Vitamins are substances that your body needs to grow and develop normally. There are 13 of these essential vitamins: A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate).  You can usually get all your vitamins from the foods you eat. Your body can also make vitamins D and K. People who eat a vegetarian diet may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement to ensure that they are getting the vitamins usually found in meat.  Each vitamin has a specific job. If you have low levels of certain vitamins, you may develop a deficiency disease. Some vitamins may also help prevent medical problems. The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases, you may need to take a daily multivitamin for optimal health. However, high doses of some vitamins may make you sick. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.html 

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Fitango Education
Health Topics
Vitamins

2. 1
Overview
Vitamins are substances that your body needs to
grow and develop normally. There are 13 of these
essential vitamins: A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins
(thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid,
biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate).

3. 2
Overview
You can usually get all your vitamins from the
foods you eat. Your body can also make vitamins D
and K. People who eat a vegetarian diet may need
to take a vitamin B12 supplement to ensure that
they are getting the vitamins usually found in
meat.

4. 3
Overview
Each vitamin has a specific job. If you have low
levels of certain vitamins, you may develop a
deficiency disease. Some vitamins may also help
prevent medical problems. The best way to get
enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a
variety of foods. In some cases, you may need to
take a daily multivitamin for optimal health.
However, high doses of some vitamins may make
you sick.

5. 4
Overview
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.ht
ml

6. 5
Facts
There are 2 categories of vitamins:
-- **Water soluble vitamins**
: easily absorbed by the body. The kidneys remove
the excess vitamins that are not needed.
-- **Fat soluble vitamins**

7. 6
Facts
: absorbed into the body through bile acids. The
body stores these for use as needed.
Regarding the use of vitamin supplements, the
Dietary guidelines include these
following exceptions:
-- If you're over age 50, consume vitamin B-12 in its
crystalline form, which is found in fortified foods or
supplements.

8. 7
Facts
-- If you're a woman of childbearing age who may
become pregnant, eat foods high in heme-iron
and/or consume iron-rich plant foods or iron-
fortified foods with an iron-absorption
enhancer, such as foods high in vitamin C.

9. 8
Facts
-- If you're a woman of childbearing age who may
become pregnant or is in the first trimester of
pregnancy, consume adequate synthetic folic acid
daily (from fortified foods or supplements) in
addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet.

10. 9
Facts
-- If you are an older adult, have dark skin, or are
exposed to insufficient ultraviolet band radiation
(such as sunlight), consume extra vitamin D from
vitamin D-fortified foods and/or supplements.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpd
ates/ucm118079.htm

11. 10
Additional Resources
Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact
Sheet: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-
VitaminsMinerals/
Vitamins Found in Food and Beverages: