itamin and Mineral Chart

Vitamin/Mineral Sources Indication Efficacy Claims

Fat Soluble Vitamins can be stored in the body and need not be consumed daily.
While it is difficult to "overdose" on them from ordinary sources, consuming mega
doses of fat soluble vitamins, especially A and D, can lead to a dangerous buildup in
the body.

Abbreviations: IU=International Units; mg=milligrams; mcg=micrograms.

Vitamin A Liver, fortified Essential for Deficiency:
Retinol Milk (Retinol eyes, skin and Night blindness;
Men: 3 000 IU form - see the proper reduced hair
Women: 2 700 IU below for function of the growth in
Carotene immune system. children; loss of
sources.) Helps maintain apetite; dry,
hair, bones and rough skin;
teeth. lowered
resistance to
infection; dry
eyes.

Overdose:
Headaches;
blurred vision;
fatigue; diarrhea;
irregular periods;
joint and bone
pain; dry,
cracked skin;
rashes; loss of
hair; vomiting,
liver damage.
Beta Carotene Carrots, Antioxidant. The
(Pro-Vitamin A) Squash, Converted to antioxidant
(See Vitamin A) Broccoli, Vitamin A in properties of
Green Leafy the body. (See this nutrient
Vegetables Vitamin A) may be a
factor in
reducing the
risk of certain
forms of
cancer.
Vitamin D Egg Yolk, Helps build and Deficiency:
Men: 100 IU Milk, Exposure maintain teeth Rickets in
Women: 100 IU to sun enables and bones. children; bone
body to make Enhances softening in
its own calcium adults;
Vitamin D. absorption. osteoporosis.

Overdose:
Calcium deposits
in organs; fragile
bones; renal and
cardiovascular
damage.
Vitamin E Corn or Antioxidant. Deficiency: The
Men: 9-10 mg Cottonseed Oil, Helps form red Rare, seen antioxidant
Women: 6-7 mg Butter, Brown blood cells, primarily in properties of
Rice, Soybean muscles and premature or low this nutrient
Oil, Vegetable other tissues. birth weight may be a
oils such as Preserves fatty babies or factor in
Corn, acids. children who do reducing the
Cottonseed or not absorb fat risk of certain
Soybean, Nuts, properly. Causes forms of
Wheat Germ. nerve cancer.
abnormalities.

Overdose:
Unknown.
Vitamin K Green Needed for Deficiency:
None established. Vegetables, normal blood Defective blood
Estimated at 0.03 Liver, also clotting. coagulation.
mcg/kg made by
intestinal Overdose:
bacteria. Jaundice in
infants.
Water Soluble Vitamins are not stored in the body and should therefore be
consumed daily.
Thiamine Sunflower Necessary for Deficiency:
Vitamin B1 Seeds, Pork, carbohydrate Anxiety;
Men: 0.8 - 1.3 mg whole and metabolism and hysteria;
Women: 0.8 mg enriched muscle depression;
Grains, dried coordination. muscle cramps;
Beans. Promotes loss of apetite; in
proper nerve extreme cases
function. beriberi (mostly
in alcoholics).
 Overdose:
Unknown,
although excess
of one B vitamin
may cause
deficiency of
others.
Riboflavin Liver, Milk, Needed for Deficiency:
Vitamin B2 Spinach, metabolism of Cracks and sores
Men: 1.3 - 1.6 mg enriched all foods and around the
Women: 1.1 mg Noodles, the release of mouth and nose;
Mushrooms. energy to cells. visual problems.
Essential to the
functioning of Overdose: See
Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B1.
Niacin.
Niacin Mushrooms, Needed in many Deficiency:
Vitamin B3 Bran, Tuna, enzymes that In extreme cases,
Men: 16-23 mg Chicken, Beef, convert food to pellagra, a
Women: 14-16 Peanuts, energy. Helps disease
mg enriched maintain a characterized by
Niacin is Grains. healthy dermatitis,
converted to digestive tract diarrhea and
niacinamide in the and nervous mouth sores.
body. system. In very
large doses, Overdose:
lower Hot flashes;
cholesterol ulcers; liver
(large doses disorders; high
should only be blood sugar and
taken under the uric acid; cardiac
advice of a arrythmias.
physician).
Pantothenic Acid Abundant in Converts food Deficiency:
Vitamin B5 animal tissues, to molecular Unclear in
Men: 2.5 mg whole grain forms. Needed humans.
Women: 2.5 mg cereals and to manufacture
legumes. adrenal Overdose:
hormones and See Vitamin B1.
chemicals that
regulate nerve
function.
Vitamin B6 Animal protein Needed for Deficiency:
Pyridoxine foods, Spinach, protein Anemia,
Men: 1.8 mg Broccoli, metabolism and irritability,
Women: 1.5 mg Bananas. absorption, patches of itchy,
carbohydrate scaling skin;
metabolism. convulsions.
Helps form red
blood cells. Overdose:
Promotes nerve Nerve damage.
and brain
function.
Vitamin B12 Found almost Builds genetic Deficiency:
Cyanocobalamin exclusively in material. Helps Pernicious
Men: 2 mcg animal form red blood anemia; nerve
Women: 2 mcg products. cells. damage. (Note:
Deficiency rare
except in strict
vegetarians, the
elderly or people
with
malabsorption
disorders.)

Overdose:
See Vitamin B1.
Biotin Cheese, Egg, Needed for Deficiency:
60 mcg Yolk, metabolism of Seborrhic
Cauliflower, glucose and dermatitis in
Peanut Butter formation of infants. Rare in
certain fatty adults, but can be
acids. Essential induced by
for proper body consuming large
chemistry. amounts of egg
whites -
anorexia, nausea,
vomiting, dry
scaly skin.

