Why Does Your Family Need Vitamins?
Mother is right when she says, “Get your vitamins.” These substances are just that – vital to life. In the early 1900s these nutrients in foods were thought to be “amines” or organic compounds. Since they also appear to be vital to life, they were known as vit-amines. Unlike the big three nutrients: fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, vitamins contain no calories and are not sources of energy, yet they work at the cellular level to help metabolize the nutrients from food. Vitamins are important to the health and well-being of every family member, so to be your family’s nutritionist, you must know how to value your vitamins.
Vitamin facts you should know
There are 13 vitamins that are essential to humans, and vitamins are divided into two categories, according to the way the body absorbs them. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are absorbed with the help of fats in the diet and are stored in the fats of the body. Because your body can store these vitamins for a long time, unless your diet is chronically lacking one of these, it is unusual to have a deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins. The other vitamins: vitamin C, and the eight B-complex vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they do not need fat for absorption, yet most are not stored very long in the body (Because pantothenic acid and Biotin are found in so many foods and their deficiencies are rare, they are not included in the following list). If there's an excess of these water-soluble vitamins, either from food or from a supplement, they are flushed through the body rapidly and are eliminated quickly in the urine.
Except for vitamin D, and a bit of vitamin K, your body cannot make vitamins. You must get them from foods. So, if your diet is deficient in one or more vitamins, your body will feel the effects of these missing essentials.
It's best to get your vitamins from foods and not supplements, since one nutrient in a food may help another one be better absorbed. Except for vitamin A, it's impossible to overdose on vitamins in food. Vitamin supplements are drugs, which like any drug have both benefits and risks. Taken in just the right amount, they can help the body; overdosing, like any drug, has side effects and may harm the body. If you and your family eat a balanced diet, you don't need to worry that you or your children are getting enough vitamins. What is lacking in one food will be found in another. This is particularly true in fruits and vegetables. Many of the vitamins that are found in vegetables, which children may shun, are also found in fruits, which most kids enjoy.
Vitamin Chart
| VITAMINS | HOW MUCH YOU NEED(RDA) | WHAT IT DOES | DEFICIENCY SIGNS | BEST FOOD SOURCES |
| A | Adults and Teens Females: 800 R.E. Males: 800Children Birth to 1 year: 375 1 - 3 years: 400 5 - 6 years: 500 7 - 10 years: 700 | Promotes healthy vision by making retinol, a pigment necessary for the retina of the eye, to accommodate to night vision; promotes healthy skin and teeth; boosts immune system. R.E means retinol equivalents, the unit of measurement of Vitamin A. | Night blindness, dry eyes, dry scaly skin, increased susceptibility to infections Unlikely since so many foods are rich in either pre-formed vitamin A or its precursor, beta carotene. | Liver, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, apricots, green leafy vegetables, mango, cantaloupe, tuna |
| Beta carotene | No RDA established | Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, meaning the body converts them to vitamin A according to its need. The intestines extract from foods the amount of B-carotene the body needs to make the vitamin A it needs; no more, no less. So the intestines protect the body from excess vitamin A in case you habitually eat too much food rich in pre-formed vitamin A. | Excess may cause yellowish-orange skin, especially in palms and soles (but not the eye balls). Called "carotenemia" this harmless curiosity disappears when cutting back on carotenoids. | Yellow-orange fruit and vegetables and dark green vegetables: dried apricots, sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, peaches, pumpkin, kale, winter squash, mango |
| B-1(Thiamin) | Adults and Teens Females: 1.1 mg. Males: 1.5Children Birth to 1 year:.3 - .4 1 - 3 years: .7 4 - 6 years: .9 7 - 10 years: 1.0 | Helps cells convert sugars to energy, especially high- energy utilizing cells in heart and brain. | Weakness, nervous system malfunction, heart failure Deficiency rare in America, except in alcoholics, since alcohol excess impairs absorption of thiamin. | Whole grains, seeds, nuts, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, pork, oats, tuna, salmon, California avocado, pasta and cereals (whole grain or fortified), beans, legumes, tofu, artichoke |
| B-2 (Riboflavin) | Adults and Teens Females: 1.3 mg. Males: 1.7Children Birth to 1 year: 0.4 - 0.5 1 - 3 years: .8 4 - 6 years: 1.1 7 - 10 years: 1.2 | Like B-1, it acts like a coenzyme, helping to convert carbohydrates to energy; also essential for red blood cell production | Dry, scaly, cracked skin; eyes ultrasensitive to bright light; sore red tongue Deficiency rare in America. | Organ meats, dairy products, seafood, egg, meat, fortified breads and cereals, almonds, tofu, artichoke, beet greens, spinach, sweet potato |
