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Nutrition

Home : Nutrition : Nutrition basics

Vitamins

You have probably heard of vitamins. Your mother may have told you to drink your orange juice so that you get your vitamin C or to drink your milk so that you get your vitamin D.

But what are vitamins anyway? Vitamins are substances found in the foods we eat. They all have special jobs. Our bodies cannot make vitamins, so we need to get them by eating healthy foods or by taking vitamin pills. Most kids should be able to get all the vitamins they need by eating healthy foods. Vitamin pills cannot replace eating healthy foods.

There are 13 vitamins your body needs. Below is a list of the vitamins, some of what they do, and good food sources.

VITAMINS
VitaminActionsSources
A
  • Needed for vision
  • Helps your body fight germs
  • Helps keep your skin healthy
  • Cereals fortified with vitamin A
  • Mango, cantaloupe, apricot
  • Green vegetables like spinach, kale, turnip greens
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash
  • Liver
  • Eggs
  • Milk fortified with vitamin A

B vitamins — B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, folic acid (FOH-lik ASS-ihd) or folate (FOH-layt), biotin (BEYE-uh-tin)

  • Help break down food to give you energy
  • Good for your nervous system
  • Help your body make red blood cells
  • Folic acid or folate prevents a type of birth defect
  • Whole grains, such as whole wheat and oats
  • Fish and seafood
  • Poultry and lean red meats
  • Eggs
  • Dairy products, like milk and yogurt
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Beans and peas

C

  • Needed for healthy bones, blood vessels, gums, and skin
  • Citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruit
  • Cantaloupe
  • Strawberries
  • Tomatoes
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Kiwi fruit
  • Papaya
  • Sweet red peppers

D

  • Needed for healthy bones and teeth
  • Milk fortified with vitamin D
  • Fish
  • Egg yolks
  • Liver
  • Cereal fortified with vitamin D

Note: Your body can make enough vitamin D if you are in sunlight for about 10-15 minutes twice a week.

E

  • Protects cells in the body
  • Help your body make red blood cells
  • Whole grains, such as whole wheat and oats
  • Wheat germ
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Egg yolks
  • Nuts and seeds

K

  • Helps your blood clot
  • Helps keep your bones strong
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Dairy products, like milk and yogurt
  • Broccoli
  • Soybean oil

Note: Your body usually makes all the vitamin K you need.

 

Folic acid

Bottle of folic acid surrounded by various citrus fruits.Folic acid, or folate, is one of the B vitamins. It gets special attention because getting enough folic acid during pregnancy before and during pregnancy lessens the chance a woman will have a baby with a type of birth defect called spina bifida.

It's never too early to start thinking about getting enough folic acid. All women who are at an age where they can become pregnant should get 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily. The best food source of folic acid is breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid. Other foods rich in folic acid include:

  • Oranges, orange juice
  • Green leafy vegetables, like spinach and mustard greens
  • Yeast
  • Cooked dry beans
  • Peas
  • Peanuts

You can also take a folic acid pill or a multivitamin that contains at least 400 mcg of folic acid.

 

Content last updated September 22, 2009

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health.

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