Know your vitamins.

We found this very useful – especially if you adhere to a specific type of diet such as veggie or Veganism.

All the following is reproduced from ‘Medical News Today’ but we have tailored it for veggie and vegan diets only-  if you are a meat eater then please go to the following link for an aid.  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195878.php?sr

We hope that you find it of assistance so that you can top up your animal friendly diet with additional foods that will help your body.

 

Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fatty tissues of the body and the liver. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. These are easier to store than water-soluble vitamins, and they can stay in the body as reserves for days, and sometimes months.

Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats, or lipids.

Water-soluble vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins do not stay in the body for long. The body cannot store them, and they are soon excreted in urine. Because of this, water-soluble vitamins need to be replaced more often than fat-soluble ones.

Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water soluble.

 

Vitamin A

Chemical names: Retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids, including beta carotene.

·         It is fat soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause night-blindness and keratomalacia, an eye disorder that results in a dry cornea.

·         Good sources include:  broccoli, sweet potato, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheeses, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon..

 

Vitamin B

Chemical name: thiamine.

·         It is water soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

·         Good sources include: yeast, cereal grains, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole-grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges..

 

Vitamin B2

Chemical name: Riboflavin

·         It is water soluble

·         Deficiency may cause ariboflavinosis

·         Good sources include: asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, chard, cottage cheese, and green beans

 

Vitamin B3

Chemical names: Niacin, niacinamide

·         It is water soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause pellagra, with symptoms of diarrhea, dermatitis, and mental disturbance.

·         Good sources include: avocados, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole-grains, legumes, mushrooms, and brewer’s yeast.

 

Vitamin B5

Chemical name: Pantothenic acid

·         It is water soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause paresthesia, or “pins and needles.”

·         Good sources include: whole-grains (milling may remove it), broccoli, avocados.

 

Vitamin B6

Chemical names: Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal

·         It is water soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause anemia, peripheral neuropathy, or damage to parts of the nervous system other than the brain and spinal cord.

·         Good sources include: bananas, whole-grains, vegetables, and nuts.

 

Vitamin B7

Chemical name: Biotin

·         it is water soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause dermatitis or enteritis, or inflammation of the intestine.

·         Good sources include: some vegetables.

 

Vitamin B9

Chemical names: Folic acid, folinic acid

·         It is water soluble.

·         Deficiency during pregnancy is linked to birth defects. Pregnant women are encouraged to supplement folic acid for the entire year before becoming pregnant.

·         Good sources include: leafy vegetables, legumes, baker’s yeast, some fortified grain products, and sunflower seeds. Several fruits have moderate amounts, as does beer.

 

Vitamin B12

Chemical names: Cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, methylcobalamin

·         It is water soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia, a condition where bone marrow produces unusually large, abnormal, immature red blood cells.

·         Good sources include: fortified cereals and soy products, as well as fortified nutritional yeast.

Vegans are advised to take B12 supplements.

 

Vitamin C

Chemical name: Ascorbic acid

·         It is water soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia.

·         Good sources include: fruit and vegetables. The Kakadu plum and the camu camu fruit have the highest vitamin C contents of all foods.

Vitamin D

Chemical names: Ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol.

·         It is fat soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause rickets and osteomalacia, or softening of the bones.

·         Good sources: Exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) through sunlight or other sources causes vitamin D to be produced in the skin. Also found in mushrooms.

 

Vitamin E

Chemical names: Tocopherols, tocotrienols

·         It is fat soluble.

·         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.

·         Good sources include: Kiwi fruit, almonds, avocado, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ, and whole-grains.

 

Vitamin K

Chemical names: Phylloquinone, menaquinones

·         It is fat soluble.

·         Deficiency may cause bleeding diathesis, an unusual susceptibility to bleeding.

·         Good sources include: leafy green vegetables, avocado, kiwi fruit. Parsley contains a lot of vitamin K.