Water Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B

Found in:

Wheat germ
Yeast
Organ meats (liver, kidney)
Chicken
Fish
Leafy green vegetables
Whole cereals
Whole grains
Pulses/legumes
Potatoes
Brown Rice (B1)
Eggs
Peanuts

Function:

Regulates central nervous system
Involved in functioning of the adrenal glands
Involved in blood cell formation
Aids in metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates
B12 important for production of red blood cells

Deficiency Symptoms:

Nervous disorders
Poor skin and hair
Sensitivity to noise
Loss of appetite and poor digestion
Mouth ulcers or cracked lips
Peptic ulcers
Dermatitis
Irritability
Headaches
Tiredness and sleeplessness
Abdominal pains

Destroyed by:

High temperature cooking, stress, antibiotics which deplete normal intestinal bacteria needed to digest food.

Vitamin C

Found in:

Citrus
Tomatoes
Guavas
Paw paws and other raw fruits and vegetables
Red and black berries

Function:

Protection against infection
Healing of wounds
Vital in preventing gum disease
Important for healthy tissue and blood vessels
Aids healthy bones, teeth and gums
Combats fatigue
Helps with insect bites and some allergic reactions
Aids absorption of iron

Deficiency Symptoms:

Vitamin C levels are low in people with cataracts
Crohn's disease
High blood pressure
Hypertension
Anaemia
Fainting
Diarrhoea
Lowers resistance to infection
Sore, swollen and bleeding gums
Slow wound healing
Lack of Vitamin C can cause the development of scurvy

Destroyed by:

Strong heat and light
Soaking and boiling
Frozen food loses Vitamin C if thawed out for longer than an hour
Cooking in copper utensils

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A (Retinol)

Found in:

Dairy products such as full cream milk, butter, cheese, egg yolk, oily fish and other organ meats, fish liver oils, orange and yellow vegetables and fruit (carrots, peaches, apricots). Carotene found especially in carrots can be converted into Vitamin A.

When needed, our bodies are able to convert the water-based beta-carotene in yellow and dark green vegetables into Vitamin A.

Function:

Keeps body resistance high
Helps prevent chronic colds and sinusitis
Helps protect lungs from damage due to airborne pollution
Good for healthy intestinal mucous membranes
Needed for normal growth
Contributes to healthy skin, hair, nails
Good for eyesight, especially night vision

Deficiency Symptoms:

Dry itchy scalp
Warts
Night blindness
Skin complaints
Lowers resistance to infection
Deterioration of mucous membranes
Increase in respiratory and ear infections
Dull and lifeless hair
Weight loss

Destroyed by:

Freezing

Vitamin D (Retiuol)

Found in:

Dairy products
Eggs
Liver
Fatty fish, especially mackeral, sardines, salmon, tuna, kippers, fish liver oils

Vitamin D is created in the healthy body by sunshine on the skin.

Function:

Important for the absorption of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium from food thus affecting the growth and solidity of bones and teeth.
Vital in control of blood calcium levels.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Rickets
Tooth decay
Retarded growth in children
Weak muscles
Crohn's disease is caused by a deficiency in Vitamin D

Destroyed by:

Liquid paraffin prevents absorption.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

Found in:

Cold-pressed vegetable oils (mainly olive oil and sesame oil)
Soya beans
Whole raw nuts
Milk
Egg yolk
Whole grain cereals
Fresh wheat germ
Wheat germ oil
Whole wheat bread
Avocado pears

Function:

Protects against pollution
Enhances immune responses
Improves muscle function
Stimulates more efficient use of oxygen by cells
Valuable for tissue healing (scars)
Maintains suppleness and toughness of skin
Is a natural antoxidant which is protective

Deficiency Symptoms:

Low immune system
Poor muscle function (i.e. stiffness and soreness)
Long healing of scars
Poor skin and hair
Deficiency is a factor in miscarriage and in prostrate gland enlargement in men.

Destroyed by:

Rancidity in fats, frying, freezing.
Use of too many hydrogenated vegetable oils can also induce a deficiency in Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Found in:

Green vegetables
Alfalfa
Cold-pressed oils
Soya beans
Pig's liver
Whole wheat bread
Seaweed
Eggs
Liver
Kidney meat
Green vegetables

Function:

Important for blood clotting

Deficiency Symptoms:

Prolonged nose bleeding
Subcutaneous bleeding

For maximum absorbtion, the oil based Vitamins should be taken after a meal in which fat or oil is eaten.

Minerals

Calcium

Found in:

Milk
Cheese
Sesame seeds
Almonds
Green vegetables
Potatoes
Eggs
Bone broth
Whole grain products
Fatty fish
Molasses
Dried legumes

Function:

Bone growth (99% of the body's calcium is stored in the bones)
Tooth and nail formation
Muscle tone and contraction
Regulates heart rhythm
Aids proper concentration and brain function

Deficiency Symptoms:

Cramps
Pains in joints
Brittle bones
Poor teeth
Increased irritability
Nervousness
Slow blood clotting
Insomnia

Magnesium

Found in:

Milkl
Whole grains
Nuts
Soya beans
Green vegetables

Function:

Relaxes and steadies nerves
Helps transmit nerve impulses to muscles
Important for growth and repair of body cells

Deficiency Symptoms:

Insomnia
Poor sleeping patterns
Irritability
Depression
Bedwetting in children
Increased vulnerability to infections
Muscular twitches
Cramps and tremors

Iron

Found in:

Red meat
Brewer's yeast
Fish
Liver and kidneys
Egg yolk
Raisins
Dried fruit (mainly figs and apricots)
Green vegetables
Spinach
Whole grains
Wheat germ
Cocoa
Nuts

Function:

Necessary for red blood cells to carry oxygen to different parts of the body
Energy production
Memory and mental development in the young.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Reduced ability to solve problems and to learn
Paleness of skin
Anaemia
Fatigue
Breathlessness after exercise
Feeling cold
Shortness of breath
Loss of appetite and weight
Dizziness
Swelling of ankles

Further losses can occur due to refining food.