Vital Vitamins

Vitamins are nutritional supplements that occur naturally within foods and are necessary for the proper functioning of many activities of the body.  They are classified as micronutrients; different from the macronutrients of carbohydrates, fats, and protein.  Vitamins are termed micronutrients for two reasons: they are needed in far smaller amounts than the macronutrients, and, although micronutrients provide necessary nutrients for the human body, they contain no caloric value.  Essentially vitamins provide a necessary form of nutrition, and may contribute to the various processes that give the body energy.  But vitamins do not contain direct energy through calories.

It is important to understand that recommendations given regarding adequate intake levels of vitamins are based upon research done among physically inactive adults.  Recommendations for children, athletic populations, or people with food allergies or other special dietary concerns may have different requirements. For most people the necessary vitamins can be consumed through a well-balanced and healthy diet.  Research has shown that higher levels of vitamin intake may be necessary for people who are physically active more than four hours per week or who are involved in high-level athletics.  It is also important to understand that it is possible to suffer from health complications related to deficiency, or inadequate intake, as well as toxicity or excessive intake.  Consult your physician if you suspect that health problems may be related to deficient or toxic levels of vitamin intake, or have circumstances that may require special dietary considerations.

Vitamins can be broken into two main categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble, meaning that, certain vitamins are best absorbed in the presence of water while others are best absorbed in the presence of dietary fat.  The water soluble vitamins are B1 (thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), Niacin, B6 (Pyridoxine), Pantothenic acid, Biotin, B12 (cyanocobalamin), and Folic Acid (folate) and Vitamin C. The fat-soluble vitamins are Retinol (Vitamin A), Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. 

Water- Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin	Minimum Intake	Physically Active Suggested	Function	Deficiency/Toxicity	Food Sources
C	75-90 mg	250-500 mg	Antioxidant, Collagen Formation, Iron Absorption, Carnitine Synthesis, Norepinephrine Synthesis, Alleviating muscle soreness, muscle recovery	Deficiency: Scruvy, bleeding gums, fatigue, muscle pain, easy bruising, depression,	Fresh Fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits
B1 (Thiamin)	1.2 mg/day	Same	Oxidation of carbohydrates, Nerve Conduction	Deficiency: heart disease, weight loss, neurological failure	Seeds, Legumes, pork, enriched grains and cereals
B2 (Riboflavin)	1.3 mg/day	2.0mg/day for endurance athletes	Oxidation of carbohydrates and fats, normal eye function, healthy skin	Deficiency: Swollen Tongue, sensitivity to light, cracked lips, fatigue	Milk, lIver, whole and enriched grains
Niacin	16 mg/day	20mg/day	Oxidation of carbohydrates and fats, Electron Transport	Deficiency: Diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia	Amino Acid Tryptophan, enriched grains and cereal
Vitamin B6	1.5 mg/day	2mg/day	Protein Synthesis and breakdown, conversion of tryptophan to niacin, glycogen breakdown, neurotransmitter synthesis	Deficiency: Neurological Problems, sensory neuropathy	Meat, fish, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, vegetables
Pantothenic acid	5mg/day	same	Energy Reactions for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, fatty acid synthesis	Deficiency: Gastrointestinal distress, fatigue	All naturally occurring foods
Biotin	30 micrograms	Same	Removal of Carbon Dioxide from the blood	Deficiency: Dermatitis, anorexia, and hair loss (deficiency is very rare)	Egg Yolk, Legumes, Bacterial synthesis in the gut
Vitamin B6	2.4 micrograms per day	Same	Red blood cell formation	Deficiency: Pernicious anemia, neurological degeneration, loss of mental function	Meat, vegetarians are at a high risk of deficiency
Folic Acid	400 micrograms per day	Same	Synthesis of DNA, Cell Division, Maturation of Red Blood Cells	Deficiency: Neural tube defects in offspring of deficient women, megaloblastic anemia	Organ meats, green leafy vegetables, whole grain foods (typically most common vitamin deficiency)

Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin	Minimum Intake	Physically Active Suggested	Function	Deficiency/Toxicity	Food Sources
Vitamin A (retinol)	900 micrograms per day	Same	Vision, growth, reproduction, immune function, healthy skin	Deficiency: Night Blindness, eye disease, growth failure, unhealthy skin, susceptibility to infections Toxicity: Headache, vomiting, hair loss, bone abnormalities, live damage, death	Fish Liver oils, liver, butter, vitamin A +D added milk, egg yolk
Vitamin D	5 micrograms/day	up to 1000 mg/day	Calcium absorption, phosphorus absorption, mineralization of bone	Deficiency: Rickets, in children, osteomalacia in adults, poor bone mineralization Toxicity: (most toxic of vitamins) Renal Damage, cardiovascular damage, high blood calcium, calcium deposits in soft tissues	Fish Liver oils, fortified milk, skin synthesis with exposure to sunlight, small amounts found in butter, liver, egg yolk, and canned salmon, sardines
Vitamin E	15 mg/day	30mg.day-	Powerful Antioxidant, Involved in Immune Function	Deficiency: Premature breakdown of red blood cells, anemia in infants, easy peroxidative damage of cells	Vegetable oils, green leafy vegetable, nuts, legumes
Vitamin K	120 micrograms/day	200mg/day	Involved in blood clotting and hydration	Deficiency: Longer Clotting Time	Green Leafy Vegetable

A summary of the best foods to eat to maximize vitamin intake:

·         Eggs: K, D, B2, Niacin, B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid

·         Chicken: B12, B6, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid

·         Spinach: K, E, C, A, B2

·         Milk: D, B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, A, Niacin

·         Broccoli: E, K, C, A

·         Sweet Potatoes: Pantothenic Acid, A, B6, C

·         Berries: C, A, E

·         Nuts: Niacin, B2, Pantothenic Acid, E

·         Avocado: C, E, B6, Pantothenic Acid

·         Legumes: B2, Niacin, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid

Sources:

ACSM’s Resources for the Personal Trainer

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus