| Vitamins |
Sources |
Function |
| A |
Cod liver oil, dairy products, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy vegetables, and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals. |
Needed for good eyesight and normal functioning of the immune system. |
| B-1 (Thiamin) |
Enriched, fortified, or whole-grain products, such as bread, pasta, and cereals. |
Helps the body process carbohydrates. |
| B-2 (Riboflavin) |
Organ meats, breads, fortified cereals, almonds, asparagus, cooked eggs, dark meat chicken, and cooked beef. |
Used in many body processes, such as converting food into energy. It also participates in the metabolism of many drugs and helps in the production of red blood cells. |
| B-3 (Niacin) |
Light-meat chicken, tuna, salmon, turkey, enriched flour, peanuts, and fortified cereals. |
Aids in digestion and converting food into energy. Also used by the body to help make cholesterol. |
| B-6 |
Fortified cereals, fortified soy-based meat substitutes, baked potatoes with skin, bananas, light-meat chicken and turkey, eggs, and spinach. |
Vital for a healthy nervous system. Helps the body break down proteins. Helps the body break down stored sugar. |
| B-12 |
Beef, clams, mussels, crabs, salmon, poultry, soybeans, and fortified foods. |
Needed for creating red blood cells. |
| C (Ascorbic acid) |
Citrus fruits, red berries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, red and green bell peppers, cabbage, and spinach. |
Helps promote a healthy immune system and is required to help make collagen, which holds cells together. It is also required for making chemical messengers in the brain. |
| D |
Fortified milk, cheese, and cereals; egg yolks; salmon; and sunlight. |
Needed to process calcium and maintain bone health. |
| E |
Leafy green vegetables, almonds, hazelnuts, and vegetable oils like sunflower, canola, and soybean. |
Functions as an antioxidant. |
| Folate (Folic acid) |
Fortified cereals and grain products; lima, lentil, and garbanzo beans; and dark leafy vegetables. |
Vital for cell development, prevents birth defects, promotes heart health, and helps red blood cells form. |
| K |
Leafy green vegetables like parsley, chard, and kale; olive, canola, and soybean oils; and broccoli. |
Helps clot blood and maintains bone health. |
