Vitamins are essential for the maintenance of good health and the prevention of a number of diseases. In this, we look at the properties of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, and common food sources.

There are two types of vitamins:
• water-soluble vitamins B and C
• fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, so you need to get them from food every day. They can be destroyed by overcooking.
Vitamins are found in a wide variety of foods and a balanced diet should provide you with the quantities you need.

This vitamin is essential for growth and healthy skin and hair. It is a powerful antioxidant that plays a key role in the body's immune system.
Vitamin A is found in the following animal products:
• milk, butter, cheese and eggs
• chicken, kidney, liver, liver pate
• fish oils, mackerel, trout, herring.
Another source of vitamin A is a substance called beta-carotene. This is converted by the body into vitamin A. It is found in orange, yellow and green vegetables and fruits.

The complex of B vitamins includes the following group of substances:
• B1 – thiamine
• B2 – riboflavin
• B3 – nicotinic acid
• B6 – pyridoxine
• B12 – cobalamin
• folate – folic acid.
The body requires relatively small amounts of vitamins B1, B2 and B3.
Vitamins B6 and B12 help the body to use folic acid and are vital nutrients in a range of activities, such as cell repair, digestion, the production of energy and in the immune system.
Vitamin B12 is also needed for the breakdown of fat and carbohydrate.
Deficiency of either vitamin will result in anaemia.
Vitamin B6 is found in most foods, so deficiency is rare.

Vegetarians and B12:

Vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy produce will get enough B12.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can occur in vegans because all dietary sources are animal in origin.
The British Vegan Society recommends foods fortified with vitamin B12, such as:
• breakfast cereals
• yeast extract
• margarine
• soya powder and milk
• Plamil
• soya mince or chunks.
The best dietary sources of the B vitamins, especially B12, are:
• animal products (meat, poultry)
• yeast extracts (brewers' yeast, Marmite).
Other good sources include:
• asparagus, broccoli, spinach, bananas, potatoes
• dried apricots, dates and figs
• milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt
• nuts and pulses
• fish
• brown rice, wheat germ, wholegrain cereals.
Dietary sources of vitamin B6 are similar to those for vitamin B12 and also include avocado, herring, salmon, sunflower seeds and walnuts.

Folic acid (folate):

Folic acid works closely in the body with vitamin B12. It is vital for the production of healthy blood cells.
- Lack of folic acid is one of the main causes of anaemia, particularly in people whose diet is generally poor. Vitamins B6 and B12 help the body use folate, so are often given alongside folic acid supplements.
- In pregnancy, low folate levels increase the risk of the baby's spinal cord system not developing completely (spina bifida). All women are now advised to take folic acid supplements in the first three months of pregnancy and ideally before conception occurs.
- Folate occurs naturally in most foods but often in small amounts.
• Many food manufacturers now fortify white flour, cereals, bread, corn, rice and noodle products with folic acid.
• One serving of each enriched product will contribute about 10 per cent of the RDA for folic acid.
• Wholegrain products are not enriched because they already contain natural folate.
- Liver contains the greatest amount of folic acid, with lower levels found in beef, lamb and pork and a range of green vegetables and citrus fruits.
- Other sources of folate are dried beans, fresh orange juice, tomatoes, wheat germ (wholemeal bread and cereal) and wholegrain products (pasta and brown rice).
* Table 1:Folate content of foods – an adult needs 200mcg a day.
* Food - Serving size - Amount of folate *
Asparagus - 115g - 132mcg
Black beans - 115g - 128mcg
Breakfast cereal - 30-40g - 80-120mcg
Brussels sprouts - 115g - 47mcg
Chicken liver - 100g - 770mcg
Chick peas - 115g - 180mcg
Cooked broccoli - 115g - 47mcg
Cooked spinach - 115g - 131mcg
Cooked white rice - 170g - 60mcg
Kidney beans - 115g - 115mcg
Oranges -1 medium - 47mcg
Pasta - 55g - 100-120mcg
Tomato juice - 1 cup (225ml) - 48mcg
Wheat germ - 2 tbsp - 38mcg

Vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidant vitamins.
- We need vitamin C for growth, healthy body tissue, wound repair and an efficient immune system.
- In addition, it also helps with the normal function of blood vessels and helps you absorb iron from plant sources as opposed to the iron in red meat.
- you know frozen and tinned produce count towards your five-a-day.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables are the main source of vitamin C – eating your five a day will easily meet the body's needs.
- Too much vitamin C can result in a sensitive, irritable stomach and mouth ulcers.
- Also, too much of a good thing can be dangerous; the upper daily limit is currently 1g. More than this safe level of vitamin C has been linked to damage of the inner lining of arteries, predisposing to the formation of cholesterol plaques and heart disease.
Table 2: Vitamin C content of foods – an adult needs 60mg a day.
* Food - Serving size - Amount of vitamin C *
Strawberries - 1 bowl - 70-120mg
Kiwi fruit - 1 fruit - 50mg
Steamed broccoli - 1 serving (80g) - 50mg
Orange - 1 large - 70mg
Mango and passion fruit smoothie - 250ml glass/bottle - 48mg
Frozen peas, cooked 1 serving - (85g) - 17mg

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and teeth. It helps the body to absorb calcium.
- The action of sunlight on the skin enables the body to manufacture vitamin D – even on a cloudy day. For this reason, most people will get enough vitamin D through their everyday activities. However, there are some groups of people who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and the Department of Health recommends that the following people take a daily vitamin D supplement:
• pregnant and breastfeeding women
• infants and children under five years old
• people over 65 years old
• people who have very little sun exposure, for example people who cover their skin for cultural reasons and people who are housebound or have to stay indoors for long periods of time
• people who have darker skin and so are not able to make as much vitamin D, for instance people of African, African-Caribbean or South Asian origin.
- Your doctor or pharmacist can give you advice on suitable supplements.
- Foods rich in vitamin D are oily fish, liver, cod liver oil and dairy products. Many foods are also 'fortified' with low levels of vitamin D, such as margarine and breakfast cereals. However, it is very difficult to get the recommended daily amount of vitamin D through diet alone.

Vitamin E is important in cell maintenance and also plays an active role in the maintenance of a healthy heart, blood and circulation. It is one of the body's main antioxidants.
Deficiency only occurs in cases of severe malabsorption or certain rare genetic disorders.
The following foods are rich in vitamin E:
• avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, watercress, brussels sprouts
• blackberries, mangoes
• corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil
• mackerel, salmon
• nuts, wholemeal and wholegrain products
• soft margarine.

Vitamin K is involved in the blood clotting process and in the maintenance of strong bones.
It is found in small quantities in meat, most vegetables and wholegrain cereals.
Your body also makes vitamin K in the large intestine, through the activity of 'healthy bacteria'. For this reason, there is no recommended daily amount.
These bacteria are also referred to as the gut flora. They form part of our defence against more harmful organisms.
Diets rich in fatty and sugary foods can adversely change the balance of the gut flora, as can the additives and pesticides that are often a part of modern food production.