Understand what vitamins are, and what they do to your body! Written by Jesse Dance, Sports Nutritionist of Team Get Fit LLC.
I’ve been getting a lot of people asking me “What vitamins should I take?”. Well first off, you need to know what they are, and what they do for your body. So I’m going to explain to you the details and benefits of each vitamin.
Vitamins are small nutrients found in food that our bodies need to maintain proper functions. With vitamins it breaks down to two categories: fat soluble and water soluble. Now if you’re anything like me when I learned about all this, I’m sure your wondering “What in the world does that mean?”. Don’t worry. Let me explain.
Fat soluble vitamins are those that can be found in the fats of the foods that you eat, and are stored in the fats of your body. Water soluble vitamins are stored in the water of your body. It’s that simple. And to really drive it home, I’m going to break each vitamin down one-by-one to show you their benefits and what foods to find them in.
Let’s start with Fat Soluble vitamins first.
vitamin a -
*Essential For:
Eye health, bone health, immunity, and reproductive function
*can be found in:
Liver - Carrots - Pumpkin - Sweet Potatoes - Spinach - Collards - Kale - Egg yolks - Beets - Mustard Greens - Winter Squash
vitamin d -
*essential for:
Bone health, blood calcium levels, cell growth, immunity, teeth integrity
*can be found in:
Rainbow Trout - Salmon - Swordfish - Tuna - Halibut - Sardines - Rockfish - Egg yolks - Mushrooms - Shrimp - Beef - Liver
vitamin e -
*essential for:
Protecting cell membranes and other fatty acids from oxidation - Protecting white blood cells - Immunity - Overall - Antioxidant functions
*can be found in:
Almonds - Sunflower seeds - Spinach - Swiss Chard - Avocado - Peanuts - Turnip greens - Hazelnuts
vitamin k1 -
*essential for:
Blood coagulation - Bone metabolism
*can be found in:
Kale - Collard Greens - Spinach - Turnip greens - Beet greens - Dandelion greens - Swiss Chard - Brussels Sprouts - Broccoli - Asparagus
vitamin k2 -
*essential for:
Bone metabolism - Appropriate calcium deposition - Supporting growth and development
*can be found in:
Cheese - Natto - Egg yolks - Butter (Grass-fed Cows) - Chicken liver - Chicken breast - Beef - Dairy
Now let's talk about Water Soluble vitamins.
vitamin b1 (Thiamin)-
*essential for:
Acting as an enzyme cofactor for carbohydrate - Amino acid metabolism
*can be found in:
Sunflower Seeds - Pork - Peas - Barley - Navy Beans - Black Beans - Lentils - Oats - Asparagus - Beef Liver - Tahini - Pinto Beans
vitamin b2 (riboflavin)-
*essential for:
Acting as an enzyme cofactor for carbohydrate - Fat metabolism
*can be found in:
Beef Liver - Cottage Cheese - Yogurt - Soybeans - White Mushrooms - Milk - Spinach - Whole Wheat - Almonds - Eggs - Shrimp
vitamin b3 (niacin)-
*essential for:
Carbohydrate and fat metabolism - DNA replication and repair
*can be found in:
Beef Liver - Yellowfin Tuna - Chicken Breast - Pork Loin - Salmon - Swordfish - Whole Wheat - Buckwheat - Mushrooms - Canned tomato products
vitamin b5 (Pantothenic acid)-
*essential for:
Assisting with fat and carbohydrate metabolism - Cholesterol production - And supporting: hair, skin, eyes, liver, nervous system, reproductive function, red blood cell production, adrenal gland function, and digestion
*can be found in:
Shiitake Mushrooms - Avocado - Trout - Yogurt - Chicken - Lobster - Peas - Crab - Cremini Mushrooms - Sweet Potatoes - Potatoes - Lentils - Egg yolk - Beef liver - Turkey
vitamin b6 (pyridoxine)-
*essential for:
Acting as an enzyme cofactor for carbohydrate and
amino acid metabolism - Synthesis of blood cells
*can be found in:
Tuna - Turkey - Beef - Chicken - Salmon - Sweet Potatoes - Sunflower Seeds - Chickpeas - Potatoes - Pork Loin - Bananas - Swordfish - Spinach - Plantains
vitamin b7 (biotin)-
*essential for:
Acting as an enzyme cofactor in carbohydrate - Fat and protein metabolism
*can be found in:
Nuts - Egg yolks - Sweet Potatoes - Onions - Liver - Salmon - Peanuts - Mushrooms - Pork - Chocolate - Oats - Tomatoes
vitamin b9 (folate)-
*essential for:
Acting as an enzyme cofactor for amino acid metabolism - DNA synthesis - Metabolism of homocysteine
*can be found in:
Spinach - Lentils - Pinto Beans - Chickpeas - Asparagus - Broccoli - Romaine Lettuce - Cowpeas - Black Beans - Kidney Beans - Chicken liver
vitamin b12 (Cobalamin)-
*essential for:
Formation of blood - Nervous system function - Enzyme cofactor in metabolism of homocysteine
*can be found in:
Shellfish - Beef liver - Beef - Sardines - Salmon - Tuna - Cod - Dairy
vitamin c (Ascorbic Acid)-
*essential for:
Collagen synthesis - Immune function - Synthesis of
hormones - Synthesis of neurotransmitters - Synthesis of DNA - Enhancement of iron absorption - Anti-Oxidation
*can be found in:
Sweet Peppers - Citrus fruits - Broccoli - Strawberries - Kiwi - Guava - Kohlrabi - Papaya - Brussels Sprouts
so what should i supplement?
Alright, now that you know how to naturally find all of the vitamins, ask yourself this one question... "Do I eat all of that every day?". If the answer is no, then you should probably supplement some of the vitamins that you miss with some vitamin pills. Listen to your doctor, and listen to your body to help figure out what your missing.
To sum it all up
Take a moment to read the list and apply what you've learned to your life or the life of a loved one. Providing your body with what it needs is the key to longevity.
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THANK YOU, AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY - JESSE
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