Vitamins And Their Uses
A - B-1 - B-2 - B-3 - B-5 - B-6 - B-12 - Folic Acid - Biotin - C - D - E - K
Primary use: Needed for healthy skin, inside and out. Protects against infections. Antioxidant and immune system booster. Protects against many forms of cancer. Essential for night vision. Deficiency signs: Mouth ulcers, poor night vision, acne, frequent colds or infections, dry flaky skin, dandruff, thrush or crystitis, diarrhea. Dosage: 3,300 to 10,000 IU retinol (if pregnant or trying to conceive do not exceed 10,000 IU retinol); 10,000 to 100,000 IU beta-carotene. Toxicity: May occur above 26,000 to 100,000 IU per day long term or 1,000,000 IU single dose of retinol. Beta-carotene above 20,000 IU a day is not advised if taken on its own by smokers. Best Food Sources: Beef liver, veal liver, carrots, watercress, cabbage, squash, sweet potatoes, melon, pumpkin, mangoes, tomatoes, broccoli, apricots, papayas, tangerines Helpers: Works with zinc, C and E help protect it. Best taken within a multi or antioxidant forumla with food. Robbers: Heat, light, alcohol, coffee and smoking
Primary use: Essential for energy production, brain function, and digestion. Helps the body make use of protein Deficiency signs: Tender muscles, eye pains, irritability, poor concentration, prickly legs, poor memory, stomach pains, constipation, tingling hands, rapid heartbeat.>/p> Dosage: 15 to 45 mg Toxicity: Not a concern Best Food Source: Watercress, squash, zucchini, Lamb, asparagus, mushrooms, peas, lettuce, peppers, caulifower, cabbage, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, beans Helpers: Works with other B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese. Best supplemented as part of a B complex with food. Robbers: Antibiotics, tea, coffee, stress, birth control pills, alcohol, alkaline agents such as baking powder, sulfur dioxide (preservative), cooking, and food refining/processing.
Primary uses: Helps turn fats, sugars, and protein into energy. Needed to repair and maintain healthy skin, inside and out. Helps to regulate body acidity. Important for hair, nails, and eyes. Deficiency signs: Burning or gritty eyes. sensitivity to bright lights, sore tongue, cataracts, dull or oily hair, eczema or dermatitis, split nails, cracked lips. Dosage: 15 to 45 mg Toxicity: No known toxicity. Loss or excess results in bright yellow-green urine. Best Food Sources: Mushrooms, watercress, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, pumpkin, bean sprouts, mackerel, mild, bamboo shoots, tomatoes, wheat germ. Helpers: Works with other B vitamins and selenium. Best supplemented as part of a B complex with food. Robbers: Alcohol, birth control pills, tea, coffee, alkaline agents such as baking powder, sulfur dioxide (preservative), cooking, and food refining/processing.
Primary uses: Essential for energy production, brain function, and the skin. Helps balance blood sugar and lower cholesterol levels. Also involved in inflammation and digestion. Deficiency signs: Lack of energy, diarrhea, insomnia, headaches or migrains, poor memory, anxiety or tension, depression, irritability, bleeding or tender gums, acne, eczema or dermatitis. Dosage: 25 to 50 mg Toxicity: None known below 3,000 mg Best Food Sources: Mushrooms, tuna, chicken, salmon, asparagus, cabbage, lamb, mackerel, turkey, tomatoes, zucchini and squash, cauliflower, and whole wheat. Helpers: Works with other B complex vitamins and chromium. Best taken with food. Robbers: Antibiotics, tea, coffee, birth control pills, and alcohol.
Primary uses: Involved in energy production; controls fat metabolism. Essential for brain and nerves. Helps make anti-stress hormones (steroids). Maintains healthy skin and hair. Deficiency Signs: Muscle tremors or cramps, apathy, poor concentration, burning feet or tender heels, nausea or vomiting, lack of energy, exhaustion after light exercise, anxiety or tension, teeth grinding. Dosage: 30 to 130 mg Toxicity: None known below 100 times RDA level Best Food Sources: Mushrooms, watercress, broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, peas, lentils, tomatoes, cabbage, celery, strawberries, eggs, squash, avocados, whole wheat. Helpers: Pantothenic acid Robbers: Stress, alcohol, tea, coffee. Destroyed by heat and food processing.
Primary uses: Essential for protein digestion and utilization, brain function, and hormone production. Helps balance sex hormones, hence use in PMS and menopause. Natural anti-depressant and diuretic. Helps control allergic reactions. Deficiency Signs: Infrequent dream recall, water retention, tingling hands, depression or nervousness, irritability, muscle tremors or cramps, lack of energy, flaky skin. Dosage: 45 to 95 mg Toxicity: Cases of pyridoxine toxicity reported with doxages above 1,000 mg unaccompanied by a B complex to help balance the intake. Best Food Sources: Watercress, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, bananas, squash, broccoli, asparagus, lentils, red kidney beans, brussels sprouts, onions, seeds and nuts. Helpers: Pyridoxine, pyridoxal-5-phosphate only if enterically coated (as stated on the label). Robbers: Alcohol, smoking, birth control pills, high protein intake, processed foods.
