Know Your Vitamins

I just read a great article in Body + Soul magazine called “Eat Your Vitamins” (August 2008). The article points out that while you can take a multivitamin to get your daily needs of vitamins and minerals, there’s just something about the real thing in food form. In the article, Amy Howell, a Rutgers University nutrition researcher, said that “plants are the world’s best chemists.” The cells in plants create a protective environment that keeps the important vitamins, phytochemicals, and minerals at their most potent and effective levels for your body.

I was inspired by this article and its wealth of information, so I’ve come up with my own breakdown of each vitamin (or vitamin group) with its role in the body and some of the best food sources. You can also click the link on each vitamin name to see previous blogs I’ve written related to that vitamin or group of vitamins.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps protect against getting the cold and flu, keeps your eyesight sharp, helps your skin guard from viruses and bacteria, is necessary for cell growth and health (may prevent some cancer), supports reproductive processes, and maintains the intestinal, urinary, and respiratory tracts inside the body.

Foods potent in vitamin A: carrot, spinach, leafy greens, parsley, romaine lettuce, bell pepper, sweet potato, cantaloupe, apricot, winter squash, and more.

B Vitamins (B6, B12, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, niacin, biotin, folate)

The B vitamins work together to help your body get energy out of food. Some of the functions they provide are protecting against birth defects, helping protein move through the body, reducing your risk of heart disease, keeping nerve and brain cells healthy, and replacing old cells with new ones.

Foods potent in B vitamins: snapper, shrimp, scallops, beef tenderloin, garlic, spinach, bell peppers, turnip greens, cauliflower, yogurt, asparagus, romaine lettuce, mushrooms, whole wheat, and more.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a protector. It not only helps your body fight off colds and infection, it keeps our gums and skin healthy and is a strong antioxidant that helps reduce the harmful effects caused by free radicals (the source of many killer diseases).

Foods potent in vitamin C: bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, papaya, grapefruit, lemon, orange, tomato, kiwi, pineapple, and more.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential because the body needs it to absorb calcium to keep the bones and teeth strong. Vitamin D also helps prevent cell growth mutations that cause disease and prevents hyperparathyroidism. This vitamin may also help regulate cellular growth and function in our brain cells.

Foods potent in vitamin D: salmon, shrimp, milk, eggs, and tuna. (The main source of vitamin D is sunlight, so make sure to soak up a few rays!)

Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps the body protect itself from heart attack and stroke. It also helps reduce free radical production and break up LDL (bad) cholesterol. Vitamin E reduces oxidative stress and keeps the skin healthy and young. This vitamin has also been found to fight against prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Foods potent in vitamin E: leafy greens, almonds, sunflower seeds, olives, papaya, avocado, tomato, and more.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K helps reduce internal inflammation, maintain normal blood clotting, and protect against osteoporosis and oxidative cell damage.

Foods potent in vitamin K: spinach, green beans, celery, green peas, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, asparagus, broccoli, kale, carrots, and more.

.

All this talk about vitamins and the VITAL roles they play in our bodies makes me want a big salad for dinner. MMMmmmmmm….