Vitamins – Healthy Foundations

Vitamins - essential compound for health and well-being

Vitamins are essential micronutrients for the body. Like minerals, we need vitamins to assist healthy growth and development, and support a multitude of bodily functions.

They are natural components of food, usually present in small amounts. Unfortunately, our bodies can't produce them, so it's essential we get them through our diets. Deficiencies of any vitamin can lead to a specific health problems.

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Different Kinds Of Vitamins

Vitamins can be divided into 2 groups:

Water-soluble (B vitamins and vitamin C)
Fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, K)

B vitamins are further divided into:

B₁ (thiamine)
B₂ (riboflavin)
B₃ (niacin)
B₅ (pantothenic acid)
B₆ (pyridoxine)
B₇ (biotin)
B₉ (folate)
B₁₂ (cobalamin)

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins are released into the blood after absorption from food and they circulate freely among bodily fluids before being used in cells in the body. Excess amount of water-soluble vitamins are removed by the kidneys.

The body flushes these vitamins out fairly rapidly so they should ideally be topped up every day.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are released into the lymphatic system after absorption and they require a protein carrier in order to be transported through the body. They are stored in adipose tissues (fat) and the liver before being used for bodily functions.

Excess amounts of fat-soluble vitamins are accumulated in the body and not released so they do not need to be topped up with the same frequency as water-soluble vitamins. Alternatively, there is a greater risk of toxicity from fat-soluble vitamins than from water-soluble vitamins.

Vitamin Sources, Functions and Deficiencies

Vitamin	Foods	Function	Deficiency
A	Eggs, meat, dairy, orange vegetables, apricots	Vision, growth and development, immune functions, reproduction	Night blindness
B₁ (thiamine)	Whole grains, yeast, liver, fish, lean meat, milk	Cardiovascular and nervous system	Beriberi
B₂(riboflavin)	Dark green leafy vegetables, meats and dairy	Growth and tissue repair	Photophobia
B₃(niacin)	Lean meat, poultry, fish, peanuts, nuts, yeasts	Digestion, nervous system, skin	Pellagra
B₅(pantothenic acid)	Meat, mushrooms, avocados, egg yolk, yeast, sweet potato, broccoli	Growth and production of steroid hormones	Fatigue, insomnia, depression
B₆(pyridoxine)	Meat, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, beans, legumes	Healthy brain function, immune system	Dermatologic and neurologic changes
B₇(biotin)	Nuts, soy, eggs, milk and dairy, sweet potato	Immune system, hair and nail growth	Dermatitis, glossitis
B₉(folate)	Beans, legumes, citruses, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, poultry, pork, shellfish	Production of red blood cells, DNA synthesis	Birth defects in pregnant women, cardiovascular problems
B₁₂(cobalamin)	Shellfish, meat, poultry, milk and dairy, eggs (only animal sources)	Maintenance of the central nervous system	Impaired cell division, folate deficiency
C	Citruses, green peppers, sweet and white potatoes, tomatoes, berries	Immune system, wound healing, iron absorption	Scurvy
D	Fish liver oils, egg yolks, sunshine	Maintenance of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis	Rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis
E	Seeds, nuts, vegetable oils, olives, wheat germ, dark green leafy vegetables	Antioxidant, cell signaling and gene expression	Neuromuscular, vascular and reproductive system malformations
K	Dark green leafy vegetables, cauliflower, whole grains	Blood clotting, bone mineralization	Hemorrhage, anemia, prolonged clotting time

Vitamins in Children's Diets

As with macronutrients and minerals, the best way to ensure a child’s vitamin requirements are met is with a healthy balanced diet.

During the first 6 months of age, breastmilk/formula satisfies all vitamin needs (mostly, we'll come back to that). But as your child gets older and begins to eat more solids their requirements increase and it becomes more and more important to meet them with the food they eat.

Their diet should include nutrient dense foods such as fruit, vegetables, grains, milk and dairy products, with almost all vitamin needs being met through food.

The only exceptions are vitamins D and K. Vitamin K should be given within the first few days of life in order to prevent hemorrhagic disease – this is normally in the form of an injection right after birth. Vitamin D should be given as a supplement throughout the first year of life since nutrition (even breastmilk) is highly unlikely to be sufficient – formula is likely to contain added vitamin D though. In any case you should speak to your pediatrician about any supplements early in your child's life.

Daily Requirements

	0-6 months	7-12 months	1-3 years	4-8 years	9-13 years (boys)	9-13 years (girls)	14-18 years (boys)	14-18 years (girls)
A (mcg)	400	500	300	400	600	600	900	700
B₁ (thiamine) (mg)	0.2	0.3	0.5	0.6	0.9	0.9	1.2	1.0
B₂ (riboflavin) (mg)	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.9	0.9	1.3	1.0
B₃ (niacin) (mg)	2	4	6	8	12	12	16	14
B₅ (pantothenic acid) (mg)	1.7	1.8	2	3	4	4	5	5
B₆ (pyridoxine) (mg)	0.1	0.3	0.5	0.6	1.0	1.0	1.3	1.2
B₇ (biotin) (mcg)	5	6	8	12	20	20	25	25
B₉ (folate) (mcg)	65	80	150	200	300	300	400	400
B₁₂ (cobalamin) (mcg)	0.4	0.5	0.9	1.2	1.8	1.8	2.4	2.4
C (mg)	40	50	15	25	45	45	75	65
D (mcg)	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
E (mg)	4	5	6	7	11	11	15	15
K (mcg)	2.0	2.5	30	55	60	60	75	75