Primary uses: Needed for making use of protein. Helps the blood carry oxygen, hence essential for energy. Needed for synthesis of DNA. Essential for nerves. Deals with tobacco smoke and other toxins. Deficiency Signs: Poor hair condition, eczema or dermatitis, mouth oversensitive to heat or cold, irritability, anxiety or tension, lack of energy, constipation, tender or sore muscles, pale skin. Dosage: 10 to 40 mcg Toxicity: None reported with oral dose, Very rarely, an allergic reaction to injection occurs. Best Food Sources: Oysters, sardines, tuna, lamb, eggs, shrimp, cottage cheese, mild, turkey and chicken, cheese. Helpers: Works with folic acid. Best taken as B complex with food. Robbers: Alcohol, smoking, lack of stomach acid.
Primary uses: Critical during pregnancy for development of the brain and nerves. Always essential for brain and nerve function. Needed for utilizing protein and red blood cell formation. Deficiency Signs: Anemia, eczema, cracked lips, prematurely graying hair, anxiety or tension, poor memory, lack of energy, poor appetite, stomach pains, depression. Dosage: 200 to 600 mcg Toxicity: Seldom reported, but gastrointestinal and sleep problems have occurred above 15 mg. Best Food Sources: Wheat germ, spinach, peanuts, sprouts, asparagus, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, broccoli, cashews, cauliflower, walnuts, avocados. Helpers: Works with other B complex vitamins, especially B-12. Best supplemented as part of B complex with food. Robbers: High temperature, light, food processing,, and birth controll pills.
Primary uses: Particularly important in childhood. Helps you body use essential fats, assisting in promoting health skin, hair, and nerves. Deficiency Signs: Dry skin, poor hair condition, prematurely graying hair, tender or sore muscles, poor appetite or nausea, eczema or dermatitis. Dosage: 30 to 180 mcg. Toxicity: None reported Best Food Sources: Cauliflower, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, oysters, grapefruit, watermellon, sweet corn, cabbage, almonds, cherries, herring, milk, eggs. Helpers: Works with other B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese. Best supplemented as part of a B complex with food. Robbers: Raw eggs white, which contains avidin (but this is not significant in cooked egg whites), fried food.
Primary uses: Strengthens the immune system and fights infections. Makes collagen, keeping bones, skin, and joints firm and strong. Antioxidant, detoxifying pollutants and protecting against cancer and heart disease. Helps make anti-stress hormones and turns food into energy. Deficiency Signs: Frequent colds, lack of energy, frequent infections, bleeding or tender gums, easy bruising, nose-bleeds, slow wound healing, red pimples on skin. Dosage: 800 to 2,800 mg Toxicity: May cause bowel looseness in excess, but this is not a sign of toxicity and stops rapidly when dose is reduced. Best Food Sources: Peppers, watercress, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, lemons, kiwi fruit, peas, melons, oranges, grapefruit, limes, tomatoes. Helpers: Bio-flavonoids in fruit and vegetables increase its effect. Works with B vitamins to produce energy. Works with vitamin E as an antioxidant. Robbers: Smoking, alcohol, pollution, stress, fried foods.
Primary uses: Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium. Deficiency Signs: Joint pain or stiffness backache, tooth decay, muscle cramps, hair loss. Dosage: 120 to 1200 IU Toxicity: 50,000IU is potentially toxic. Best Food Sources: Herring. mackerel, salmon, oysters, cottage cheese, eggs. Helpers: Sufficient exposure to sunlight, as vitamin D is made in the skin. Under these conditions dietary vitamin D may not be necessary. Vitamin A, C, and E protect D. Robbers: Lack of sunlight, fried foods
Primary uses: Antioxidant, protecting cells from damage, including against cancer. Helps the body use oxygen, preventing blood clots, thrombosis, and atherosclerosis. Improves would healing and fertility. Good for the skin. Deficiency Signs: Lack of sex drive, exhaustion after light exercise, easy bruising, slow wound healing, varicose veins, loss of muscle tone, infertility. Dosage: 225 to 600 IU Toxicity: None reported below 3,000 IU d-alpha tocopherol long-term use and 5,250 IU short-term use. Best Food Sources: Unrefined corn oils, sunflower seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, other seed foods such as beans, peas, wheat germ, tuna, sardines, salmon, sweet potatoes Helpers: Works with vitamin C and selenium Robbers: High-temperature cooking, especially frying. Air pollution, birth control pills, excessive intake of refined or processed fats and oils.
Primary uses: Controls blood clotting. Deficiency Signs: Hemorrhage (easy bleeding) Dosage: 80 mg, Not necessare to supplement. Toxicity: Not a concern Best Food Sources: Cauliflower, brussels sprouts, lettuce, cabbage, beans, broccoli, peas, watercress, asparagus, potatoes, corn oil, tomatoes, milk. Helpers: Healthy intestinal bacteria; then no need for dietary source. Robbers: Antibiotics. In babies, lack of breast feeding Vitamins
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