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What   Are   Vitamins   and   Minerals? Vitamins   and   minerals   make   people's   bodies   work   properly. Although   you   get   vitamins   and   minerals   from   the   foods   you   eat every   day,   some   foods   have   more   vitamins   and   minerals   than others. Vitamins   fall   into   two   categories:   fat   soluble   and   water   soluble.   The fat-soluble   vitamins   -   A,   D,   E,   and   K   -   dissolve   in   fat   and   can   be stored   in   your   body.   The   water-soluble   vitamins   -   C   and   the   B-complex   vitamins   (such   as   vitamins   B6,   B12,   niacin,   riboflavin, ...

Vitamin K Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting, which means it helps wounds heal properly. There's also some evidence vitamin K may help keep bones healthy. Good sources of vitamin K Vitamin K is found in: green leafy vegetables – such as broccoli and spinach vegetable oils cereal grains Small amounts can also be found in meat and dairy foods. How much vitamin K do I need? Adults need approximately 1mcg a day of vitamin K for each kilogram of their body weight. For example, someone who weighs 65kg would need 65mcg a day of vitamin K, while a person who weighs 75kg would need 75mcg a day. You should be able to get all the vitamin K you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.  Any vitamin K your body doesn't need immediately is stored in the liver for future use, so you don't need it in your diet every day. What happens if I take too much vitamin K? There's not enough evidence to know what the effec...

Vitamin E Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthen the body's natural defence against illness and infection (the immune system). Good sources of vitamin E Vitamin E is found in a wide variety of foods. Good sources include: plant oils – such as soya, corn and olive oil nuts and seeds wheatgerm – found in cereals and cereal products How much vitamin E do I need? The amount of vitamin E you need is: 4mg a day for men 3mg a day for women You should be able to get all the vitamin E you need from your diet. Any vitamin E your body doesn't need immediately is stored for future use, so you don't need it in your diet every day. What happens if I take too much vitamin E? There isn't enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of vitamin E supplements each day. What does the Department of Health advise? You should be able to get the amount of vitamin E you need by eating a varied and balanc...

Vitamin D Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults. Good sources of vitamin D From about late March/early April to the end of September, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors. But between October and early March we don't get enough vitamin D from sunlight. Read more about vitamin D and sunlight. Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods. Sources include: oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and fresh tuna red meat liver egg yolks fortified foods – such as most fat spreads and some breakfast cereals Another source of vitam...

Vitamin C Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has several important functions. These include: helping to protect cells and keeps them healthy maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage helping with wound healing Lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy. Mild deficiencies may occur in infants given unsupplemented cows' milk and in people with poor or very restricted diets. Good sources of vitamin C Vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Good sources include: oranges and orange juice red and green peppers strawberries blackcurrants broccoli brussels sprouts potatoes How much vitamin C do I need? Adults (19-64 years) need 40mg of vitamin C a day. You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need from your daily diet. Vitamin C can't be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day. What happens if I take too much vitamin C? Taking large amounts (more than 1,000mg per day)...

B vitamins and folic acid There are many different types of vitamin B. This section has information on: thiamin (vitamin B1) riboflavin (vitamin B2) niacin (vitamin B3) pantothenic acid vitamin B6 biotin (vitamin B7)  folic acid (folate) vitamin B12 Thiamin (vitamin B1) Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, helps: break down and release energy from food keep the nervous system healthy Good sources of thiamin Thiamin is found in many types of food. Good sources include: peas fresh and dried fruit eggs wholegrain breads some fortified breakfast cereals liver How much thiamin do I need? The amount of thiamin adults (19-64 years) need is: 1mg a day for men 0.8mg a day for women You should be able to get all the thiamin you need from your daily diet. Thiamin can't be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day. What happens if I take too much thiamin? There's not enough evidence to know what the effects migh...