VITAMINS AND MINERALS – what actualy they do?

Vitamins

Vitamin A (retinol) properties
Good for	Eyesight, growth, appetite and taste.
Signs of deficiency	Night-blindness
RDA	800 micrograms
Good sources	Liver, cod liver oil, carrots, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, enriched margarine, milk products and yellow fruits.
Poisoning	This vitamin is fat-soluble and so is stored in the body for a long time, especially in pregnancy. An overdose may be dangerous.
Destroyed by	Fatty acids.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) properties
Good for	Nervous system, digestion, muscles, heart, alcohol-damaged nerve tissues.
Signs of deficiency	Tingling in fingers and toes, confusion, difficulties in maintaining balance, loss of appetite, exhaustion and weakened powers of concentration.
RDA	1.4mg
Good sources	Liver, yeast, egg yolk, cereal, red meat,nuts and wheatgerm.
Poisoning	No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine.
Destroyed by	High temperatures, alcohol and coffee.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) properties
Good for	Growth, skin, nails, hair, sensitive lips and tongue, eyesight, the breakdown of protein, fat and carbohydrates.
Signs of deficiency	Itchy irritated eyes, itchy mucous membranes (nose, mouth, throat) and cracked corners of lips.
RDA	1.6mg
Good sources	Milk, liver, yeast, cheese, green leafy vegetables, fish.
Poisoning	No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine.
Destroyed by	Alcohol and light (this is why milk-cartons are better than bottles).

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) properties
Good for	Preventing skin conditions, nerve problems, helps the body absorb protein and carbohydrate.
Signs of deficiency	Skin inflammation.
RDA	2mg – women taking the contraceptive pill may need more.
Good sources	Fish, bananas, chicken, pork, wholegrains and dried beans.
Poisoning	May cause nerve problems in large doses. Evidence is conflicting about the maximum safe dose, so get medical advice before exceeding the RDA.
Destroyed by	The contraceptive pill, roasted or boiled food, alcohol and oestrogen (the female hormone).

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) properties
Good for	Making red blood and the formation of the nerves.
Signs of deficiency	Tiredness and fatigue, tingling and numbness in hands/feet, memory problems and anaemia.
RDA	1 microgram
Good sources	Eggs, shellfish, poultry, meat,liver, milk, cheese and fortified cereal.
Poisoning	No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine.
Destroyed by	Water, sunlight, alcohol, oestrogen and sleeping pills

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) properties
Good for	Immune defence system, protection from viruses and bacteria, healing wounds, reducing cholesterol, cell lifespan and preventing scurvy.
Signs of deficiency	Tiredness, bleeding gums and slow-healing wounds.
RDA	60mg
Good sources	Citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, berries, tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, green leafy vegetables and peppers.
Poisoning	Large doses can cause diarrhoea and nausea, eg 2g/day . Some scientists have argued that 1000-5000mg per day may damage your DNA.
Destroyed by	Boiling food, light, smoking and heat.

Vitamin D properties
Good for	Strong bones and teeth.
Signs of deficiency	Unhealthy teeth, osteomalacia (causes weakening of bones), rickets in children.
RDA	5 micrograms
Good sources	Sunlight (the action of sunlight on the skin allows our bodies to manufacture vitamin D), cod liver oil, sardines, herring, salmon, tuna, milk and milk products.
Poisoning	This vitamin is fat-soluble so can accumulate in the body. Overdoses are dangerous, but there is wide variability in the toxic level, eg 400IU for children.
Destroyed by	Mineral oil.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) properties
Good for	Fighting toxins – vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant.
Signs of deficiency	Weak muscles and fertility problems.
RDA	10mg
Good sources	Nuts, soya beans, vegetable oil, broccoli, sprouts, spinach, wholemeal products and eggs.
Poisoning	Potential effect with warfarin increasing risk of bleeding, more than 400IU/day can increase risk of heart failure and death in long term illness.
Destroyed by	Heat, oxygen, frost, iron and chlorine.

Folic acid properties
Good for	Production of red blood cells. It is essential in the first three months of pregnancy to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida, cleft palate or cleft lip.
Signs of deficiency	Tiredness due to anaemia and red tongue.
RDA	200 micrograms. Women planning to conceive should take a daily supplement of 400mcg, continued for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Good sources	Carrots, yeast, liver, egg, yolks, melon, apricots, pumpkin, avocado, beans, rye and wholewheat and green leafy vegetables.
Poisoning	No danger. It dissolves in water, so any excess is passed in urine.
Destroyed by	Water, sunlight and heat.

Minerals

Calcium
Good for	Strong bones and teeth, nerve function, muscle contraction, blood clotting.
Signs of deficiency	Poor teeth and brittle bones.
RDA	800mg
Good sources	Milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt and green leafy vegetables.
Poisoning	High doses can lead to headaches, stomach pain, high blood pressure and diarrhoea. Excess calcium can be deposited as kidney and gall bladder stones. It has been linked to an increased risk for heart attack in recent research.

Iron
Good for	Red blood cells and muscle function, white blood cells and the immune system.
Signs of deficiency	Tiredness, irritability, difficulties concentrating.
RDA	14mg
Good sources	Lean red meat, oily fish, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, nuts, wholegrains and wholewheat.
Poisoning	Iron is stored in the body and high doses (over 17mg) can lead to constipation, vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea. Very high doses can be fatal.

Magnesium
Good for	Converting energy from food, cell repair, building strong bones, teeth and muscles and regulating body temperature.
Signs of deficiency	Muscle spasms, and has been associated with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and weak bones.
RDA	300mg
Good sources	Green leafy vegetables, wholegrains and nuts.
Poisoning	High doses can cause diarrhoea.

Zinc
Good for	Immune system, the breakdown of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
Signs of deficiency	Lesions on skin, eyes and in throat, loss of taste and smell, hair loss, diarrhoea, slow healing of wounds and growth problems in children.
RDA	15mg
Good sources	Meat, shellfish, milk brown rice and wholegrains.
Poisoning	High doses can lead to stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, 100mg a day is the current advised maximum daily limit