The 13 Vitamins Essential for Survival

While many pharmaceutical companies stress the importance of taking vitamins and supplements, scientific evidence shows that you don’t need vitamins in pill form especially when you can get them from the food you eat.

A review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology noted that there are only 13 essential vitamins that the body needs to function correctly. These vitamins are obtained from your diet. Curious about what these vitamins are? Read on below.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy teeth, bones, skin, and mucous membrane. Get them dark green leafy vegetables, dark-colored fruits, egg yolks, liver, fish, and beef.

Vitamin B1

Also called thiamine, this converts carbohydrates into energy and helps regulate proper heart function. You can get them from lean meats, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and organ meats.

Vitamin B2

Riboflavin promotes the production of red blood cells. Moreover, it also helps other B vitamins to function properly. Get them from organ meats, eggs, milk, green vegetables, and whole grains.

Vitamin B3

Niacin helps maintain healthy nerve and skin cells. It can also help lower the cholesterol levels in the body. It can be sourced from avocado, fish, eggs, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, and poultry.

Vitamin B5

Pantothenic acid breaks down the food and helps the body produce hormone and cholesterol that your body needs to function correctly. You can get them from kale, avocado, legumes, mushrooms, organ meats, sweet potatoes, milk, and poultry.

Vitamin B6

Also called pyridoxine, Vitamin B6 helps in the production of red blood cells. It also helps maintain the brain function and with protein synthesis. Get them from meats, poultry, nuts, avocado, banana, legumes, and whole grains.

Vitamin B7

Biotin helps break down carbs and protein. It also helps with the production of hormones. Source them from egg yolks, nuts, legumes, pork, yeast, cereals, and chocolate.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for metabolism, and it helps with the production of red blood cells. It also lowers the levels of homocysteine that has damaging effects on the body. Source them from eggs, milk, organ meats, seafood and fortified foods. NutriFusion has found concentrated plant-based B12 that many companies are adding to their products as well.

Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid is an antioxidant that promotes healthy gums and teeth. It also encourages the body for healthy wound healing. Source them from broccoli, cabbage, citrus fruits, spinach, berries, and tomatoes.

Vitamin D

This vitamin aids in the efficient absorption of Calcium. We get it from exposure to the sun for at least 15 minutes, but they can also be sourced from fatty fish, fish liver oil, and cereals.

Vitamin E

This vitamin helps in the production of red blood cells. It also helps the body use Vitamin K effectively. Get them from green leafy vegetables, avocado, papaya, seeds, nuts, wheat, and mango.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K helps promote bone health and clot the blood. Get them from green leafy vegetables, fish, beef, eggs, and liver.

Folate:

Folate works well with Vitamin B12 to produce red blood cells. It is also required for the production of DNA thus making it an essential vitamin for pregnant women. Source them from beans, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, peanut butter, wheat, and brewer’s yeast.

13 Vitamins Make The Difference to a Point

Intake of vitamins is significant to get your body’s physiological function running. But it is critical to take note that too many vitamins can cause toxic build-up in the body and too many antioxidants can lead to the development of certain cancers. Take your vitamins at adequate levels.

Inspired by www.popsci.com