Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients necessary for the body to perform various everyday functions. These micronutrient productions do not form in our bodies; you’ll obtain this from food and nature.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble.
Vitamin A
Benefits
- It helps the body’s natural defense against illness and infection work properly
- Supporting vision in dim light
- Keeps skin healthy
Good sources of vitamin A include:
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Oily fish
- Fortified low-fat spreads
- Milk and yogurt
- Liver and liver products
You can also obtain vitamin A from good sources of beta-carotene
The primary food sources are:
- Green, yellow, and red(leafy) vegetables, like spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and red peppers
- Yellow fruit, like mango, papaya
Vitamin B
Vitamin B comes under different types:
- Thiamin (vitamin B1)
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
- Biotin (vitamin B7)
- Vitamin B6
- pantothenic acid
- Niacin (vitamin B3)
- Folate and folic acid
- Vitamin B12
Benefits
- Keeps the nervous system and skin healthy
- It helps the body to release energy from food.
Commonly, the good source of Vitamin B:
- Peas
- Bananas and oranges
- Nuts & cereals
- Liver
- Soya beans
- Milk
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
- Plain yogurt
- Fish, meat, and chicken
- Wheat flour
- Avocado
Vitamin C
Benefits
- It helps maintain healthy skin, bones and cartilage, and blood vessels
- Helps with wound healing
Good sources include:
- Citrus fruit, oranges, and lemon
- Strawberries
- Peppers
- Broccoli
- Sprouts
- Potatoes
Vitamin D
Our body produces vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin.
Certain foods provide vitamin D:
- Oily fish
- Red meat
- Liver
- Egg yolks
- Fortified foods
Vitamin E
Benefits
Vitamin E helps maintains skin healthy and eyes and strengthens the body’s natural defense against illness and infection.
Good sources include:
- Plant oils
- Nuts and seeds
- Wheatgerm
Vitamin K
Benefits
Vitamin K helps with blood clotting and healing and keeps bones healthy.
Vitamin K sources are in the:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Vegetable oils
- Cereal grains
- Dairy products
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements contained in soil and water, which the plants observe or get consumed by animals.
Calcium
Benefits
- Strengthens bones and dental health
- Regulating muscle contractions
- Governing blood clots normally
Sources of calcium include:
- Milk, cheese, and other dairy foods
- Green leafy vegetables
- Bread and anything made with fortified flour
- Fish where you eat the bones
Iodine
Benefit
Iodine helps make thyroid hormones healthy.
Good food sources of iodine include:
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Sea fish
- Shellfish
Iron
Benefits
Iron helps in the creation of red blood cells.
Good sources of iron include:
- Liver
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Red meat
- Beans
- Nuts
- Dried fruit
- Soybean flour
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 04 October 2022