What Vitamins are Vital to Our Health?

A healthy diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. It is also low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars. What vitamins are vital to our health? If you want to improve your vitamin intake bear in mind these nutrient-dense foods.

Vitamin A is good for eyesight and best possible functioning of the immune system. Cod liver oil, dairy products, sweet potatoes and dark green leafy vegetables are all great food sources of vitamin A.

Vitamin B1 is critical to the bodys ability to process carbohydrates. Whole grain breads, cereals and pastas have high amounts of vitamin B1.

Vitamin B2 is used in numerous body processes, including converting food into energy and the production of red blood cells. It can be found in fortified cereals, almonds, asparagus, eggs, and meat.

Vitamin B3 helps in digestion and also plays an important role in converting food into energy. It can be found in lean chicken, tuna, salmon, turkey, enriched flour, peanuts, and fortified cereals.

Vitamin B6 is vital for a healthy nervous system, and helps break down proteins and stored sugars. It can be found in fortified cereals, fortified soy-based meat substitutes, baked potatoes with skin, bananas, light-meat chicken and turkey, eggs, and spinach.

Vitamin B12 is needed for creating red blood cells. It can be found in beef, clams, mussels, crabs, salmon, poultry, and soybeans.

Vitamin C is vital to promoting a healthy immune system, and making chemical messengers in the brain. It can be found in citrus fruits, red berries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red and green bell peppers, cabbage, and spinach.

Vitamin D is needed to process calcium and maintain the health of bones and teeth. It can be found in fortified milk, cheese, and cereals; egg yolks; salmon; but can also be made by the body from sunlight exposure.

Vitamin E is essential to your skins good health. Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, almonds, hazelnuts, and vegetable oils like sunflower, canola, and soybean to get this vital nutrient.

This list gives you a good base of knowledge on which to build a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Many people eat foods that are generally deficient in the vitamins. Visit Nutritional Supplements Center to learn why it is vital that you take vitamin nutritional supplements. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Fir

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What are vitamins?

an organic substance that acts as a coenzyme and/or regulator of metabolic processes. There are 13 known vitamins, most of which are present in foods or supplements; some are produced within the body. Vitamins are crucial for many bodily functions including a healthy immune response.
An essential low molecular weight organic compound required in trace amounts for normal growth and metabolic processes. They usually serve as components of coenzyme systems. For humans, vitamin A, the B series, C, D1 and D2, E and K are required. Deficiencies of one or more vitamins in the nutrient supply result in deficiency diseases.