VITAMINS AND MINERALS CHART

Different types of vitamins and minerals enable healthy body function, such as cell and tissue repair, production of
cells, and healthy brain function. Your body doesn’t produce these vitamins and minerals on its own, and while you
can get most of these from a supplement, your body reacts better when these vitamins and minerals come from food.

According to Health.gov, Americans do not consume sufficient amounts of potassium, dietary fiber, choline,
magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A, D, E, and C. Iron is also under-consumed by adolescent girls and women ages 19
to 50 years of age.

The charts below list the important vitamins and minerals required for your overall well-being and describe their
functions, their sources, what can happen when you don’t get enough

The Vitamin Chart

Fat Soluble Vitamins (A, D, E, K) can be stored in the body and need not be consumed daily. While it is difficult to “overdose” on them
from ordinary sources, consuming mega doses of fat soluble vitamins, especially A and D, can lead to a dangerous build up in the body.

Water Soluble Vitamins (B and C) are not stored in the body and should therefore be consumed daily.

Vitamin What it does Good food sources Effects of deficiency

Vitamin A Helps to keep eyesight Beef, liver, lean ham Night blindness, dry,
(beta carotene) and promote the and pork chops, eggs, rough skin, poor bone
Vitamin A can be growth of skin, hair, shrimp, fish, fortified and teeth growth and
found in both animal bones, and teeth. milk, cheddar cheese, development, a
and plant foods. It is Carotenoids act as Swiss cheese, darkly susceptibility to
found as retinol in antioxidants that colored orange or infectious diseases
animal foods and as prevent some cancers green vegetables
carotenoids in plant and fight heart disease. (carrots, sweet
foods. These are potatoes, pumpkin,
compounds the body turnip greens and
can convert into spinach), orange fruits
vitamin A. (cantaloupe, apricots,
peaches, mangoes)
Vitamin B1 Thiamin helps the Lean pork, legumes, Early symptoms of
(thiamine) body convert bananas, most fish, thiamin deficiency
carbohydrates into liver, nuts and seeds, include fatigue, weak
energy and is potatoes, peas, muscles, anorexia,
necessary for the heart, watermelon, avocado, weight loss and mental
muscles, and nervous poultry, whole-grain changes, such as
system to function and fortified cereals confusion or
properly. irritability,
sensitivity of the teeth,
cheeks and gums, as
well as "cracks" in the
lips. More severe
deficiencies can result
in anemia, paralysis,
muscular atrophy.
Vitamin B2 Helps convert food Milk, yogurt, cheese, Itching and irritation
(riboflavin) into energy. Needed eggs, fish and shellfish, of lips, eyes, skin and
for skin, hair, blood fortified cereals, meat, mucous membranes,
and brain. Helps to poultry, kiwi, avocado, and can cause eyes to
prevent sores and broccoli, turnip be light sensitive.
swelling of the mouth greens, asparagus
and lips.
Vitamin B3 Helps to release energy Meat, poultry, fish, Depression, diarrhea,
(niacin) from carbohydrates. It fortified and whole dizziness, fatigue,
is important in the grains, mushrooms, halitosis, headaches,
maintenance of potatoes, mango, indigestion, insomnia,
healthy skin, nerves, lentils, peanuts limb pains, loss of
and the digestive appetite, low blood
system. sugar, muscular
weakness, skin
eruptions, and
inflammation
Vitamin B6 May reduce the risk of Bananas, watermelon, Can cause skin
heart disease. Brewer’s yeast, wheat disorders, an abnormal
Regulates the bran, walnuts, brown nervous system,
metabolism of amino rice, meat, fish, confusion, poor
acids and poultry, potatoes, soy, coordination and
carbohydrates. Aids insomnia.
healthy nervous
system function and in
the production of red
blood cells. Important
for normal brain
function.
Vitamin B9 Vital for new cell Dark green vegetables Anemia and a
(Folate/Folic Acid) creation. Helps Dry beans reduction in growth
prevent brain and Peas rates. Other subtle
spine birth defects Lentils symptoms may include
when taken early in Enriched grain digestive disorders
pregnancy. Essential products such as diarrhea, loss
for mental and Fortified cereals of appetite, and weight
emotional health as it Liver loss can occur, as can
helps to maintain Orange juice weakness, sore tongue,
normal brain Wheat germ headaches, heart
functions. Yeast palpitations,
irritability,
forgetfulness, and
behavioral disorders
Vitamin B12 may lower the risk of Meat, poultry, fish, Demyelination and
heart disease. Assists milk, cheese, eggs, irreversible nerve cell
in making new cells fortified cereals, death. Symptoms
and breaking down fortified soymilk include numbness or
some fatty acids and tingling of the
amino acids. Protects extremities and an
nerve cells and abnormal gait.
encourages their
normal growth Helps
make red blood cells
Vitamin C Vitamin C is needed to Fruits and fruit juices Bleeding and inflamed
(ascorbic acid) form collagen, a tissue (especially citrus), gums, loose teeth, poor
