Vital vitamins

           Developing healthy eating habits plays a huge part in how your body performs and how you feel about it. Eating food that promotes good health makes sense, and is surprisingly simple. So take advantage to improve your diet, your health and your beauty.

First of all let’s talk about vitamins. Vitamins are crucial for number of processes carried by the body. Usually only a few milligrams are required each day but they are essential for good health. Most vitamins cannot be made by the body so they must be obtained from food.

           Vitamins have a wide variety of functions in the body. Some vitamins play a part in enzyme activity. Enzymes are protein molecules and they are responsible for every aspect of metabolism, the energy we produce. Producing plenty of enzymes improves the processes of digestion, detoxification and immunity, and also helps to slow down the aging process.

Vitamin A, C and E are antioxidants which protects body cells from damage. If the body is under stress, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is used more quickly. Smoking is a form of stress for the body, and smokers should be particularly careful to make sure that they eat fruit and vegetables containing vitamin C.

Vitamins	Best sources	Role in health
A (retinol in animal foods, beta-carotene in plant foods)	Milk, butter, cheese, egg yolks, margarine, carrots, apricots, squash, red (bell) peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, mango and sweet potatoes.	Essential for vision, bone growth, and skin and tissue repair. Beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant and protects the immune system.
B1 (thiamin)	Whole grain cereals, brewer’s yeast, potatoes, nuts, pulses (legumes) and milk.	Essential for energy production, the nervous system muscles and heart. Promotes growth and boosts mental ability.
B2 (riboflavin)	Cheese, eggs, milk, yogurt, fortified breakfast cereals, yeast extract, almonds and pumpkin seeds.	Essential for energy production and for the functioning of vitamin B6 and niacin as well as tissue repair.
Niacin (part of B complex)	Pulses, potatoes, fortified breakfast cereals, wheatgerm, peanuts, milk, cheese, eggs, peas, mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, figs and prunes.	Essential for healthy digestive system, skin and circulation. It is also needed for the release of energy.
B6 (pyridoxine)	Eggs, wholemeal (whole-wheat) bread, breakfast cereals, nuts, bananas, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage.	Essential for assimilating protein and fat, to make red blood cells, and for a healthy immune system.
B12 (cyanocobalamin)	Milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, cheese and yeast extract.	Essential for formation of red blood cells, maintaining a healthy nervous system and increasing energy levels.
Folate (folic acid)	Green leafy vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, bread, nuts, pulses, bananas and yeast extract.	Essential for cell division. Extra is needed for pre-conception and during pregnancy to protect foetus against neural tube defects.
C (ascorbic acid)	Citrus fruits, melons, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, peppers and green vegetables.	Essential for the absorption of iron, and for healthy skin, teeth and bones. An antioxidant that strengthens bones.
D (calciferol)	Sunlight, margarine, vegetable oils, eggs, cereal and butter.	Essential for bone and teeth formation. Helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus.
E (tocopherol)	Seeds, nuts, vegetable oils, eggs, wholemeal bread, green leafy vegetables, oats and cereals.	Essential for healthy skin, circulation and maintaining cells – an antioxidant.