Nutrition: Vitamins and minerals

Introduction

Both vitamins and minerals are essential in the diet in small quantities.The term ‘vitamin’ was not coined until early in the 20th century, to describe those chemicals in food without which a pattern of deficiency symptoms (often called a deficiency syndrome) occurs. 

Minerals, also called mineral elements, are those elements other than carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen that are found in the body.

There are two main groups of vitamins: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. The body can store fat-soluble vitamins, but any excess water-soluble vitamins are easily removed from the body in the urine, so regular intake is necessary. Vitamins are, however, needed in only very small quantities.

Name	values for adults per day	Main dietary sources
Fat-soluble vitamins
vitamin A	0.6 mg for women; 0.7 mg for men	liver, cheese, eggs, butter, oily fish (such as mackerel), milk, fortified* margarine, yoghurt
vitamin D	0.01 mg (10 μg) for certain groups, e.g. pregnant women, those who rarely go outside, etc.	oily fish, liver, eggs, margarine, some breakfast cereals, bread, powdered milk
vitamin E	3 mg for women; 4 mg for men	plant oils (such as soya,corn and olive oil), nuts, seeds, wheat germ, some green leafy vegetables
vitamin K	0.07 mg(70 μg), or 1 μg per kg of body weight	green leafy vegetables (such as broccoli and spinach), vegetable oils, cereals; small amounts can also be found in meat (such as pork),and dairy foods (such as cheese)
Water-soluble vitamins
thiamin (vitamin B1)	0.8 mg for women; 1 mg for men	pork, vegetables, milk, cheese, peas, fresh and dried fruit, eggs, wholegrain breads, some fortified* breakfast cereals
riboflavin (vitamin B2)	1.1 mg for women; 1.3 mg for men	milk, eggs, fortified* breakfast cereals, rice, mushrooms.
niacin (vitamin B3)	13 mg for women; 17 mg for men	beef, pork, chicken, wheat flour, maize flour, eggs, milk
vitamin B6(pyridoxine)	1.2 mg for women; 1.4 mg for men	liver, pork, chicken, turkey, cod, bread, whole cereals (such as oatmeal, wheatgerm and rice), eggs, vegetables, soyabeans, peanuts, milk, potatoes, breakfast cereals
folate (folic acid, vitamin B9)	0.2 mg, but 0.4 mg extra for women who are, or plan to be, pregnant	broccoli, sprouts, spinach, peas, chickpeas, potatoes, yeast extract, brown rice, some fruit (such as oranges and bananas),breakfast cereals, some bread
vitamin B12(cobalamin)	0.0015 mg (1.5 μg)	meat (particularly liver), salmon, cod, milk, cheese, eggs, yeast extract, some breakfast cereals
pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)	none given – should be sufficient in normal diet	chicken, beef, potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, liver, kidneys, eggs, broccoli, wholegrains (such as brown rice and wholemeal bread), some breakfast cereals
biotin (vitamin H)	0.01–0.2 mg	meat (such as kidney and liver), eggs and some fruit and vegetables, especially dried mixed fruit
vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	40 mg	wide variety of fruit and vegetables, especially peppers, broccoli, sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberries, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit

Water-soluble vitamins thiamin (vitamin B1) 0.8 mg for women; 1 mg for men pork, vegetables, milk, cheese, peas, fresh and dried fruit, eggs, wholegrain breads, some fortified* breakfast cereals riboflavin (vitamin B2) 1.1 mg for women; 1.3 mg for men milk, eggs, fortified* breakfast cereals, rice, mushrooms. niacin (vitamin B3) 13 mg for women; 17 mg for men beef, pork, chicken, wheat flour, maize flour, eggs, milk vitamin B6(pyridoxine) 1.2 mg for women; 1.4 mg for men liver, pork, chicken, turkey, cod, bread, whole cereals (such as oatmeal, wheatgerm and rice), eggs, vegetables, soyabeans, peanuts, milk, potatoes, breakfast cereals folate (folic acid, vitamin B9) 0.2 mg, but 0.4 mg extra for women who are, or plan to be, pregnant broccoli, sprouts, spinach, peas, chickpeas, potatoes, yeast extract, brown rice, some fruit (such as oranges and bananas),breakfast cereals, some bread vitamin B12(cobalamin) 0.0015 mg (1.5 μg) meat (particularly liver), salmon, cod, milk, cheese, eggs, yeast extract, some breakfast cereals pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) none given – should be sufficient in normal diet chicken, beef, potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, liver, kidneys, eggs, broccoli, wholegrains (such as brown rice and wholemeal bread), some breakfast cereals biotin (vitamin H) 0.01–0.2 mg meat (such as kidney and liver), eggs and some fruit and vegetables, especially dried mixed fruit vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 40 mg wide variety of fruit and vegetables, especially peppers, broccoli, sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberries, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit