Vitamins are the most essential organic compounds that are necessary for a body to perform its essential functions on a daily basis like regulating the metabolism and maintaining a healthy immune system. It is best when it is consumed by natural foods instead of dietary supplements, and it is important to take a balanced diet as vitamins need to come from food as the body either cannot produce it or has the capacity to do so. Produce very little.
Vitamins have a variety of functions to help the body function properly as they can help the body resist various disorders, keeping the body energetic and fit. So including vitamins in your diet means you will make yourself healthy food in the kitchen. That’s why I suggest you get the best appliances or gadgets that will speed up the process and you will be able to make a variety of foods instantly.
Many fruits and veggies and other food items have a huge amount of nutrients that keep our body fit and healthy. This article describes the 7 vitamins that are necessary for the human body and which foods are a good sources and how they act to keep the body healthy.
#1 Vitamin A
In effect, Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is good for the proper growth and function of the human body. It is good for skin and body and a healthy vision as well. It is known to work as an antioxidant and has various other benefits.
Sources
Let’s check out which food items are rich in vitamin A that you should consume to keep your body fit and healthy.
- Beef liver
- Tuna
- Eggs & cheese
- Sweet potatoes
- Black-eyed peas & carrots
- Broccoli & spinach
- Dark green, leafy vegetables
- Mango
- Sweet red pepper
- Apricots
- Cantaloupe
- Pumpkin
- Pink grapefruit
- Tomato juice
- Carrots
Benefits
Vitamin A has many benefits such as its ability to prevent cancer and urinary stones. Strengthens our immune system and bones, delays signs of aging and reduces acne, improves vision, supports physical activity, and promotes muscle growth.
#2 Vitamin B
Vitamin B is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a huge role in making sure that the body cells function properly as it helps the body convert the food into energy i.e metabolism, creating new blood cells, and maintaining healthy skin cells.
Sources
Vitamin B plays a crucial role in keeping the body healthy. Let’s check out which food items contain this vitamin.
- Seafood
- Meat
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Leafy greens & dark green veggies
- Vegetables (beets, potatoes, and avocados)
- Cereals & whole grain
- Beans (kidney beans, black beans & chickpeas)
- Nuts & seeds
- Fruits (citrus ones, banana & watermelon)
- Yeast & nutritional yeast
- Soy products (soy milk & tempeh)
Benefits
Vitamin B plays an important role in maintaining good health as it has a direct impact on your energy levels, cell metabolism, and brain function.
This vitamin helps in preventing various infections and helps in promoting cell health, producing new red blood cells, enhancing energy levels, maintaining good eyesight and healthy brain function, good digestion, improving a healthy appetite, hormones and cholesterol production, proper nerve function, cardiovascular health, and muscle tone.
#3 Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in various fruits and vegetables. This vitamin is well known for being a potent antioxidant having positive effects on immune function and skin health. Vitamin C is known to be vital for collagen synthesis, teeth and bones, connective tissue, and small blood vessels. Vitamin C is very essential to consume on a daily basis (like 90 mg) as the human body is unable to produce or store it.
If you are experiencing problems such as bleeding gums, bruises, or infections and the healing process is a bit slow, it is a sign that you have a vitamin C deficiency.
Sources
Following items in your diet.
- Oranges & strawberries
- Acerola cherries
- Rosehips
- Kakadu plums
- Chili peppers & bell peppers
- Guavas & lychees
- Blackcurrants
- Thyme & parsley
- Mustard spinach
- Kale and kiwis & papayas
- Broccoli & brussels sprouts
- Potatoes
- Lemons
- American persimmons
Benefits
Vitamin C has many benefits; It Helps treat common colds, cures cataracts, reduces hypertension, helps fight cancer, and reduces the chances of stroke, UTI, and inflammation. helps boost the immune system and collagen production, helps wounds heal faster, and prevents Alzheimer’s.
It reduces skin discoloration, and acne scars, keeps skin hydrated while protecting it from sun damage, and makes skin radiant and healthy. It helps in the absorption of iron and prevents and treatment of scurvy, and relieves stress and depression.
#4 Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known to be fat-soluble and is responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, phosphate, magnesium, and other biological effects.
Sources
The main source of vitamin D is sunlight but if you have a busy routine to maintain, you should consume the following foods to maintain proper levels of vitamin D in your body. :
- Seafood
- Red meat, pork & liver
- Egg yolks
- Fortified foods like fat spreads or breakfast cereals
- Mushrooms
- Fortified milk like cow’s, plant-based, soy, or almond milk.
- Fortified tofu & yogurt
Benefits
Vitamin D has various roles in helping the human body like helping in promoting healthy bones and teeth. It also has the ability to support immune, brain, and nervous system health. It assists in regulating insulin levels and also supports diabetes management, lung function, and cardiovascular health. Vitamin D has the power to balance blood pressure and relieves stress.
#5 Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that has four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. This is a very rare thing if you are suffering from Vitamin E deficiency and it is usually caused by the problem of digesting dietary fat instead of a low intake of Vitamin E, which can lead to nervous system problems.
Sources
Add the following foods if you are low in vitamin E.
- Plant-based oils
- Seeds (sunflower, pomegranate seeds)
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Beet greens, collard greens & spinach
- Pumpkin & asparagus
- Red bell pepper
- Avocado & mango
Benefits
Vitamin E has loads of benefits. It helps in preventing hair loss and helps lower the risk of cataracts. It helps in decreasing the heart disease risk by up to 40%, is shown to reduce cognitive decline by 30%, helps in repairing the damaged skin, and fights eczema, skin cancer, and wrinkles as well.
#6 Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is involved in coagulation, bone development, and cardiovascular health. The main symptoms of vitamin K deficiency are bleeding (hemorrhage), poor bone development, and osteoporosis.
Sources
The best way to get the daily dose of vitamin K is by eating food sources.
- Green leafy vegetables
- Vegetables (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower & cabbage)
- Fish, liver, meat
- Eggs & cereals
Benefits
Vitamin K plays a huge role in blood clotting, bone metabolism, and regulating blood calcium levels. As the body is desperately in need of vitamin K to produce protein, prothrombin, and a clotting factor that is important in blood clotting and bone metabolism.
#7 Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin if you are experiencing symptoms such as weak muscles, numbness in limbs, nausea, difficulty walking, weight loss, loss of appetite, irritability, lack of energy, and tiredness easily. Fatigue, diarrhea, and rapid heartbeat mean you may have a B-12 deficiency.
Sources
The food items that are rich in vitamin B-12 are:
- Meat (liver & kidneys)
- Seafood
- Fortified cereal, fortified nutritional yeast & fortified non-dairy milk
- Milk & dairy products
- Eggs
Benefits
When you take the above food you will be able to prevent anemia as it helps in the formation of red blood cells.
It also helps prevent osteoporosis Reduces the risk of macular degeneration, improves mood and reduces depression, and energizes the body. It also helps maintain good mental health
But you have to encourage yourself with foods that are essential for mental health stability.
Conclusively, always go for a healthy proportioned meal cooked by yourself.