VITAMINS FUNCTIONS RDA SOURCES DEFICIENCY

RETINOIDS AND Essential for vision M: 900 mcg (3,000 Sources of Deficiency impairs
CAROTENE Lycopene may IU)W: 700 mcg retinoid: beef immunity and
(vitamin A) lower prostate (2,333 IU) liver, eggs, shrimp, hematopoiesis and
cancer risk. Keeps fish, fortified milk, causes rashes and
tissues and skin butter, cheddar typical ocular
healthy. Plays an cheese, Swiss effects (eg,
important role in cheese xerophthalmia,
bone growth and night blindness).
in the immune Sources of beta
system. Diets rich carotene: sweet
in the carotenoids potatoes, carrots,
alpha carotene pumpkins, squash,
and lycopene spinach, mangoes,
seem to lower turnip greens
lung cancer risk.
Carotenoids act as
antioxidants.
Foods rich in the
carotenoids lutein
and zeaxanthin
may protect
against cataracts
THIAMIN (vitamin Helps convert food M: 1.2 mg, W: 1.1 Pork chops, brown Thiamine
B1) into energy. mg rice, ham, soymilk, deficiency is a
Needed for watermelons, medical condition
healthy skin, hair, acorn squash of low levels of
muscles, and brain thiamine (vitamin
and is critical for B1). A severe and
nerve function. chronic form is
known as beriberi.
There are two
main types in
adults: wet
beriberi, and dry
beriberi. Wet
beriberi affects the
cardiovascular
system resulting in
a fast heart rate,
shortness of
breath, and leg
swelling.
RIBOFLAVIN Helps convert food M: 1.3 mg, W: 1.1 Milk, eggs, yogurt, Weakness or
(vitamin B2) into energy. mg cheese, meats, fatigue, Change in
Needed for green leafy mood, Soreness of
healthy skin, hair, vegetables, whole throat and Skin
 blood, and brain and enriched cracking
grains and cereals
PANTOTHENIC Helps convert food M: 5 mg, W: 5 mg Wide variety of Deficiency causes
ACID (vitamin B5) into energy. Helps nutritious foods, burning feet and
make lipids (fats), including chicken, other neurologic
neurotransmitters, egg yolk, whole symptoms.
steroid hormones, grains, broccoli,
and hemoglobin mushrooms,
avocados, tomato
products
COBALAMIN Aids in lowering M: 2.4 mcg, W: 2.4 Meat, poultry, Some people,
(vitamin B12) homocysteine mcg fish, milk, cheese, particularly older
levels and may eggs, fortified adults, are
lower the risk of cereals, fortified deficient in
heart disease. soymilk vitamin B12
Assists in making because they have
new cells and trouble absorbing
breaking down this vitamin from
some fatty acids food. Those on a
and amino acids. vegan or
Protects nerve vegetarian diet
cells and often don't get
encourages their enough B12 as it's
normal growth mostly found in
Helps make red animal products.
blood cells and They may need to
DNA take supplements.
A lack of vitamin
B12 can cause
memory loss,
dementia, and
numbness in the
arms and legs.
ASCORBIC ACID Foods rich in M: 90 mg, W: 75 Fruits and fruit Severe deficiency
(vitamin C) vitamin C may mg juices (especially (causing scurvy) is
lower the risk for citrus), potatoes, uncommon.
some cancers, broccoli, bell Symptoms include
including those of peppers, spinach, fatigue,
the mouth, strawberries, depression, and
esophagus, tomatoes, Brussels connective tissue
stomach, and sprouts defects (eg,
breast. Long-term gingivitis,
use of petechiae, rash,
supplemental internal bleeding,
vitamin C may impaired wound
protect against healing).
cataracts. Helps
 make collagen, a
connective tissue
that knits together
wounds and
supports blood
vessel walls. Helps
make the
neurotransmitters
serotonin and
norepinephrine
Acts as an
antioxidant,
neutralizing
unstable
molecules that can
damage cells.
Bolsters the
immune system
CALCIFEROL Helps maintain 31–70: 15 mcg Fortified milk or Vitamin D
(vitamin D) normal blood (600 IU) 71+: 20 margarine, deficiency can lead
levels of calcium mcg (800 IU) fortified cereals, to a loss of bone
and phosphorus, fatty fish density, which can
which strengthen contribute to
bones. Helps form osteoporosis and
teeth and bones. fractures (broken
Supplements can bones). Severe
reduce the vitamin D
number of non- deficiency can also
spinal fractures lead to other
diseases. In
children, it can
cause rickets.
PHYLLOQUINONE, Activates proteins M: 120 mcg, W: 90 Cabbage, liver, Intestinal bacteria
MENADIONE and calcium mcg eggs, milk, make a form of
(vitamin K) essential to blood spinach, broccoli, vitamin K that
clotting. May help sprouts, kale, accounts for half
prevent hip collards, and other your
fractures green vegetables requirements. If
you take an
anticoagulant,
keep your vitamin
K intake
consistent.
