Precursor form of vitamin A - your body converts to only as much Vitamin A as it needs
Regulates growth of cells
Strengthens the immune system, especially within the respiratory or GI tract
Beneficial for skin, mucous membrane, and digestive tract health
Sources: Carrots, kale, spinach, beans, broccoli, yellow squash, apricots, sweet potatoes

Discovered in 1928; popularized by Linus Pauling in the 1970s
Strengthens capillaries (smallest blood vessels) and cell walls
Aids in collagen formation
Aids in iron absorption
Aids in wound healing
Helps to produce hemoglobin
Helps the body recycle vitamin E
Boosts immune function, particularly with regards to the cold virus
Sources: Citrus fruits and juices, broccoli, red peppers, dark greens, strawberries, kiwifruits

Promotes calcium absorption and maintains bone health
Helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus
Enhances muscle strength
Provides cardiovascular health benefits
Enhances role of insulin in obese people
Strengthens teeth
The body, when exposed to sunshine, produces its own vitamin D; sunscreen blocks this production
Sources: Milk, butter, margarine, cheese, fish, oysters, fortified cereals

Protects cell membranes from free radical damage
Acts as a powerful antioxidant
Beneficial for eye health in those with low levels
Aids in the formation of red blood cells
Sources: Wheat germ, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, whole grains

Named Koagulation in the 1930s by Danish scientists because of its role in blood coagulation
Promotes blood clotting
About 80% in the human body produced by bacteria in the intestines
Aids in mineralization of bone (MK-4 and MK-7 forms)
Promotes cardiovascular health (MK-4 and MK-7 forms)
Sources: Leafy green vegetables, cauliflower, cabbage, soybeans, broccoli, pistachios

First B vitamin discovered, named thiamine because it contains sulfur (thia) and nitrogen (amin)
Helps cells convert carbohydrates into energy
Maintains healthy nerves
Enhances digestion
Balances mood and energy
Breaks down during cooking and leaches into cooking water
Added to white bread, cereals, pasta, and white rice to replace that which is lost during processing
Sources: Pork, whole grains, dried beans, nuts, seeds

Once called Vitamin G; name “riboflavin” derived from a sugar (ribitol) combined with a flavonoid it contains
Essential for red blood cell production
Aids in production of thyroid hormone, which speeds metabolism
Helps produce immune cells to fight infection
Activates vitamin B6 and niacin
Maintains and repairs tissue
Destroyed when exposed to light
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) (con’t)
Sources: Milk, cheese, yogurt, liver, beef, fish, fortified breads and cereals, avocados, mushrooms, eggs

Helps convert carbohydrates into energy
Helps maintain normal function of the skin, nerves, and digestive system
Sources: Chicken, beef, fish, nuts, enriched breads, cereals, and pasta. Dairy products are rich in tryptophan, which is converted by the body into niacin

Performs more than 100 different jobs throughout the body
Aids in formation of red blood cells
Helps cells make proteins
Helps process homocysteine, which has been linked to heart disease and vascular disorders when found in large quantities in the blood
Assists in maintaining normal brain function through the manufacture of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals)
Helps to synthesize antibodies in the immune system
Sources: Fish, poultry, meats, chickpeas, potatoes, avocados, bananas

First identified in the 1940s when it was extracted from spinach
Critical to DNA and RNA formation (cell division)
Helps produce brain and nervous system chemicals
Regulates homocysteine production and use
Protects against neural tube and other birth defects
Sources: Green vegetables, beans, whole grains, orange juice

Only vitamin that contains a mineral (cobalt)
Involved in red blood cell production
Maintains myelin sheath around nerves, allowing proper nerve function
Involved in production of DNA and RNA
Helps process homocysteine
Unlike most water soluble vitamins, vitamin B12 is stored in the liver in large quantities. A person can go without this vitamin for several years without developing a deficiency.
Sources: Organ meats, brewer’s yeast, oysters, fish, eggs, meat, and cheese

Found in many foods and also produced by intestinal bacteria
Affects metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates
Produces energy from glucose
Converts folacin to a biologically active form
Reduces the symptoms of zinc deficiency
Maintains hair and nails
Sources: Liver, soy products, nuts, oatmeal, rice, barley, legumes, cauliflower, and whole wheat

Greek root panthos means everywhere
Helps break down protein, fats, carbohydrates as a part of coenzyme A
Aids in manufacture of hormones
Helps maintain nervous and immune system
Sources: Organ meats, fish, poultry, whole grains, yogurt, legumes

Most abundant mineral in the body
Builds and maintains strong bones and teeth
Regulates heartbeat and other muscle contractions
Assists in blood clotting
Aids in conduction of nerve impulses
Sources: Milk, yogurt, cheese, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, canned sardines and salmon, fortified cereals

1st dietary supplement; used as early as 1670 to treat anemia
Enables red blood cells to carry oxygen
Helps muscles deliver oxygen
Necessary for collagen synthesis
Component of several enzymes
Sources: Liver, beef, lamb, clams, oysters, eggs, beans, peas, dried fruits, fortified cereals

Added to salt (iodized salt) in the 1920s as a means of preventing deficiencies
Key component of thyroid hormones that regulate growth, development, blood cell production, metabolism, muscle function, and nerve function
Critical for fetal brain and nerve development
Sources: Iodized salt, saltwater fish, seaweed

Involved in formation and mineralization of bones and teeth
Slows rate of bone turnover
Regulates heart rhythm
Plays a role in energy production
Aids in normal nerve function
Increases sensitivity to insulin, thereby maintaining blood sugar levels
Relaxes muscles
Maintains healthy blood pressure
Sources: Whole grains, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, shellfish, bananas, apricots, meat, legumes, milk

Helpful immune system booster
Promotes healing of skin wounds and irritations
Aids in the synthesis of collagen
Works with enzymes in cell division, growth, and repair
Improves taste and smell sensitivity
Sources: Beef, pork, liver, poultry, eggs, seafood, wheat germ, whole wheat bread, almonds

Mineral that works as a powerful antioxidant; its role is enhanced when combined with Vitamin E
Allows re-use of Vitamin C by converting it back to its active form
Content of selenium in foods is strongly dependent on the selenium content of the soil in which it is grown
Important immune system nutrient
Sources: Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, red meat, eggs, chicken, whole grains, vegetables grown in selenium-rich soils

Found in at least 15 different proteins in the body
Assists in collagen formation to strengthen blood vessels, tendons, and nerves
Involved in formation of melanin which pigments hair, skin, and eyes
Helps form red blood cells
Involved in processes that regulate energy production
Helps manufacture superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is a powerful antioxidant
Sources: Organ meats, crustaceans, shellfish, nuts, dried legumes, whole grains, peas, artichokes, garlic, potatoes

Contributes to formation bones, collagen, and connective tissue
Aids enzymes in managing blood sugar
Component of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a potent antioxidant
Sources: Whole grains, coffee, tea, pineapple, nuts, leafy green vegetables