Precursor form of vitamin A - your body converts to only as much Vitamin A as it needs
Regulates growth of cells
Strengthens the immune system, especially within the respiratory or GI tract
Beneficial for skin, mucous membrane, and digestive tract health
Sources: Carrots, kale, spinach, beans, broccoli, yellow squash, apricots, sweet potatoes

Discovered in 1928; popularized by Linus Pauling in the 1970s
Strengthens capillaries (smallest blood vessels) and cell walls
Aids in collagen formation
Aids in iron absorption
Aids in wound healing
Helps to produce hemoglobin
Helps the body recycle vitamin E
Boosts immune function, particularly with regards to the cold virus
Sources: Citrus fruits and juices, broccoli, red peppers, dark greens, strawberries, kiwifruits

Promotes calcium absorption and maintains bone health
Helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus
Enhances muscle strength
Provides cardiovascular health benefits
Enhances role of insulin in obese people
Strengthens teeth
The body, when exposed to sunshine, produces its own vitamin D; sunscreen blocks this production
Sources: Milk, butter, margarine, cheese, fish, oysters, fortified cereals

Protects cell membranes from free radical damage
Acts as a powerful antioxidant
Beneficial for eye health in those with low levels
Aids in the formation of red blood cells
Sources: Wheat germ, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, whole grains

Named Koagulation in the 1930s by Danish scientists because of its role in blood coagulation
Promotes blood clotting
About 80% in the human body produced by bacteria in the intestines
Aids in mineralization of bone (MK-4 and MK-7 forms)
Promotes cardiovascular health (MK-4 and MK-7 forms)
Sources: Leafy green vegetables, cauliflower, cabbage, soybeans, broccoli, pistachios

First B vitamin discovered, named thiamine because it contains sulfur (thia) and nitrogen (amin)
Helps cells convert carbohydrates into energy
Maintains healthy nerves
Enhances digestion
Balances mood and energy
Breaks down during cooking and leaches into cooking water
Added to white bread, cereals, pasta, and white rice to replace that which is lost during processing
Sources: Pork, whole grains, dried beans, nuts, seeds

Once called Vitamin G; name “riboflavin” derived from a sugar (ribitol) combined with a flavonoid it contains
Essential for red blood cell production
Aids in production of thyroid hormone, which speeds metabolism
Helps produce immune cells to fight infection
Activates vitamin B6 and niacin
Maintains and repairs tissue
Destroyed when exposed to light
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) (con’t)
Sources: Milk, cheese, yogurt, liver, beef, fish, fortified breads and cereals, avocados, mushrooms, eggs

Helps convert carbohydrates into energy
Helps maintain normal function of the skin, nerves, and digestive system
Sources: Chicken, beef, fish, nuts, enriched breads, cereals, and pasta. Dairy products are rich in tryptophan, which is converted by the body into niacin

Performs more than 100 different jobs throughout the body
Aids in formation of red blood cells
Helps cells make proteins
Helps process homocysteine, which has been linked to heart disease and vascular disorders when found in large quantities in the blood
Assists in maintaining normal brain function through the manufacture of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals)
Helps to synthesize antibodies in the immune system
Sources: Fish, poultry, meats, chickpeas, potatoes, avocados, bananas

First identified in the 1940s when it was extracted from spinach
Critical to DNA and RNA formation (cell division)
Helps produce brain and nervous system chemicals
Regulates homocysteine production and use
Protects against neural tube and other birth defects
Sources: Green vegetables, beans, whole grains, orange juice

Only vitamin that contains a mineral (cobalt)
Involved in red blood cell production
Maintains myelin sheath around nerves, allowing proper nerve function
Involved in production of DNA and RNA
Helps process homocysteine
Unlike most water soluble vitamins, vitamin B12 is stored in the liver in large quantities. A person can go without this vitamin for several years without developing a deficiency.
Sources: Organ meats, brewer’s yeast, oysters, fish, eggs, meat, and cheese

Found in many foods and also produced by intestinal bacteria
Affects metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates
Produces energy from glucose
Converts folacin to a biologically active form
Reduces the symptoms of zinc deficiency
Maintains hair and nails
Sources: Liver, soy products, nuts, oatmeal, rice, barley, legumes, cauliflower, and whole wheat

Greek root panthos means everywhere
Helps break down protein, fats, carbohydrates as a part of coenzyme A
Aids in manufacture of hormones
Helps maintain nervous and immune system
Sources: Organ meats, fish, poultry, whole grains, yogurt, legumes

Most abundant mineral in the body
Builds and maintains strong bones and teeth
Regulates heartbeat and other muscle contractions
Assists in blood clotting
Aids in conduction of nerve impulses
Sources: Milk, yogurt, cheese, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, canned sardines and salmon, fortified cereals

1st dietary supplement; used as early as 1670 to treat anemia
Enables red blood cells to carry oxygen
Helps muscles deliver oxygen
Necessary for collagen synthesis
Component of several enzymes
Sources: Liver, beef, lamb, clams, oysters, eggs, beans, peas, dried fruits, fortified cereals

Added to salt (iodized salt) in the 1920s as a means of preventing deficiencies
Key component of thyroid hormones that regulate growth, development, blood cell production, metabolism, muscle function, and nerve function
Critical for fetal brain and nerve development
Sources: Iodized salt, saltwater fish, seaweed