that helps to hold cells potatoes, broccoli, bell wound healing, and
together. It's essential peppers, spinach, anemia.
for healthy bones, strawberries,
teeth, gums, and blood tomatoes, Brussels
vessels. It helps the sprouts
body absorb iron, aids
in wound healing, and
contributes to brain
function. Vitamin C
may lower the risk for
some cancers,
including those of the
mouth, esophagus,
stomach and breast.
Vitamin D Helps maintain normal Fortified milk or Weak, soft bones and
blood levels of calcium margarine, fortified skeletal deformities
and phosphorus, cereals, fatty fish, liver,
which strengthen eggs and sunlight
bones. Helps form
teeth and bones.
Supplements can
reduce the number of
non-spinal fractures
Vitamin E Acts as an antioxidant, Vegetable oils, nuts Deficiency is rare and
neutralizing unstable and seeds, peanuts and is mostly found in
molecules that can peanut butter, wheat premature or low
damage cells. Helps germ, whole-grain and weight babies who do
the healing of skins fortified cereals not absorb fat
and prevents scarring. properly.
Diets rich in vitamin E
may help prevent
Alzheimer’s disease.
Supplements may
protect against
prostate cancer.
Vitamin K Activates proteins and Cabbage, liver, eggs, A shortage of this
calcium essential to milk, spinach, vitamin may result in
blood clotting. May broccoli, sprouts, kale, nosebleeds, internal
help prevent hip collards, and other hemorrhaging.
fractures. green vegetable
The Mineral Chart
Mineral What it does Good food sources Effects of deficiency
Calcium Builds and protects Yogurt, cheese, milk, Muscle cramps, brain
bones and teeth. Helps tofu, sardines, salmon, function, rickets in
with muscle fortified juices, leafy children; (soft bones)
contractions and green vegetables, such and osteoporosis in
relaxation, blood as broccoli and kale adults.
clotting, and nerve (but not spinach or
impulse transmission. Swiss chard, which
Plays a role in have binders that
hormone secretion and lessen absorption)
enzyme activation.
Helps maintain
healthy blood pressure
Chromium Enhances the activity Meat, poultry, fish, Can affect the potency
of insulin, helps some cereals, nuts, of insulin in regulating
maintain normal blood cheese sugar balance.
glucose levels, and is
needed to free energy
from glucose
Copper Plays an important Liver, shellfish, nuts, Anemia, hair
role in iron seeds, whole-grain problems, dry skin,
metabolism. Helps products, beans, vitamin C deficiency
make red blood cells prunes
Fluoride Encourages strong Water that is Weak teeth and bones.
(Fluorine) bone formation. Keeps fluoridated, toothpaste
dental cavities from with fluoride, marine
starting or worsening fish, teas
Iodine Part of thyroid Seafood, seaweed, Enlargement of the
hormone, which helps dairy, products, thyroid gland.
set body temperature iodized, salt
and influences nerve
and muscle function,
reproduction, and
growth. Prevents
goiter and a congenital
thyroid disorder
Iron Helps the blood and Liver, red meat, egg Tiredness and lethargy,
muscles carry oxygen yolk, legumes, whole / feelings of weakness,
to the body. enriched grains, dark insomnia, palpitations,
green vegetables headaches, shortness
of breath, difficulty
concentrating, brittle
nails, cracked lips
Magnesium Helps muscles work, Green vegetables such Fatigue, numbness,
aids metabolism and as spinach and poor memory, muscle
aids bone growth. broccoli, legumes, twitching and
cashews, sunflower irritability, tingling,
seeds and other seeds, rapid heartbeat.
halibut, whole-wheat
bread, milk
Manganese Helps bone growth Nuts, legumes, whole Deficiency is rare but
and cell production. grains, tea could include
Helps metabolize dermatitis, problems
amino acids, metabolizing
cholesterol, and carbohydrates, poor
carbohydrates memory, nervous
irritability, fatigue,
blood sugar problems,
heavy menstrual
periods, fragile bones
Phosphorus With calcium builds Chicken Breast, Milk, Deficiency is rare but
bones and teeth. Lentils, Egg Yolks, could include
Needed for Nuts, Cheese weakness; bone pain;
metabolism, body anorexia
chemistry, nerve and
muscle function
Potassium Balances fluids in the Peanuts, Bananas, Nausea, anorexia,
body. Helps maintain Orange Juice, Green muscle weakness,
steady heartbeat and Beans, Mushrooms, irritability, depression,
 send nerve impulses. Oranges, Broccoli, fatigue, hypertension,
Needed for muscle Sunflower Seeds. decreased heart rate.
contractions. A diet
rich in potassium
seems to lower blood
pressure. Getting
enough potassium
from your diet may
benefit bones
Sodium Balances fluids in the Salt, soy sauce, Fatigue, apathy, and
body. Helps send processed foods, nausea as well as
nerve impulses. cramps in the muscles
Needed for muscle of the extremities
contractions. Impacts
blood pressure; even
modest reductions in
salt consumption can
lower blood pressure
Zinc Helps wounds to heal Red meat, poultry, Slow healing of
and aids taste and oysters and some other wounds; loss of taste;
smell sensory. seafood, fortified retarded growth and
cereals, beans, nuts delayed sexual
development in
children.
Sources: Harvard University, National Institutes of Health