| Vitamin A (Retinol) | - Vision (Retina + Cornea)<br>- Growth and Reproduction<br>- Immune Function<br>- Epithelial (Skin)<br>- Cells<br>- Bone<br>- Remodeling | - Night Blindness (Nycatlopia)<br>- Xerophthalmia<br>- Dry Eyes -> Blindness<br>- Poor Growth<br>- Dry Skin or Tissue<br>- ^ Causes increased risk of infection | - Carotenemia (Orange colored skin)<br>- Birth defects<br>- Bone fractures<br>- Liver damage<br>- Nausea / Vomiting | - Vegetables: Yellow, orange, or dark green (pumpkin, squash, carrots, spinach)<br>- Milk and Dairy Products | - Retinol's precursor is beta-carotene (antioxidant)<br>- Helps with wound healing |
| Vitamin D (Calciferol) | - Calcium Absorption<br>- Bone Strength<br>- Blood Calcium Levels<br>- Supports Immune Function<br>- Reduces Inflammation | - Rickets (children)<br>- Osteomalacia (Adults)<br>- Osteoporosis (Elderly)<br>- Decreased immune function<br>- Decreased growth | - Hypercalcemia (Calcium deposits in soft tissue, Weakness, Nausea/Vomiting)<br>- Kidney Stones | - Milk and Dairy Products<br>- Fish (Salmon, Tuna)<br>- Breakfast Cereals<br>- Sunlight or UV Light | - Often referred to as the sunshine vitamin<br>- Acts as a hormone (interacts with para-thyroid hormone and calcitonin) |
| Vitamin E (Tocopherol) | - Antioxidant<br>- Wound healing<br>- Cell Membranes<br>- Supports immune function | - Hemolysis of red blood cells<br>- Anemia<br>- Reduced muscular coordination | Supplements can interfere with vitamin K metabolism and cause uncontrolled bleeding | - Vegetable oils<br>- Nuts or Seeds<br>- Wheat germ<br>- Green leafy veggies<br>- Breakfast Cereals | - Doesn't increase sexual performance, prevent aging, or cure Parkinson's disease (despite claims) |
| Vitamin K (Phylloquinone) | - Blood clotting<br>- Bone health | - Hemorrhaging or Hemorrhagic Disease (Excessive bleeding or internal bleeding)<br>- Increased risk of hip failure | Not common | - Green leafy veggies (spinach, kale, et cetera)<br>- Beans and soybeans<br>- Vegetable Oils<br>- Healthy GI tract | - 50% of needed amount can be synthesized in the GI tract<br>- Babies are given a shot at birth<br>- Interacts with blood clotting meds (coumadin or warfarin) |
Water soluble vitamins dissolve in watery components of food and the body. Most excess water soluble vitamins are filtered through the kidneys and eliminated in urine, whereas fat soluble vitamins are stored in large amounts.
| Thiamin | Part of TPP, a coenzyme needed for carbohydrate metabolism and the metabolism of certain amino acids. May help with the production of neurotransmitters | 1.1-1.2 mg | Pork, wheat germ, enriched breads and cereals, legumes, nuts | Beriberi and Wenicke-Korsakoff syndrome; weakness, abnormal nervous system functioning. | None (UL not determined. |
| Riboflavin | Part of FMN and FAD, coenzymes needed for carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. | 1.1-1.3mg | Cow's milk, yogurt, and other dairy products; spinach; enriched breads and cereals | Inflammation of the mouth and tongue, eye disorders | None (UL not determined) |
| Niacin | Part of NAD and NADP, coenzymes needed for energy metabolism. | 14-16mg | Enriched breads and cereals, beef liver, tuna, salmon, poultry, pork, mushrooms | Pellegra<br>- Diarrhea<br>- Dermatitis<br>- Dementia<br>- Death | Adult UL = 35mg/day<br>Flushing of facial skin, itchy skin, nausea and vomiting, liver damage |
| Pantothenic acid | Part of coenzyme A that is needed for synthesizing fat and that helps release energy from carbohydrates, fats, and protein | 5mg | Beef and chicken liver, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, yogurt, fortified cereals | Rarely occurs because it's so common in foods. | Unknown |
| Biotin | Coenzyme needed for synthesizing glucose and fatty acids | 30 micrograms | Eggs, peanuts, salmon, pork, liver, mushrooms, sunflower seeds | Rarely occurs, skin rash, hair loss, convulsions, and other neurological disorders; developmental delays in infants | Unknown |
| Vitamin B-6 | Part of PLP, coenzyme needed for animo acid metabolism, involved in neurotransmitter synthesis and hemoglobin synthesis | 1.3-1.7mg | Meat, fish, poultry, potatoes, bananas, spinach, sweet red peppers, broccoli | Dermatitis, anemia, depression, confusion, and neurological disorders such as convulsions | Adult UL = 100 mg per day<br><br>Nerve destruction |
| Folate | Part of THFA, a coenzyme needed for DNA synthesis and conversion of cysteine to methionine, preventing homocysteine accumulation | 400 micrograms | Dark green, leafy vegetables; papayas; asparagus; broccoli; orange juice; enriched breads and cereals | Megaloblastic anemia, diarrhea, neural tube defects in embryos | Adult UL = 1000 micrograms per day |
| Vitamin B-12 | Part of coenzymes needed for various cellular processes, including folate and metabolism; maintenance of myelin sheaths | 2.4 micrograms | Peppers, citrus fruits, cherries, broccoli, cabbage, and berries, shellfish, poultry, meat, milk, and eggs | Scurvy, poor wound healing, pinpoint hemorrhages, bleeding gums, bruises, depression | Adult UL = 2000 mg/day Diarrhea and GI tract discomfort |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | Lots of things, collagen synthesis, antioxidant activity, and immune function. It can act as an antioxidant, and it can recycle vitamin E. | | Plant foods, peppers, citrus fruits | Scurvy | In high doses it has pro-oxidant effects |
- Choline, carnitine, inositol, taurine, and lipoic acid are vitamin-like compounds that necessary to maintain normal metabolism. Because the body can synthesize these compounds, they are not considered essential nutrients.
- Adequate folate status is critical in early pregnancy because the neural tube forms about 21 days after conception
- Pregnant individuals should consume400 ug of folate to prevent neural tube defects (eg spina bifida or anancephaly). It should reduce the rate of spinal defects by 50%