Overdose:
See Vitamin B1
Folic Acid Green, leafy Essential for the Deficiency: Adequate
(Folacin) vegetables, manufacture of Impaired cell amounts of
Men: 180-220 mg Orange Juice, genetic material division; anemia; this nutrient
Women: 160-190 organ Meats, as well as diarrhea; in the first
mg Sprouts. protein gastrointestinal stage of
metabolism and upsets. pregnancy
 red blood cell may reduce
formation. Overdose: the risks of
Convulsions in neural tube
epileptics. May birth defects.
mask pernicious
anemia (see
Vitamin B12
deficiency).
Vitamin C Citrus Fruits, Antioxidant. Deficiency: The
Ascorbic Acid Strawberries, Helps bind cells Muscle antioxidant
Men: 40 mg Broccoli, together and weakness, properties of
Women: 30 mg Green Peppers strengthens bleeding gums; this nutrient
blood vessel easy bruising. In may be a
walls. Helps extreme cases, factor in
maintain scurvy. reducing the
healthy gums. risk of certain
Aids in the Overdose: forms of
absorption of Unknown. cancer. May
iron. reduce the
effects of the
common
cold.
Minerals in organic products essential for body functions.
Calcium Milk, Yogurt, Helps build Deficiency:
Men: 800 - 1000 Cheese, strong bones Rickets in
mg Sardines, and teeth. children;
Women: 700-800 Broccoli, Promotes osteomalacia
mg Turnip Greens. muscle and (soft bones) and
nerve function. osteoporosis in
Helps blood to adults.
clot. Helps
activate Overdose:
enzymes Constipation,
needed to Kidney Stones,
convert food to calcium deposits
energy. in body tissues.
Hinders
absorption of
iron and other
minerals.
Phosphorus Chicken With calcium Deficiency:
Men: 1000 mg Breast, Milk, builds bones (Rare)
Women: 850 mg Lentils, Egg and teeth. Weakness; bone
(3-6 g) Yolks, Nuts, Needed for pain; Anorexia.
 Cheese metabolism,
body chemistry, Overdose:
nerve and Hinders body's
muscle absorption of
function. calcium.
Magnesium Spinach, Beef Activates Deficiency:
Men: 230 - 250 Greens, enzymes Nausea,
mg Broccoli, Tofu, needed to irritability,
Women: 200 - Popcorn, release energy muscle
210 mg Cashews, in body. weakness;
Wheat Bran Needed by cells twitching;
for genetic cramps, cardiac
material and arrhythmias.
bone growth.
Overdose:
Nausea,
vomiting, low
blood pressure,
nervous system
disorders.

Warning:
Overdose can be
fatal to people
with kidney
disease.
Potassium Peanuts, Helps maintain Deficiency:
Men: 40-80 mmol Bananas, regular fluid Nausea,
Women: 40-80 Orange Juice, balance. anorexia, muscle
mmol (3-6 g) Green Beans, Needed for weakness,
Mushrooms, nerve and irritability.
Oranges, muscle (Occurs most
Broccoli, function. often in persons
Sunflower with prolonged
Seeds. diarrhea.)

Overdose:
Rare.
Iron Liver, lean Essential for Deficiency:
(Elemental) Meats, Kidney making Skin pallor;
Men: 8-10 mg beans, enriched hemoglobin, the weakness;
Women: 8-13 mg Bread, Raisins. red substance in fatigue;
Note: Oxalic blood that headaches;
acid in spinach acrries oxygen shortness of
hinders iron to body cells. breath (all signs
 absorption. of iron-
deficiency
anemia)

Overdose:
Toxic buildup in
liver and in rare
instances the
heart.
Zinc Oysters, Necessary Deficiency:
Men: 12 mg Shrimp, Crab, element in more Slow healing of
Women: 9 mg Beef, Turkey, than 100 wounds; loss of
whole Grains, enzymes that taste; retarded
Peanuts, Beans. are essential to growth and
digestion and delayed sexual
metabolism. development in
children.

Overdose:
Nausea,
vomiting;
diarrhea;
abdominal pain;
gastric bleeding.
Selenium Adequate Antioxidant. Deficiency:
0.05-0.2 mg amounts are Interacts with Unknown in
found in Vitamin E to humans.
Seafood, prevent
Kidney, Liver breakdown of Overdose:
and other fats and body Finger nail
meats. Grains chemicals. changes, hair
and other Seed loss.
contain varying
amounts
depending on
the soil content.
Copper The richest Component of Deficiency:
2-3 mg sources of several Rare in adults.
copper in the enzymes, Infants may
diet are Liver including on develop a type of
and other organ needed to make anemia marked
Meats, skin, hair and by abnormal
Seafoods, Nuts other pigments. development of
and Seeds. Stimulates iron bones, nerve
absorption. tissue and lungs.
 Needed to make
red blood cells, Overdose:
connective Liver disease;
tissue and nerve vomiting;
fibres. diarrhea.
Manganese Tea, whole Needed for Deficiency:
2-5 mg Grains and normal tendon Unknown in
Cereal products and bone humans.
are the richest structure.
dietary sources. Component of Overdose:
Adequate some enzymes Generally results
amounts are important in from inhalation
found in Fruits metabolism. of manganese
and containing dust
Vegetables. or fumes, not
dietary ingestion.
Molybdenum The Component of Deficiency:
0.15-0.3 mg concentration enzymes Unknown in
in food varies needed in humans.
depending on metabolism.
the Helps regulate Overdose:
environment in iron storage. Gout-like joint
which the food pain.
was grown.
Milk, Beans,
Breads and
Cereals
contribute the
highest
amounts.