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What Vitamins Can Do For You

We all know we should be taking them, but what are they actually accomplishing?


The body is a powerful machine; capable of doing all sorts of things on its own, but one thing it can’t do is make the nutrients you need to stay healthy.  That’s where food choice comes in.  Eating a variety of foods, gives you a variety of vitamins.


Vitamin A: This is your eyesight vitamin.  It not only helps with your night vision, but is responsible for distinguishing color.  Find it in dark, leafy vegetables, milk fortified with vitamin A, and orange foods.


The B Vitamins: There’s a whole group here: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid.  They are important in metabolic activity.  Help boost your energy levels, and aid in making red blood cells.  Find them in whole grains, eggs, fish, poultry, beans, peas, and leafy green vegetables.


Vitamin C: C helps keep your body tissues in good shape and aids in resisting infections.  Vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected with an illness.  Foods rich in vitamin C include tomatoes, broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, and citrus.

Vitamin D: This vitamin is responsible for healthy teeth and bones.  It also helps your body absorb the calcium it needs.  Find it in liver, fortified milk, egg yolks, and fortified cereal.


Vitamin E: This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells.  Foods rich in vitamin E include egg yolks, whole grains, wheat germ, nuts and seeds.


Vitamin K: Vitamin K is the clot-master.  Find it in soybean oil, dairy products, and broccoli. 
 

Source: kidshealth.org