Vitamins

Front 1

Vitamin A

Back 1

is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods.

Recommended Intake: The amount of vitamin A you need depends on your age and reproductive status. Recommended intakes for vitamin A for people aged 14 years and older range between 700 and 900 micrograms(mcg) of retinol activity equivalents (RAE) per day. Recommended intakes for women who are nursingrange between 1,200 and 1,300 RAE. Lower values are recommended for infants and children younger than 14

Dietary Source: Beef liver and other organ meats (but these foods are also high in cholesterol, so limit the amount you eat).Some types of fish, such as salmon.Green leafy vegetables and other green, orange, and yellow vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, and squash.Fruits, including cantaloupe, apricots, and mangos.Dairy products, which are among the major sources of vitamin A for Americans.Fortified breakfast cereals.

Deficiencies/At risk: Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the United States, although it is common in many developing countries. The most common symptom of vitamin A deficiency in young children and pregnant women is an eye condition called xerophthalmia. Xerophthalmia is the inability to see in low light, and it can lead to blindness if it isn't treated.

Relationship to Health: Vitamin A is important for normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction. Vitamin A also helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs work properly.

Front 2

Vitamin B1

(Thiamin)

Back 2

Thiamin (also called vitamin B1) helps turn the food you eat into the energy you need.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 6 months0.2 mg Infants 7–12 months0.3 mg Children 1–3 years0.5 mg Children 4–8 years0.6 mg Children 9–13 years0.9 mg Teen boys 14–18 years1.2 mg Teen girls 14–18 years1.0 mg Men1.2 mg Women1.1 mg Pregnant teens and women1.4 mg Breastfeeding teens and women1.4 mg

Dietary Source: Whole grains and fortified bread, cereal, pasta, and riceMeat (especially pork) and fishLegumes (such as black beans and soybeans), seeds, and nuts.

Deficiencies/At Risk: Thiamin deficiency can cause loss of weight and appetite, confusion, memory loss, muscle weakness, and heart problems. Severe thiamin deficiency leads to a disease called beriberi with the added symptoms of tingling and numbness in the feet and hands, loss of muscle, and poor reflexes. Beriberi is not common in the United States and other developed countries.A more common example of thiamin deficiency in the United States is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which mostly affects people with alcoholism. It causes tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, severe memory loss, disorientation, and confusion.

Relationship to Health: Thiamin is important for the growth, development, and function of the cells in your body.

Front 3

Vitamin B12

Back 3

is a nutrient that helps keep the body's nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 6 months0.4 mcg Infants 7–12 months0.5 mcg Children 1–3 years0.9 mcg Children 4–8 years1.2 mcg Children 9–13 years1.8 mcg Teens 14–18 years2.4 mcg Adults2.4 mcg Pregnant teens and women2.6 mcg Breastfeeding teens and women2.8 mcg

Dietary Source: Beef liver and clams, which are the best sources of vitamin B12.Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products, which also contain vitamin B12.Some breakfast cereals, nutritional yeasts and other food products that are fortified with vitamin B12.

Deficiencies/At Risk: Vitamin B12 deficiency causes tiredness, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and megaloblastic anemia. Nerve problems, such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, can also occur. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include problems with balance, depression, confusion, dementia, poor memory, and soreness of the mouth or tongue. Vitamin B12 deficiency can damage the nervous system even in people who don't have anemia, so it is important to treat a deficiency as soon as possible.

Relationship to Health: Vitamin B12 also helps prevent a type of anemia calledmegaloblastic anemia that makes people tired and weak.

