Vitamins and minerals are essential for growth and health, and certain vitamins play a key role in preventing disease. Requirements for some of these elements depend on gender, stage of life, and age. For example, women planning a pregnancy or in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are advised to take folic acid at the recommended dose to help prevent neural tube defects in the fetus. Most vitamins and all minerals have to come from food or supplements because they are not produced in the body. Some vitamins are toxic if consumed in excess. For example, pregnant women should avoid foods that contain high levels of vitamin A because of potential harmful effects on the fetus.
Eating for health
The body needs vitamins and minerals to stay healthy, although the exact daily requirements for the various vitamins and minerals may differ according to factors such as stage of life and gender.
|Vitamins and minerals||Good sources||Effects|
|Vitamin A||Calves’ liver, eggs, carrots, melon|| |
|Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)||Meat, whole grains, peas, fortified cereals and breads|| |
|Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)||Eggs, meat, milk products, leafy vegetables|| |
|Vitamin B3 (Niacin)||Fish, whole grains, peanuts, peas|| |
|Vitamin B6||Meat, fish, whole grains, bananas|| |
|Vitamin B12||Milk, fish, meat, eggs, yeast extract|| |
|Vitamin C||Many fruits and vegetables|| |
|Vitamin D||Dairy products, oily fish, also formed in the skin by sunlight|| |
|Vitamin E||Vegetables, eggs, fish, margarine|| |
|Vitamin K||Leafy green vegetables, pigs’ liver, also formed by intestinal bacteria|| |
|Folic acid||Leafy green vegetables, organ meats, whole grains, fortified bread, nuts|| |
|Calcium||Tofu, sardines, milk, cheese, yoghurt, sesame seeds|| |
|Iron||Eggs, meat, leafy green vegetables, pulses, fortified cereals|| |
From the 2010 revision of the Complete Home Medical Guide © Dorling Kindersley Limited.
The subjects, conditions and treatments covered in this encyclopaedia are for information only and may not be covered by your insurance product should you make a claim.