1.3.7. Vitamins: Summary Chart
Summary of Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Table 1.3.7.1 Fat-Soluble Vitamins
| Vitamin | Sources | Recommended intake for adults | Major functions | Deficiency diseases and symptoms | Groups at risk of deficiency | Toxicity | Upper limit |
| Vitamin A (retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, carotene, beta-carotene) | Retinol: beef and chicken liver, skim milk, whole milk, cheddar cheese; Carotenoids: pumpkin, carrots, squash, collards, peas | 700-900 mcg/day | Antioxidant, vision, cell differentiation, reproduction, immune function | Xerophthalmia, night blindness, eye infections; poor growth, dry skin, impaired immune function | People living in poverty (especially infants and children), premature infants, pregnant and lactating women people who consume low-fat or low-protein diets | Hypervitaminosis A: Dry, itchy skin, hair loss, liver damage, joint pain, fractures, birth defects, swelling of the brain | 3000 mcg/day |
| Vitamin D | Swordfish, salmon, tuna, orange juice (fortified), milk (fortified), sardines, egg, synthesis from sunlight | 600-800 IU/day (15-20 mcg/day) | Absorption and regulation of calcium and phosphorus, maintenance of bone | Rickets in children: abnormal growth, misshapen bones, bowed legs, soft bones; osteomalacia in adults | Breastfed infants, older adults people with limited sun exposure, people with dark skin | Calcium deposits in soft tissues, damage to the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys | 4000 IU/day (100 mcg/day) |
| Vitamin E | Sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts | 15 mg/day | Antioxidant, protects cell membranes | Broken red blood cells, nerve damage | People with poor fat absorption, premature infants | Inhibition of vitamin K clotting factors | 1000 mcg/day from supplemental sources |
| Vitamin K | Vegetable oils, leafy greens, synthesis by intestinal bacteria | 90-120 mcg/day | Synthesis of blood clotting proteins and proteins needed for bone health and cell growth | Hemorrhage | Newborns, people on long term antibiotics | Anemia, brain damage | ND |
Source: Fat Soluble Vitamins
Summary of Water-Soluble Vitamins
Table 1.3.7.2 Water-Soluble Vitamins
| Vitamin | Sources | Recommended intake for adults | Major functions | Deficiency diseases and symptoms | Groups at risk of deficiency | Toxicity | Upper limit |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | Orange juice, grapefruit juice, strawberries, tomato, sweet red pepper | 75-90 mg/day | Antioxidant, collagen synthesis, hormone and neurotransmitter synthesis | Scurvy, bleeding gums, joint pain, poor wound healing, | Smokers, alcoholics, elderly | Kidney stones, GI distress, diarrhea | 2000 mg/day |
| Thiamin (B1) | Pork, enriched and whole grains, fish, legumes | 1.1-1.2 mg/day | Coenzyme: assists in glucose metabolism, RNA, DNA, and ATP synthesis | Beriberi: fatigue, confusion, movement impairment, swelling, heart failure | Alcoholics, older adults, eating disorders | None reported | ND |
| Riboflavin (B2) | Beef liver, enriched breakfast cereals, yogurt, steak, mushrooms, almonds, eggs | 1.1-1.3 mg/day | Coenzyme: assists in glucose, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, electron carrier, other B vitamins are dependent on | Ariboflavinosis: dry scaly skin, mouth inflammation and sores, sore throat, itchy eyes, light sensitivity | None | None reported | ND |
| Niacin (B3) | Meat, poultry, fish, peanuts, enriched grains | 14-16 NE/day | Coenzyme: assists in glucose, fat, and protein metabolism, electron carrier | Pellagra: diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, death | Alcoholics | Nausea, rash, tingling extremities | 35 mg/day from fortified foods and supplements |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | Sunflower seeds, fish, dairy products, widespread in foods | 5 mg/day | Coenzyme: assists in glucose, fat, and protein metabolism, cholesterol and neurotransmitter synthesis | Muscle numbness and pain, fatigue, irritability | Alcoholics | Fatigue, rash | ND |
| B6 (Pyridoxine) | Meat, poultry, fish, legumes, nuts | 1.3-1.7 mg/day | Coenzyme; assists in amino-acid synthesis, glycogneolysis, neurotransmitter and hemoglobin synthesis | Muscle weakness, dermatitis, mouth sores, fatigue, confusion | Alcoholics | Nerve damage | 100 mg/day |
| Biotin | Egg yolks, fish, pork, nuts and seeds | 30 mcg/day | Coenzyme; assists in glucose, fat, and protein metabolism, amino-acid synthesis | Muscle weakness, dermatitis, fatigue, hair loss | Those consuming raw egg whites | None reported | ND |
| Folate | Leafy green vegetables, enriched grains, orange juice | 400 mcg/day | Coenzyme; amino acid synthesis, RNA, DNA, and red blood cell synthesis | Diarrhea, mouth sores, confusion, anemia, neural-tube defects | Pregnant women, alcoholics | Masks B12 deficiency | 1000 mcg/day from fortified foods and supplements |
| B12 (cobalamin) | Meats, poultry, fish | 2.4 mcg/day | Coenzyme; fat and protein catabolism, folate function, red-blood-cell synthesis | Muscle weakness, sore tongue, anemia, nerve damage, neural-tube defects | Vegans, elderly | None reported | ND |
| Choline | Egg yolk, wheat, meat, fish, synthesis in the body | 425-550 mg/day | Synthesis of neurotransmitters and cell membranes, lipid transport | Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, muscle damage, interfered brain development in fetus | None | Liver damage, excessive sweating, hypotension | 3500 mg/day |
Source: Water Soluble Vitamins