Involved in formation and mineralization of bones and teeth
Slows rate of bone turnover
Regulates heart rhythm
Plays a role in energy production
Aids in normal nerve function
Increases sensitivity to insulin, thereby maintaining blood sugar levels
Relaxes muscles
Maintains healthy blood pressure
Sources: Whole grains, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, shellfish, bananas, apricots, meat, legumes, milk

Helpful immune system booster
Promotes healing of skin wounds and irritations
Aids in the synthesis of collagen
Works with enzymes in cell division, growth, and repair
Improves taste and smell sensitivity
Sources: Beef, pork, liver, poultry, eggs, seafood, wheat germ, whole wheat bread, almonds

Mineral that works as a powerful antioxidant; its role is enhanced when combined with Vitamin E
Allows re-use of Vitamin C by converting it back to its active form
Content of selenium in foods is strongly dependent on the selenium content of the soil in which it is grown
Important immune system nutrient
Sources: Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, red meat, eggs, chicken, whole grains, vegetables grown in selenium-rich soils

Found in at least 15 different proteins in the body
Assists in collagen formation to strengthen blood vessels, tendons, and nerves
Involved in formation of melanin which pigments hair, skin, and eyes
Helps form red blood cells
Involved in processes that regulate energy production
Helps manufacture superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is a powerful antioxidant
Sources: Organ meats, crustaceans, shellfish, nuts, dried legumes, whole grains, peas, artichokes, garlic, potatoes

Contributes to formation bones, collagen, and connective tissue
Aids enzymes in managing blood sugar
Component of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a potent antioxidant
Sources: Whole grains, coffee, tea, pineapple, nuts, leafy green vegetables

Aids in breakdown of carbohydrates, protein, and fat
Helps maintain efficient use of insulin to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels
Sources: Whole grain bread and cereal, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, grape juice

Balances sulfur throughout the body by converting sulfite form to sulfate form
Impacts liver detoxification through sulfur regulation
Sources: Legumes, cereal grains, organ meat

Supports bone health by limiting calcium loss
Assists in regulating calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus levels in the body
Sources: Nuts, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, apples, raisins, pears, carrots

Stimulates enzymes that build bone
Helps regulate blood sugar by enhancing effects of insulin
Sources: Whole grains, shellfish, mushrooms, soy productss

Provides building blocks necessary for formation of cartilage

Inhibits enzymes that break down cartilage
Provides building blocks necessary for formation of cartilage
Sources: Not readily available in diet

An antioxidant in the carotenoid family; large levels in the human eye
Works as a virtual “sunscreen” for the eye by absorbing the damaging blue spectrum of UV light
Sources: Dark green vegetables such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and collard greens

Plant-based antioxidant in the carotenoid family; double the antioxidant ability of beta carotene
Potential cardiovascular, eye, and immune health benefits
Sources: Tomatoes, watermelon, red grapefruit, and guava but NOT strawberries, cherries, or red bell peppers

Antioxidant in the carotenoid family
Often found in foods that contain lutein
Promotes eye health
Sources: Dark green vegetables, pumpkin, red peppers

Comes from the steamed fresh leaves of the same plants used to make black tea
Contains high levels of the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate)
Provides cardiovascular and heart-health benefits
Promotes healthy immune system function
Maintains healthy skin when applied topically
Source: Tea leaves

Provides flavonones, key health-promoting nutrients in vegetables and fruits
Promotes strength of blood vessels; may reduce bruising and/or nosebleeds
Sources: Lemons, oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, other citrus fruits

Works as a natural anti-inflammatory
May reduce nausea
May minimize symptoms of motion sickness
Source: Ginger root

Maintains health of blood vessels
Soluble in both oil and water
Crosses blood-brain barrier; can function as an antioxidant for brain cells and central nervous system
Contains oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) - powerful, plant-based antioxidants
Sources: Not readily available in diet, though these antioxidants exist in lower quantities in wine and grape juice

Plant pigment in the flavonoid family
Antioxidant that decreases inflammation by blocking the enzymes that promote it
Anti-inflammatory; particularly protective against LDL oxidation
Stabilizes cells that produce allergy symptoms
Sources: Citrus fruit, onions, apples, red wine

Plant-based flavonoid
Strengthens and maintains the flexibility of blood vessels
Sources: Citrus fruit, buckwheat, asparagus

Plant root in the ginger family with strong anti-inflammatory properties
Balances digestive system (decreases gas, bloating, nausea)
Enhances colon health
Reduces formation of beta-amyloid plaques associated with decreased brain function
Blocks pathways of pain and inflammation-causing enzymes
Source: Turmeric plant (root)

Contains hydroxytyrosol, the main antioxidant in olive oil
Contains as much hydroxytyrosol in one serving as that contained in about 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Promotes cardiovascular health
Supports healthy blood sugar levels
Sources: Olives, olive oil, olive leaves

Promotes healthy nerve function
Provides heart health benefits
Sources: Red meat

Assists B vitamins in converting foods into energy
Powerful antioxidant that recycles vitamins C and E
Acts inside and outside cells as well as functions in the brain due to its solublity in both water and fat
Aids in protecting the liver from free radicals and helps it remove toxins from the body
Supports nerve function
Beneficial for eye health
Sources: Spinach, liver, meats, brewer’s yeast

Originally called ubiquinone because it is ubiquitous (seems to be everywhere) in nature
Found in all living creatures
Works with enzymes to begin conversion of food to energy
Powerful fat-soluble antioxidant
Promotes circulatory health
Optimizes heart health function
Sources: Meat, nuts, oils