| B-3 (Niacin) | Adults and Teens Females: 15 mg. Males: 19 mg.Children Birth to 1 year: 5 - 6 mg. 1 - 3 years: 9 4 - 6 years: 12 7 - 10 years: 13 | Like B-1 and B-2, it's a coenzyme in cellular conversion of sugars into energy, especially in digestive and nervous systems. | Dry, cracked, inflamed skin; digestive and nervous systems malfunction. Deficiency rare in developed countries. It's added to a lot of fortified foods and the body can manufacture niacin from tryptophan, an amino acid found in many protein foods. | Seafood: tuna, swordfish, salmon; meat, peanuts and peanut butter, wheat germ, wheat bran, fortified cereals and pasta, barley, rye, buckwheat, wild rice, sunflower seeds, potato, California avocado, mushroom |
| B-6(Pyridoxine) | Adults and Teens Females: 1.6 mg. Males: 2.0 mg.Children Birth to 1 year: .3 - .6 mg. 1 - 3 years: 1.0 4 - 6 years: 1.1 7 - 10 years: 1.4 | Acts like a coenzyme protein metabolism. Specifically, it helps the cells assemble amino acids into protein parts. Also, it's needed to help the cells convert proteins and liver glycogen to energy in case extra energy is needed. Boosts immune system, and helpful in building brain's neurotransmitters. | Convulsions, nervous system malfunction; inflamed skin. Deficiency rare since B-6 found in most protein foods and typical American diet is high in protein. | Tuna, salmon, California avocado, potatoes, meat, bananas, chick peas, prune juice, sunflower seeds, sweet potato, artichoke, rice bran. |
| B-12 | Adults and Teens 2 microgramsChildren Birth to 1 year: .3 - .7 1 - 3 years: .7 4 - 6 years: 1.0 7 - 10 years: 1.4 | Helps build a strong myelin sheath to insulate nerves; necessary component in healthy red blood cells. | Convulsions, nervous system malfunction; inflamed skin. Anemia, nerve damage | Seafood, meat, yogurt, milk, cheese, egg |
| C (Ascorbic Acid) | Adults and Teens 60 MG.Children Birth to 1 year: 30-35 1 - 3 years: 40 4 - 6 years: 45 7 - 10 years: 45 | Builds strong connective tissue that stabilizes muscles and bones; antioxidant; enhances iron absorption; promotes wound healing; maintains integrity of capillaries; boosts immune system; important in production of neurotransmitters. | Convulsions, nervous system malfunction; inflamed skin. Bleeding gums, reduced wound healing; easy bruising, decreased immune function | Guava, papaya, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberries, fresh orange juice, chili peppers, broccoli |
| D | Adults and Teens 200 I.U.Children Birth to 6 mo: 300 I.U. 6 mo. - 24 years: 400 I.U. | Promotes absorption of calcium and phosphorus for strong bones. Sunshine stimulates a cholesterol-like substance in the skin to make vitamin D. Because of growing bones, children need more vitamin D than adults. The only vitamin a baby needs more of than an adult. | Fragile, easily-fractured bones and weak muscles - a condition called "rickets." | Dietary sources not necessary as long as skin exposed to as little as 15 minutes of sunshine three times a week, which can produce enough vitamin D, vitamin D fortified milk |
| E | Adults and Teens Females: 8 mg. Males: 10 mg.Children Birth to 1 year: 3 - 4 1 - 3 years: 6 4 - 6 years: 7 7 - 10 years: 7 | One of the big three antioxidants, along with vitamin C and beta carotene; protects cell membranes against damage. | Anemia, neurologic damage, effects of deficiency less clear than with other vitamins. | Polyunsaturated oils and seed: sunflower, safflower, canola, corn; almonds, peanut butter, wheat germ, tomato puree, California avocados, peaches, oat bran, fortified cerealsTop source: sunflower seeds |
| F (Folic Acid) | Adults and Teens 400 mcg. During pregnancy: 800 mcg.Children Birth to 1 year: 25 - 35 1 - 3 years: 50 4 - 6 years: 75 7 - 10 years: 100 | Acts like a coenzyme that aids in the production of DNA, the blueprint for cell reproduction. Necessary in red blood cell production; necessary in formation of spinal bones in fetus. | Anemia; spina bifida in fetus, delayed growth. | Asparagus, pinto beans, lentils, chick peas, artichokes, spinach, kidney beans, California avocados, papaya, wheat germ, fortified cereals |
| K | Adults and Teens Females: 65 mg. Males: 70 mg.Children Birth to 1 year: 5 - 10 1 - 3 years: 15 4 - 6 years: 20 7 - 10 years: 30 | A vital substance in the blood-clotting mechanism. | Bleeding, diminished blood clotting Deficiency is rare since normal resident intestinal bacteria make vitamin K for the body. | Green leafy vegetables, kale, broccoli, onions, lettuce, cabbage, spinach |
Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his “little patients” call him, has been advising busy parents on how to raise healthier families for over 40 years. He received his medical training at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the world’s largest children’s hospital, where he was associate ward chief of the newborn intensive care unit before serving as the chief of pediatrics at Toronto Western Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto. He has served as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto, University of South Carolina, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and University of California: Irvine. As a father of 8 children, he coached Little League sports for 20 years, and together with his wife Martha has written more than 40 best-selling books and countless articles on nutrition, parenting, and healthy aging. He serves as a health consultant for magazines, TV, radio and other media, and his AskDrSears.com website is one of the most popular health and parenting sites. Dr. Sears has appeared on over 100 television programs, including 20/20, Good Morning America, Oprah, Today, The View, and Dr. Phil, and was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in May 2012. He is noted for his science-made-simple-and-fun approach to family health.