Fat and Water soluble vitamins

• Vitamins


  Micronutrients needed by the body in small amounts, important for good health
• Vitamins


  • Can be fat soluble or water soluble
• Fat soluble vitamins


  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin K
• Fat soluble vitamins


  Dissolve in fat, can be stored in body fat and liver
• Sources of fat soluble vitamins

  • Dairy foods (milk, butter, cheese)
  • Egg yolk
  • Liver
  • Fish
• Vitamin A


  Helps with night vision, healthy skin and immune system
• Excess vitamin A can affect bones and harm unborn babies
• Vitamin A deficiency is linked to vision loss, blindness, and dry itchy skin
• Vitamin D


  Helps control calcium levels, needed for healthy bones, teeth and muscles
• Vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone deformities like rickets in children and bone pain in adults
• Most people can make vitamin D from sunlight on skin from late March to late September, but need dietary sources in autumn and winter
• Vitamin E

  Helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, strengthens immune system
• Sources of vitamin E

  • Plant oils
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Wheat germ
• Vitamin K


  Important for blood clotting and wound healing
• Sources of vitamin K

  • Green leafy vegetables
  • Vegetable oils
  • Cereal grains
• Vitamin K deficiency includes bruising easily and poor wound healing
• Water soluble vitamins


  Cannot be stored in the body, dissolve in water and excess is lost through urine
• Water soluble vitamins

  • Vitamin C
  • B vitamins
• Vitamin B12


  Important for healthy blood and nerve cells, deficiency can cause anemia
• Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria in soil, but large-scale farming has reduced it in most soils
• Vitamin C

  Helps maintain healthy skin, bones, teeth, blood vessels, and aids wound healing and iron absorption
• Vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy, causing bleeding gums, tooth loss, and fatigue
• Sources of vitamin C

  • Citrus fruits (lemon, lime)
• Vitamin D is made by the skin when exposed to sunlight or can be obtained from oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, eggs, fortified margarine and cereals.
• Vitamin A is found in liver, butter, egg yolk, milk, cheese, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes.
• Vitamin E is found in vegetable oil, nuts, seeds, wholemeal bread, green leafy vegetables, avocadoes, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, peanut butter.
• Vitamin E helps protect cell membranes against oxidation and damage caused by free radicals
• Vitamin K is important for blood clotting
• Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and must be consumed regularly through diet
• Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting and bone health
• Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products so vegans are at risk of deficiency
• Folic acid is needed for DNA synthesis and red blood cells
• Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, apples, grapes, pears, raspberries, blackcurrants, plums, cherries, apricots, figs, dates, prunes, raisins, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, soya beans, peas, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, yeast extracts, meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, honey, molasses, sugar, salt, vinegar, beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee.
• Folate is important during pregnancy for preventing birth defects
• Folic acid (vitamin B9) is essential during pregnancy to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida
• Vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports immune function and collagen production
• Biotin is found in liver, kidneys, heart, brain, egg yolks, milk, cheese, mushrooms, brewer's yeast, rice bran, wholegrain cereals, legumes, nuts, fruit, vegetables, chocolate, dried fruit, tea, coffee.
• Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve function and red blood cell formation
• Niacin (vitamin B3) is involved in energy metabolism and can cause flushing when taken as a supplement
• Folic acid (vitamin B9) plays a role in DNA synthesis and fetal development during pregnancy