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Additional Information
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Your body needs vitamins and minerals to work right. They
do so many things, like keep your teeth strong and help you
see.
There are 13 vitamins that your body needs: A, D, E, K,
C and 8 different B vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E and K are
fat-soluble, which means they stay in your body until you
need them. B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble. These
types are used by your body right away. You can get all of
these vitamins from the food you eat. Also, with the help
of sunlight, your skin can make vitamin D. Your own body
can also make vitamin K.
Like vitamins, you can get important minerals that your
body needs each day from eating food. We need certain minerals,
like calcium, in larger amounts, and others, like iron, in
very small amounts each day.
You can get the vitamins and minerals that you need by eating
fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and meats.
These charts show what each vitamin or mineral does in your
body and what foods you should eat to get them. Vitamin
pills cannot replace eating healthy foods.
Vitamin |
What it does |
Some good food
sources |
| Vitamin A |
Helps you have healthy skin and hair.
Also helps with sight, growth, and development. |
- Fortified cereals
(cereals that have vitamin A added to them)
- Mango, cantaloupe, apricot
- Green vegetables like spinach, kale, turnip greens
- Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin
- Liver
- Dairy products, like milk, with vitamin A in
them
|
| Vitamin C |
Keeps your gums and teeth healthy, and
helps your body absorb iron, which is really important. |
Fruits and vegetable sources are
best, such as:
- strawberries
- grapefruits
- oranges
- melons
- mangos
- broccoli
- bell peppers
- tomatoes
- brussel sprouts
- cauliflower
- spinach
|
| Vitamin D |
Builds strong bones. |
- Fortified cereal
- Fortified milk
(be careful—not all dairy products have vitamin
D)
- Fatty fish
|
| Vitamin E |
Protects cells in the body. |
- Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds)
- Vegetable oils
|
| Vitamin K |
Clots blood, builds protein, and regulates
blood calcium levels. |
- Dark green vegetables
- Soybean and canola oil
|
| Thiamin (also called vitamin B1) |
Keeps the nervous system healthy and
is needed for energy metabolism. |
- Fortified cereals
- Whole-grain breads
- Enriched grain
products
- Rice
- Beans
- Nuts
|
| Riboflavin (also called vitamin
B2) |
Gives the body energy and helps normal
growth of body tissues. |
- Almonds
- Dairy products
- Avocados
- Fortified grain
products
- Dark green vegetables
|
| Niacin (also called vitamin B3) |
Breaks down food to give you energy. |
- Fortified cereals
- Meat and fish
- Peanuts & peanut butter
- Whole grain products
|
| Vitamin B6 |
Helps the brain function right. It also
helps the body build proteins to grow and develop. |
- Poultry, fish, pork, beef
- Nuts, beans
- Eggs
- Vegetables
- Bananas, avocados
- Fortified cereals
|
| Folate (also called folic acid) |
Prevents birth defects when taken before
and during pregnancy. |
- Cooked, dry beans
- Peas, peanuts
- Oranges, orange juice
- Dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach and
mustard greens
- Fortified cereals
- Enriched grain
products
|
| Vitamin B12 |
Promotes normal growth and development
and help make red blood cells. |
- Animal sources such as salmon, trout, beef, poultry,
milk, cheese, and eggs are the best.
- Fortified cereals
|
| Pantothenic Acid |
Needed for energy metabolism. |
- Peas
- Starchy beans-pinto, black & navy beans
- Lean meat, poultry, fish
- Whole-grain cereals
|
| Biotin |
Needed for energy metabolism. |
|
Mineral |
What it does |
Some good food
sources |
| Calcium |
Builds strong bones and teeth. |
- Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese
- Canned sardines
- Fortified cereals
and juices
- Calcium-fortified soymilk
and tofu
|
| Iron |
Helps red blood cells carry oxygen to
different parts of the body. |
- Organ meats such as liver and chicken gizzard
- Beef, pork
- Most legumes such
as soybeans and lima beans
|
| Potassium |
Assists in muscle contraction. It’s
also used to balance fluids in the body cells. |
- Fruits and vegetables, like apricots, orange
juice, bananas, tomatoes, lima beans, potatoes,
plantains
- Milk, yogurt
|
| Zinc |
Important for normal growth and sexual
development. Your eyes, bones, skin, hair, and nails
especially need zinc. |
- Beef and other meats (turkey, fish, and pork)
- Oysters
- Whole-grain bread made with yeast
- Soybeans
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Do I need vitamin and mineral supplements?
Vitamin tablets are sometimes called supplements. A dietary
supplement is any product taken by mouth that has a "dietary
ingredient." The ingredients in dietary supplements may include
vitamins, minerals, herbs, and amino acids, as well as substances
such as enzymes, organ tissues, metabolites, extracts or
concentrates. Dietary supplements can be found in many forms
such as pills, tablets, capsules, liquids or powders. The
labels for these products all have to call them dietary supplements.
Some people need vitamin-mineral supplements to meet their
nutritional needs. For example, people who rarely eat dairy
products may need a calcium supplement. Supplements of some
nutrients, such as vitamin A and selenium, can be harmful
if taken in large amounts. It is important to note that many
supplements have labels that say they are "all natural." While
this may be true, "natural" doesn't necessarily mean safe.
Supplement advertisers often make promises about what their
products can do for you. While some supplements can be good
for your health, many do not live up to their claims for
better health – they may actually be harmful to you.
Be especially wary of products that say things like: "miraculous
cure," "secret ingredient," "ancient remedy," and other impressive
sounding claims.
It's also important to know that supplements do not need
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval to be sold. Unlike
prescription or over-the-counter medicines, supplements do
not have to undergo review to make sure they are safe or
that they work.
It is always important to check with your doctor before
taking any supplements. Some supplements may harm
you, even if the label says they can improve your health.
Fiber
There are also other important nutrients you can get in
foods. One of them is fiber. Some good sources
of fiber are dried beans, oats, barley, wheat bran, whole
grains, cereals, seeds, and the skins of many fruits and
vegetables. Here are just a few reasons why it’s important
to eat foods with fiber:
- It can help your heart.
- It can help keep you from getting cancer.
- It helps you digest food better.
Water
Water is also essential for a healthy body.
It makes up about 2/3 of your body weight…so drink
lots of it!
Thanks to GirlsHealth.gov for this information. To read
more about nutrition, click: http://www.4girls.gov/nutrition/eating_essentials.htm
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