VITAMINS

  There are 13 vitamins your body needs. They are vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins(thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). You can usually get all your vitamins from the foods you eat. Your body can also make vitamins D and K. People who eat a vegetarian diet may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Each vitamin has specific jobs. If you have low levels of certain vitamins, you may develop a deficiency disease. For example, if you don't get enough vitamin D, you could develop rickets. Some vitamins may help prevent medical problems. Vitamin A prevents night blindness.

The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases, you may need to take a daily multivitamin for optimal health. However, high doses of some vitamins can make you sick.

Vitamin generic descriptor name	Vitamerchemical name(s) (list not complete)	Recommended dietary allowances (male, age 19–70)	Deficiency disease	Food sources
Vitamin A	Retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids including beta carotene	900 µg	Night-blindness,Hyperkeratosis, andKeratomalacia	Orange, ripe yellow fruits, leafy vegetables, carrots, pumpkin, squash, spinach, liver
Vitamin B1	Thiamine	1.2 mg	Beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome	Pork, oatmeal, brown rice, vegetables, potatoes, liver, eggs
Vitamin B12	Cyanocobalamin,hydroxycobalamin,methylcobalamin	2.4 µg	Megaloblastic anemia	Meat and other animal products
Vitamin B2	Riboflavin	1.3 mg	Ariboflavinosis	Dairy products, bananas, popcorn, green beans, asparagus
Vitamin B3	Niacin, niacinamide	16.0 mg	Pellagra	Meat, fish, eggs, many vegetables, mushrooms, tree nuts
Vitamin B5	Pantothenic acid	5.0 mg	Paresthesia	Meat, broccoli, avocados
Vitamin B6	Pyridoxine,pyridoxamine,pyridoxal	1.3–1.7 mg	Anemia peripheral neuropathy.	Meat, vegetables, tree nuts, bananas
Vitamin B7	Biotin	30.0 µg	Dermatitis, enteritis	Raw egg yolk, liver, peanuts, certain vegetables
Vitamin B9	Folic acid, folinic acid	400 µg	Megaloblast and Deficiency during pregnancy is associated with birth defects, such as neural tube defects	Leafy vegetables, pasta, bread, cereal, liver
Vitamin C	Ascorbic acid	90.0 mg	Scurvy	Many fruits and vegetables, liver
Vitamin D	Cholecalciferol	10 µg	Rickets andOsteomalacia	Fish, eggs, liver, mushrooms
Vitamin E	Tocopherols,tocotrienols	15.0 mg	Deficiency is very rare; mild hemolytic anemiain newborn infants.	Many fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds
Vitamin K	phylloquinone,menaquinones	120 µg	Bleeding diathesis	Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, egg yolks, liver