ALPHA- Acts as an M: 15 mg, W: 15 Wide variety of Vitamin E
TOCOPHEROL antioxidant, mg foods, including deficiency can
(vitamin E) neutralizing vegetable oils, cause nerve and
unstable salad dressings muscle damage
molecules that can and margarines that results in loss
damage cells. made with of feeling in the
Protects vitamin A vegetable oils, arms and legs, loss
and certain lipids wheat germ, leafy of body
from damage. green vegetables, movement
Diets rich in whole grains, nuts control, muscle
vitamin E may weakness, and
help prevent vision problems.
Alzheimer's Another sign of
disease. deficiency is a
weakened
immune system.
FOLIC ACID Vital for new cell M: 400 mcg, W: Fortified grains Lead to severe
(vitamin B9, creation. Helps 400 mcg and cereals, neurological
folate, folacin) prevent brain and asparagus, okra, complications.
spine birth defects spinach, turnip That's not a
when taken early greens, broccoli, reason to avoid
in pregnancy; legumes like black- folic acid; just be
should be taken eyed peas and sure to get enough
regularly by all chickpeas, orange B12.
women of child- juice, tomato juice
bearing age since
women may not
know they are
pregnant in the
first weeks of
pregnancy. Can
lower levels of
homocysteine and
may reduce heart
disease risk May
reduce risk for
colon cancer.
Offsets breast
cancer risk among
women who
consume alcohol
 MINERALS FUNCTION RDA SOURCES DEFICIENCY
CALCIUM Builds and 31–50: M: 1,000 Yogurt, cheese, Adults absorb
protects bones mg, W: 1,000 mg milk, tofu, roughly 30% of
and teeth. Helps 51-70: M: 1,000 sardines, salmon, calcium ingested,
with muscle mg, W: 1,200 mg, fortified juices, but this can vary
contractions and 71+: M: 1,200 mg, leafy green depending on the
relaxation, blood W: 1,200 mg vegetables, such source. Diets very
clotting, and nerve as broccoli and high in calcium
impulse kale (but not may increase the
transmission. spinach or Swiss risk of prostate
Plays a role in chard, which have cancer.
hormone binders that lessen
secretion and absorption)
enzyme activation.
Helps maintain
healthy blood
pressure
COPPER Plays an important M: 900 mcg, W: Liver, shellfish, Common signs and
role in iron 900 mcg nuts, seeds, symptoms of
metabolism and whole-grain copper deficiency
immune system. products, beans, include fatigue
Helps make red prunes, cocoa, and weakness,
blood cells black pepper frequent sickness,
weak and brittle
bones, problems
with memory and
learning,
difficulties
walking, increased
cold sensitivity,
pale skin,
premature gray
hair and vision
loss.
IRON Helps hemoglobin 19–50: M: 8 mg, Red meat, poultry, Many women of
in red blood cells W: 18 mg 51+: M: eggs, fruits, green childbearing age
and myoglobin in 8 mg, W: 8 mg vegetables, don't get enough
muscle cells ferry fortified bread and iron. Women who
oxygen grain products do not menstruate
throughout the probably need the
body. Needed for same amount of
chemical reactions iron as men.
in the body and Because iron is
for making amino harder to absorb
acids, collagen, from plants,
neurotransmitters, experts suggest
and hormones vegetarians get
 twice the
recommended
amount
MAGNESIUM Needed for many 18+: M: 420 mg, Green vegetables The majority of
chemical reactions W: 320 mg such as spinach magnesium in the
in the body Works and broccoli, body is found in
with calcium in legumes, cashews, bones. If your
muscle sunflower seeds blood levels are
contraction, blood and other seeds, low, your body
clotting, and halibut, whole- may tap into these
regulation of wheat bread, milk reserves to correct
blood pressure. the problem.
Helps build bones
and teeth
PHOSPHORUS Helps build and M: 700 mg, W: Wide variety of Certain drugs bind
protect bones and 700 mg foods, including with phosphorus,
teeth. Part of DNA milk and dairy making it
and RNA. Helps products, meat, unavailable and
convert food into fish, poultry, eggs, causing bone loss,
energy. Part of liver, green peas, weakness, and
phospholipids, broccoli, potatoes, pain.
which carry lipids in almonds
blood and help
shuttle nutrients
into and out of cells

MANGANESE Helps form bones. M: 2.3 mg, W: 1.8 Fish, nuts, If you take
Helps metabolize mg legumes, whole supplements or
amino acids, grains, tea have manganese
cholesterol, and in your drinking
carbohydrates water, be careful
not to exceed the
upper limit. Those
with liver damage
or whose diets
supply abundant
manganese should
be especially
vigilant.
SODIUM Balances fluids in M: 2,300 mg, W: Salt, soy sauce, Chronic, severe
the body. Helps 2,300 mg processed foods, vomiting or
send nerve vegetables diarrhea and other
impulses. Needed causes of
for muscle dehydration. This
contractions. causes your body
Impacts blood to lose
pressure; even electrolytes, such
modest reductions as sodium, and
in salt also increases ADH
consumption can levels. Drinking
lower blood too much water.
pressure Drinking excessive
amounts of water
can cause low
sodium by
overwhelming the
kidneys' ability to
excrete water