| Vitamin |
Benefits |
Recommended Daily Allowance |
Food Sources |
Deficiency Symptoms |
| Vitamin A |
Critical to the development of bones and teeth. Helps maintain good eyesight. Enhances the immune system. Prevents red blood cell damage. |
- Adults 600 mcg
- Children 600 mcg
- Infants 350 mcg
- Lactating Women 950 mcg
|
Dark green leafy vegetables, Yellow-orange vegetables and fruits, Liver, Milk, Butter |
Rhodopsin deficiency, night blindness, retarded growth, skin disorders, and increased infection risk |
| Vitamin B 1 |
Needed by your body to process fats, proteins and carbohydrates. B-1 also helps form the fuel your body needs to function. |
- Men 1.3 mg
- Women 1.0 mg
- Children 1.1 mg
- Infants 50 mcg
|
Wheat germ, liver, pork, whole & enriched grains, dried beans |
Beriberi-muscle, weakness (including cardiac muscle), neuritis, and paralysis |
| Vitamin B 2 |
Processes amino acids and fats. Also activates vitamin B-6 and folic acid. |
- Men 1.5 mg
- Women 1.2 mg
- Children 1.3 mg
- Infants 60 mcg
|
Dairy products, green leafy vegetables (like spinach), whole & enriched grains |
Eye disorders and skin cracking, especially at corners of mouth |
| Vitamin B 3 |
Used by your body to release energy from carbohydrates and to process alcohol. |
- Men 17 mg
- Women 13 mg
- Children 15 mg
- Infants 650 mcg
|
Meat, poultry, fish, nuts, whole & enriched grains, dried beans |
Pellagra-diarrhea, dermatitis, and mental disturbance |
Vitamin B 5 |
Converts nutrients into energy. Also essential for processing fats. |
- Men 10 mg
- Women 10 mg
- Children 5.5 mg
|
Lean meats, whole grains, legumes |
Tingling hands and feet, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, insomnia, reduced resistance to infection |
Vitamin B 6 |
The principle vitamin for processing amino acids. Also helps convert nutrients into energy. |
- Men 2.0 mg
- Women 2.0 mg
- Children 1.7 mg
- Infants 0.1-0.4 mg
|
Fish, poultry, lean meats, whole grains |
Dermatitis, retarded growth, and nausea |
Vitamin B 12 |
Maintains healthy nervous system and assists with blood cell formation. |
- Men 2 mcg
- Women 2 mcg
- Children 1 mcg
- Infants 0.5 mcg
- Lactating Women 2.6 mcg
|
Liver, lean meat, fish and poultry, eggs, dairy products |
Pernicious anemia and nervous system disorders |
| Vitamin B 9 - Folic Acid |
Assists the normal development of cells, especially during pregnancy. Also protects your body from amino acids linked to heart disease and stroke. |
- Men 100 mcg
- Women 100 mcg
- Children 80 mcg
- Infants 25 mcg
- Pregnant Women 400 mcg
- Lactating Women 150 mcg
|
Green leafy vegetables (like spinach), liver, dried beans |
Macrocytic anemia (enlarged red blood cells) |
| Vitamin C |
Helps the formation of scar tissue, Fights bacterial infection, Reduces the impact of some allergy producing substances, Helps prevent the common cold (Controversial), As an antioxidant, fights cancer, cataracts, and heart disease. |
- Men 40 mg
- Women 40 mg
- Children 40 mg
- Infants 25 mg
- Lactating Women 80 mg
|
Citrus fruits, melon, berries, vegetables; like Broccoli, Tomatos, Oranges, Grapefruit, Cantaloupe |
Scurvey-defective bone formation and poor wound healing |
| Vitamin D |
Critical for bone development and strength, Mantains a stable nervous system, Maintains a normal and strong heartbeat, Helps in blood clotting. |
- Adults 0.01 mg
- Children 0.01 mg
|
Fish-liver oils, Fortified milk, Egg yolks, Tuna fish |
Rickets-poorly developed, weak bones; osteomalacia; bone resorption |
| Vitamin E |
Lessens oxidative damage after hard training, Prevents lung damage from many pollutants, Vital to the immune system. |
- Men 15 mg
- Women 12 mg
- Children 8.3 mg
- Infants 4-5 mg
|
Vegetable oils, Wheat germ, Whole grains, Rice, Leafy vegetables |
Muscular dystrophy and sterility |
| Vitamin K |
Essential to blood clotting. |
- Adults 70-140 mcg
- Children 35-75 mcg
|
Green leafy vegetables, Vegetable oils, Fish |
Excessive bleeding due to retarded blood clotting |