mean you shouldn't apply sunscreen.)
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Vitamin D sources include egg yolks, red meat, oily fish, fortified foods.
Fat Soluble
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is important for healing wounds (for blood clotting), and some evidence links it to bone health.
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Vitamin K sources include green leafy vegetables, some cereal grains and vegetable oil.
Water Soluble
B Vitamins
B vitamins are important for keeping the nervous system healthy and for helping our bodies release energy from the foods we eat.
Should I take Supplements?
The best method for ensuring you get the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals is to have a balanced varied diet, however many people feel the need to pop vitamin pills for multiple reasons, which can be a waste of money or at worse maybe even dangerous.
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It is after all possible for supplements to interact in ways that affect the body in negative ways. Generally water-soluble vitamins are far less likely to cause harm than fat-soluble as they are excreted in the urine, so have less of a chance of leading to a toxic build up.
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There are sometimes valid reasons for taking supplements for example Doctors and Dietitians will often prescribe supplements for medical issues and we urge you to take the advice of a medical professional when choosing supplements to try.
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For more information of supplements for Health & Fitness then check out out Supplements page by clicking the link below: