Vitamin Chart

Vitamin charts and what they do. A vitamin chart helps to outline the dosage and benefits of each vitamin, providing a detailed list of sources of different kinds of vitamins. An extensive vitamin chart will also provide you with dosage instructions for different vitamins on a per day basis. A standard vitamin chart is recommended for a healthy adult based on a 2000-calorie diet. The recommended dietary allowances for different kinds of vitamins and minerals may differ based on age, gender, height, weight, and level of physical activity.

Dosages also usually vary if you are pregnant or lactating and/or depending on your lifestyle.

Some vitamin charts may also specify a safe/adequate intake range. Vitamins are mostly soluble, and excess amount of vitamins are usually excreted from the body. However, any indiscriminate intake of vitamins or vitamin supplements may interfere with your body functions and cause health alarms. Thus, a vitamin chart ensures that the body is supplied the right amount of vitamins. Listed below is a sample of vitamin chart for kids. The vitamin chart details benefits and sources of different kinds of vitamins that should be part of your daily diet.

Vitamin A: Essential for eye health and clear night vision, vitamin A supports the health of the immune system and promotes healthy skin and cell regeneration. Vitamin A can be found in eggs, milk, dark colored vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, dark green vegetables like spinach and kale, and fruits such as cantaloupe, apricots, mangoes, papayas and peaches. The health benefits of peaches are numerous as they are abundant ins plenty of nutrients such as vitamin A , potassium, calcium, iron, vitamin C , niacin, riboflavin , carbohydrates and so on. Like peach, health benefits of apricot include building up of energy and iron resources in the body. Apricots are packed with nutrients that can treat anemia, cancer, skin diseases, fevers, earache, indigestion and constipation.

Vitamin B: Vitamin B complex comprises of all the B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B9, and B12); they are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, panthothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid or folate, and cobalamin, respectively. Different vitamins within this group are essential for our daily functions. Thiamine and riboflavin provide the body with its energy needs by helping to convert carbohydrates into energy. Thiamine also supports the function of important organs like the heart, muscles, and nervous system. Riboflavin helps in the regeneration of red blood corpuscles. Niacin supports nerve function and promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails. Folic acids or folates are important for cell regeneration and are the building blocks of our DNA. Vitamin B12 or cobalamin is essential for nerve function and the production of red blood cells. It plays an important role in the overall growth and development of the body. Pyridoxine helps the body break down proteins into essential amino acids and promotes hormonal function.

Thiamine and riboflavin are present in a wide variety of foods such as whole grain products including wheat pasta, bread, cereals, dark leafy vegetables, potatoes, diary products, seafood, pork and kidney beans. Whole grains, dried beans and peas, poultry, fish and lean red meat contain rich traces of niacin. Pyridoxine can be found in tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, papayas, dried beans, potatoes, wheat germ, fish and chicken. Expectant mothers can include mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas, dried nuts such as walnuts, almond, cashews, all citrus fruits, and wheat bran bread for their daily quota of folates. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, shellfish like shrimp, lobster, mussels, crabs, eggs, chicken, and lean meat provide our bodies with vitamin B12. Deficiency of certain vitamin B may cause physical and mental fatigue, weight loss, hair loss, skin deficiencies, loss of appetite, and muscle cramps. Birth defects or poor development in children maybe observed due to vitamin B deficiency.

Vitamin C: The most important role of Vitamin C is to act as a catalyst for the assimilation of iron and calcium. Vitamin C also helps brain function, promotes healing, and is essential for bone and dental health. Collagen, the connecting link between body cells, also benefits from Vitamin C. Citrus fruits and fruit juices such as sweet lime, key lime, lemon, and orange are excellent sources of Vitamin C. Other fruit sources include dark colored berries, guava, kiwi, and grapefruit. Vegetables such as colored bell peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli are also rich

Sources of Vitamin C

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is essential for your body’s bone building process. Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium into the bloodstream. In a unique process, the human body produces Vitamin D by absorbing sunlight through the skin. A deficiency of this vitamin is responsible for a medical condition called rickets, which leads to a softening or weakening of child’s bones. Vitamin D sources include sufficient amount of sunlight, milk, egg and egg yolks.

Vitamin E: With antioxidant properties, Vitamin E helps to fight cell damage. It can be found in fish and fish oils, oily nuts and seeds, avocados, whole grain foods, leafy vegetables, and vegetable oils.

Submitted on January 16, 2014