Vitamins

Function:

• Healthy immune system.
• Produces 'visual purple', helping vision in dim light.
• Keeps mucous linings moist.
• For good heakth and development in children. 

Food Source:

• Dairy Products
• Oily fish
• Red, yellow and green vegetables
• Fortified low fat spreads

Deficiency:

• Can cause night blindness.
• Reduces the ability to fight infections.
• Limits growth in children.

Function:

• For formation of strong bones and teeth, especially during childhood and adolescence when it is important bones reach their 'peak bone mass'.
• Helps control the amount of calcium absorbed by food.

Food Source:

• Oily fish
• Eggs
• Fortified foods; breakfast cereals, margarine, suplements

Deficiency:

• Prevents absorption of calcium leading to weak teeth and bones. Can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
• Extreme cases can cause heart failure.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women, babies and children under 5 years, those over 65, people who keep their skin covered and dark skinned people are more likely at risk.

Function:

• Acts as an antioxidant which protects the body from disease.
• Strengthens the immune system.
• Helps to maintain healthy skin and eyes.

Food Source:

• Plant oils
• Nuts, seeds, wheat
• Milk, egg yolk
• Polyunsaturated spreads

Deficiency:

• Vitamin E deficiency is unlikely.

Function:

• For blood clotting, to help wounds heal.
• For good bone health.

Food Source:

• Cauliflower.
• Bacon, liver
• Cereals
• Green leafy vegetables

Deficiency:

• Vitamin K deficiency is unlikely.

Function:

• Release energy from carbohydate foods.
• For a healthy nervous system.
• Helps growth in childhood.

Food Source:

• Red meat, liver
• Whole grain
• Seeds, nuts, beans
• Dairy products
• Yeast extract products
• Fresh and dried fruits

Deficiency:

• In extreme cases a muscle wasting disease called beri beri can occur - most likely in developing countries where white rice is a staple food.

Function:

• Releases energy from food.
• Helps growth in childhood.
• Keeps the skin, eyes and nervous system healthy.

Food Source:

• Red meat
• Yeast extract products
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Rice
• Fortified breakfast cereals

Deficiency:

• Can cause swollen tongue, dry skin and sores around the corners of the mouth.

Function:

• Releases energy from food.
• Keeps the skin and nervous system healthy.
• Helps to lower the levels of fat in the blood.
• The amino acid tryptophan can be converted to niacin in the body.

Food Source:

• Red meat, liver
• Yeast extract products
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Seeds, nuts, beans

Deficiency:

• In extreme cases a deficiency disease called pellagra can occur - most likely where maize is a staple food. Pellagra can cause diarrhoea, rough, scaly and sore skin, and memory loss. 

Function:

• Releases energy from fat and carbohydrates.

Food Source:

• Beef, liver, kidney, chicken
• Whole grains
• Potatoes
• Yeast
• Eggs
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes

Deficiency:

• Vitamin B5 deficiency is unlikely as it is in so many food sources.

Function:

• Various body functions, including nerve function and brain development.
• Helps the body use protein.
• For the formation of haemoglobin

Food Source:

• Red meat, liver, kidney
• Chicken, pork
• Eggs
• Soya beans
• Whole grain cereal
• Yeast extract products

Deficiency:

• Unusual, but can lead to anaemia, headaches and general weakness.

Function:

• For the metabolism of fat.
• Production of energy, protein metabolism, strengthining hair and nails.

Food Source:

• Kidney, liver
• Dried fruit
• Fish
• Peanuts
• Milk
• Soya beans
• Avocado

Deficiency:

• If large quantities of raw egg are eaten, the avidin in the raw egg white combines with biotin, making it unavailable to the body.

Function:

• To release energy from food, especially protein.
• Works with Vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells.
• Helps to reduce the formation of spina bifida in unborn babies.

Food Source:

• Green, leafy vegetables
• Liver
• Potatoes
• Beans, seeds, nuts
• Oranges, berry fruits

Deficiency:

• A type of anaemia called megaloblastic anaemia which is the enlarging of red blood cells.
• Can cause spina bifida in unborn babies. Women advised to take folate supplements.

Function:

• Making red blood cells and keeping the nervous system healthy.
• Releasing energy from food.
• Processig folic acid.

Food Source:

• Liver, meat
• Fish
• Milk, cheese, egg
• Fortified breakfast cereal.

Deficiency:

• A type of aneamia called pernicious anaemia.
• Causes fatigue and depression. Long term deficiency can cause damage to the brain.
• Vegans have to supplement their diet with fortified foods.

Function:

• Helps the body to absorb iron from foods.
• Needed for the formation of collagen, the substance that holds the body together.
• Helps to resist infection.
• Helps wounds to heal.

Food Source:

• Fruits (especially citrus fruits)
• Dark green vegetables
• Potatoes

Deficiency:

• Extreme deficiency can cause scurvy which is very rare nowadays. Symptoms include bleeding gums, wounds not healing and general tiredness.
• Iron deficiency anaemia as iron needs Vitamin C for the efficient absorption of iron.

Function:

• To form, strengthen and maintain bones and teeth.
• For blood clotting.
• To keep nerves and muscles working properly.
• To ghelp with normal growth in children.

Food Source:

• Dairy Products
• Green, leafy vegetables
• Whole grain cereals

Deficiency:

• Can casue rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
• Usually occurs when deficiency of vitamin D, so not enough calcium absorbed.
• Osteoperosis - causes reduction in bone density and strength making them brittle.

Function:

• Helps to make haemoglobin in the red blood cells which carries oxygen to cells.

Food Sorces:

• Haem Iron - red meat, offal (liver,kidney, heart)
• Non-Haem Iron - whole grain cereals, green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, dried fruit, fortified breakfast cereals, cocoa, all wheat flour is fortified with iron by law

Deficiency:

• Iron deficiency anaemia - syptoms include tiredness, lethargic and pale complexion.
• Teenage girls often need additional iron to compensate for iron depletion due to menstruation.
• Pregnant women nedd additional iron to provide sufficient iron for the baby.
• Iron must be combined with Vitamin C in order to be absorbed efficiently by the body.