The Vitamins Cheatsheet: Benefits and How To Get Them From Food
Most of our nutrition concerns would be solved if we ate a varied, whole-food diet consistently of raw, natural foods as local as possible.
But that's not the food environment we live in.
Our food system is an industrialized abomination that strip-mines the soil of nutrients and produces ever-greater nutrient-lacking foods.
So we have to be proactive with choosing foods and supplements that cover our nutritional bases.
Here's a helpful vitamin cheatsheet to help you prioritize vitamin-rich foods as the foundation of your diet.
Vitamin A
- Sources: Liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, dairy products.
- Benefits: Essential for healthy vision; important for immune function and skin health.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
- Sources: pork, fish, seeds, nuts.
- Benefits: Crucial for energy metabolism; supports nerve, muscle, and heart function.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- Sources: Milk, eggs, meat, vegetables
- Benefits: Plays a key role in energy production; important for skin and eye health.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Sources: Meat, poultry, fish, mushrooms
- Benefits: Vital for digestive system health; helps maintain healthy skin and nerves.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
- Sources: Chicken, beef, potatoes, tomatoes, liver.
- Benefits: Important for the metabolism of food; aids in hormone and cholesterol production.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
- Sources: Fish, beef liver, potatoes, starchy vegetables, non-citrus fruits.
- Benefits: Essential for creating neurotransmitters; helps in amino acid metabolism.
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
- Sources: Eggs, almonds, nuts
- Benefits: Supports metabolism of fats and carbohydrates; important for hair, skin, and nail health.
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
- Sources: seeds, liver, certain fruits.
- Benefits: Crucial for cell division; important for fetal development during pregnancy.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
- Sources: Meat, fish, poultry, dairy products
- Benefits: Essential for blood formation; important for brain and nerve function.
Vitamin C
- Sources: Citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts.
- Benefits: Powerful antioxidant; crucial for collagen production and immune function.
Vitamin D
- Sources: Sunlight exposure, raw dairy, fatty fish, liver
- Benefits: Essential for bone health; supports immune system and muscle function.
Vitamin E
- Sources: seafood, animal foods, nuts, seeds,
- Benefits: Acts as an antioxidant; important for skin health and protecting cells from damage.
Vitamin K
- Sources: fish, meat, cheese.
- Benefits: Crucial for blood clotting; helps maintain healthy bones.