Front 4

Vitamin B6

Back 4

is a vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. The body needs vitamin B6 for more than 100 enzyme reactions involved in metabolism.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 6 months0.1 mg Infants 7–12 months0.3 mg Children 1–3 years0.5 mg Children 4–8 years0.6 mg Children 9–13 years1.0 mg Teens 14–18 years (boys)1.3 mg Teens 14–18 years (girls)1.2 mg Adults 19–50 years1.3 mg Adults 51+ years (men)1.7 mg Adults 51+ years (women)1.5 mg Pregnant teens and women1.9 mg Breastfeeding teens and women2.0 mg

Dietary Source: Poultry, fish, and organ meats, all rich in vitamin B6.Potatoes and other starchy vegetables, which are some of the major sources of vitamin B6 for Americans.Fruit (other than citrus), which are also among the major sources of vitamin B6 for Americans.

Deficiencies/At Risk: Vitamin B6 deficiency is uncommon in the United States. People who don't get enough vitamin B6 can have a range of symptoms, including anemia, itchy rashes, scaly skin on the lips, cracks at the corners of the mouth, and a swollen tongue. Other symptoms of very low vitamin B6 levels include depression, confusion, and a weak immune system

Relationship to Health: Vitamin B6 is also involved in brain development during pregnancy and infancy as well as immune function.

Front 5

Vitamin C

Back 5

also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient found in some foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 6 months40 mg Infants 7–12 months50 mg Children 1–3 years15 mg Children 4–8 years25 mg Children 9–13 years45 mg Teens 14–18 years (boys)75 mg Teens 14–18 years (girls)65 mg Adults (men)90 mg Adults (women)75 mg Pregnant teens80 mg Pregnant women85 mg Breastfeeding teens115 mg Breastfeeding women120 mg

Dietary Source: Citrus fruits (such as oranges and grapefruit) and their juices, as well as red and green pepper and kiwifruit, which have a lot of vitamin C.Other fruits and vegetables—such as broccoli, strawberries, cantaloupe, baked potatoes, and tomatoes—which also have vitamin C.Some foods and beverages that are fortified with vitamin C

Deficiencies/At Risk: Vitamin C deficiency is rare in the United States and Canada. People who get little or no vitamin C (below about 10 mg per day) for many weeks can get scurvy. Scurvy causes fatigue, inflammation of the gums, small red or purple spots on the skin, joint pain, poor wound healing, and corkscrew hairs. Additional signs of scurvy include depression as well as swollen, bleeding gums and loosening or loss of teeth. People with scurvy can also develop anemia

Relationship to Health: The body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein required to help wounds heal. In addition, vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from plant-based foods and helps the immune system work properly to protect the body from disease

Front 6

Vitamin D

Back 6

is a nutrient found in some foods that is needed for health and to maintain strong bones. It does so by helping the body absorbcalcium (one of bone's main building blocks) from food and supplements.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 12 months400 IU Children 1–13 years600 IU Teens 14–18 years600 IU Adults 19–70 years600 IU Adults 71 years and older800 IU Pregnant and breastfeeding women600 IU

Dietary Source: Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are among the best sources.Beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks provide small amounts.Mushrooms provide some vitamin D. In some mushrooms that are newly available in stores, the vitamin D content is being boosted by exposing these mushrooms to ultraviolet light.Almost all of the U.S. milk supply is fortified with 400 IU of vitamin D per quart. But foods made from milk, like cheese and ice cream, are usually not fortified.Vitamin D is added to many breakfast cereals and to some brands of orange juice, yogurt, margarine, and soy beverages; check the labels.

Deficiencies/At Risk: People can become deficient in vitamin D because they don't consume enough or absorb enough from food, their exposure to sunlight is limited, or their kidneys cannot convert vitamin D to its active form in the body. In children, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, where the bones become soft and bend. It's a rare disease but still occurs, especially among African American infants and children. In adults, vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia, causing bone pain and muscle weakness.

Relationship to Health: Vitamin D is important to the body in many other ways as well. Muscles need it to move, for example, nerves need it to carry messages between the brain and every body part, and the immune system needs vitamin D to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis. Vitamin D is found in cells throughout the body.

