VITAMIN A:

Chemical names: Retinal, retinol, and four carotenoids, including beta carotene.

• It is fat soluble.
• Good sources include: Liver, cod liver oil, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, kale, butter, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheese, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon and milk.
• Deficiency may cause night-blindness and keratomalacia, an eye disorder that results in a dry cornea.

2. VITAMIN B

Chemical name: Thiamine.

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: pork, yeast, cereal grains, brown rice, sunflower seeds, whole-grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver and eggs.
• Deficiency may cause beriberi and wernicke-korsakoff syndrome.

3. VITAMIN B2:

Chemical name: Riboflavin

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: asparagus, persimmons, bananas, okra, chard, cottage cheese milk, milk, meat, yogurt, eggs, fish, and green beans.
• Deficiency may cause ariboflavinosis.

4. VITAMIN B3:

Chemical names: Niacinamide, niacin

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: Heart, liver, kidney, chicken, beef, fish(tuna, salmon), eggs, milk, avocados, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole-grains, legumes, mushrooms, and brewer’s yeast.
• Deficiency may cause pellagra, with symptoms of dermatitis, diarrhea, and mental disturbance.

5. VITAMIN B5:

Chemical name: Pantothenic acid

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: Whole grains (milling may remove it), meats, broccoli, royal jelly, avocados and fish ovaries.
• Deficiency may cause paresthesia, or “pins and needles”.

6. VITAMIN B6:

Chemical names: Pyridoxamine, pyridoxine, pyridoxal.

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: Bananas, meats, whole-grains, vegetables, and nuts. When milk is dried, it loses about half of its B6. Freezing and canning can also reduce content.
• Deficiency may cause peripheral neuropathy, anemia, or damage to parts of the nervous system other than the brain and spinal cord.

7. VITAMIN B7:

Chemical name: Biotin

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: liver, egg yolk, some vegetables.
• Deficiency may cause dermatitis or enteritis, or inflammation of the intestine.

8. VITAMIN B9:

Chemical names: Folinic acid, folic acid.

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: legumes, leafy vegetables, liver, baker’s yeast, some fortified grain products, and sunflower seeds. Several fruits have moderate amounts, as does beer.
• Deficiency during pregnancy is linked to birth defects. Pregnant woman are encouraged to supplement folic acid for the entire year before becoming pregnant.

9. VITAMIN B12:

Chemical names: Hydroxocobalamin, cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin.

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: shellfish, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products, some fortified cereals and soy products, as well as fortified nutritional yeast.
• Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia, a condition where bone marrow produces unusually large, immature red blood cells, abnormal.

Vegans are advised to take B12 supplements.

10. VITAMIN C:

Chemical name: Ascorbic acid

• It is water soluble.
• Good sources include: vegetables and fruits. The kakadu plum and the camu camu fruit have the highest vitamin C contents of all foods. Liver also has high levels. Cooking destroys vitamin C.
• Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia.

11. VITAMIN D:

Chemical names: Cholecalciferol, ergocalciferol.

• It is fat soluble.
• Good sources include: Exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) through sunlight or other sources causes vitamin D to be produced in the skin. Also found in fatty fish, beef liver, eggs, and mushrooms.
• Deficiency may cause rickets and osteomalacis, or softening of the bones.

12: VITAMIN E:

Chemical names: Tocotrienols, tocopherols

• It is fat soluble.
• Good sources include: Almonds, kiwi fruit, avocado, milk, eggs, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ, and whole-grains.
• Deficiency is uncommon, but it may cause hemolytic anemia in newborns. This is a condition where blood cells are destroyed and removed from the blood too early.

13. VITAMIN K

Chemical names: Menaquinones, phylloquinone.

• It is fat soluble.
• Good sources include: Avocado, leafy green vegetables, kiwi fruit, parsley contains a lot of vitamin K.
• Deficiency may cause bleeding diathesis, an unusal susceptibility to bleeding.