Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Vitamins 101

If you're stumped by the vitamin aisle at the local pharmacy or aren't sure what foods are rich in vitamin E, you aren't alone. It is estimated that while three out of five people include vitamin supplements in their diet, half of those people don't know what they're ingesting.

While you should always check with your doctor before incorporating dietary supplements into your routine, here is a list of common vitamins, what they do and what foods they can found in:

Vitamin A: Aids in eyesight and helps you see in color, as well as keeps skin healthy. Foods rich in this vitamin include eggs, milk, apricots, nectarines, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach.

Vitamin B (includes B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin and pantothenic acid): Important in metabolic activity and in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. Foods rich in vitamin B are whole grains, seafood, poultry, red meat, eggs, dairy products, leafy green vegetables, beans and citrus fruits.

Vitamin C: Necessary for keeping body tissues, including muscles, in good shape. It also helps your body resist infection and heal wounds faster. Citrus fruits, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and cabbage are all rich in vitamin C.

Vitamin D: Keeps bones strong and helps form strong teeth by helping your body absorb the calcium it needs. Find this vitamin in milk and other vitamin D-fortified dairy products, as well as fish and egg yolks.

Vitamin E: Maintains the body's tissues, protects lungs from damage by polluted air and is important in the formation of red blood cells. Foods rich in this vitamin are whole grains, wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, sardines, egg yolks and nuts.

Vitamin K: Essential in helping the blood clot. Leafy green vegetables, liver, pork and dairy products are all good sources of vitamin K.

While they make a pill for every vitamin or mineral possible, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act has greatly restricted the Food and Drug Administration's ability to regulate claims and ingredients in these pills, making it hard to tell what you may or may not be ingesting.

The body will digest and absorb more of the beneficial vitamins found in the foods listed above than from a pill. Try to include as many of these nutrient-dense foods into your daily life to reap the benefits.

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