Front 7

Vitamin E

Back 7

is a fat-soluble nutrient found in many foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 6 months4 mg (6 IU)Infants 7–12 months5 mg (7.5 IU)Children 1–3 years6 mg (9 IU)Children 4–8 years7 mg (10.4 IU)Children 9–13 years11 mg (16.4 IU)Teens 14–18 years15 mg (22.4 IU)Adults15 mg (22.4 IU)Pregnant teens and women15 mg (22.4 IU)Breastfeeding teens and women19 mg (28.4 IU

Dietary Source: Vegetable oils like wheat germ, sunflower, and safflower oils are among the best sources of vitamin E. Corn and soybean oils also provide some vitamin E.Nuts (such as peanuts, hazelnuts, and, especially, almonds) and seeds (like sunflower seeds) are also among the best sources of vitamin E.Green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, provide some vitamin E.Food companies add vitamin E to some breakfast cereals, fruit juices, margarines and spreads, and other foods.

Deficiencies/At Risk: Vitamin E deficiency is very rare in healthy people. It is almost always linked to certain diseases where fat is not properly digested or absorbed. Examples include Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and certain rare genetic diseases such as abetalipoproteinemia and ataxia with vitamin E deficiency (AVED). Vitamin E needs some fat for the digestive system to absorb it.Vitamin E deficiency can cause nerve and muscle damage that results in loss of feeling in the arms and legs, loss of body movement control, muscle weakness, and vision problems. Another sign of deficiency is a weakened immune system.

Relationship to Health: The body also needs vitamin E to boost its immune system so that it can fight off invading bacteriaand viruses. It helps to widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting within them. In addition, cells use vitamin E to interact with each other and to carry out many important functions.

Front 8

Vitamin K

Back 8

is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 6 months2.0 mcg 7–12 months2.5 mcg 1–3 years30 mcg 4–8 years55 mcg 9–13 years60 mcg 14–18 years75 mcg Adult men 19 years and older120 mcg Adult women 19 years and older90 mcg Pregnant or breastfeeding teens75 mcg Pregnant or breastfeeding women90 mcg

Dietary Source: Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, and lettuceVegetable oilsSome fruits, such as blueberries and figsMeat, cheese, eggs, and soybeans

Deficiencies/At Risk: Severe vitamin K deficiency can cause bruising and bleeding problems because the blood will take longer to clot. Vitamin K deficiency might reduce bone strength and increase the risk of getting osteoporosis because the body needs vitamin K for healthy bones.

Relationship to health: It’s important for blood clotting and healthy bones and also has other functions in the body. If you are taking a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin®), it's very important to get about the same amount of vitamin K each day.

Front 9

Vitamin B2

Back 9

is important for the growth, development, and function of the cells in your body. It also helps turn the food you eat into the energy you need.

Recommended Intake: Birth to 6 months0.3 mg Infants 7–12 months0.4 mg Children 1–3 years0.5 mg Children 4–8 years0.6 mg Children 9–13 years0.9 mg Teen boys 14–18 years1.3 mg Teen girls 14–18 years1.0 mg Men1.3 mg Women1.1 mg Pregnant teens and women1.4 mg Breastfeeding teens and women1.6 mg

Dietary Source: Eggs, organ meats (such as kidneys and liver), lean meats, and low-fat milkGreen vegetables (such as asparagus, broccoli, and spinach)Fortified cereals, bread, and grain products

Deficiencies/At Risk: You can develop riboflavin deficiency if you don’t get enough riboflavin in the foods you eat, or if you have certain diseases or hormone disorders.Riboflavin deficiency can cause skin disorders, sores at the corners of your mouth, swollen and cracked lips, hair loss, sore throat, liver disorders, and problems with your reproductive and nervous systems.Severe, long-term riboflavin deficiency causes a shortage of red blood cells (anemia), which makes you feel weak and tired. It also causes clouding of the lens in your eyes (cataracts), which affects your vision.

Relationship to Health: ) is important for the growth, development, and function of the cells in your body.