Guide to Vitamins, Part 3

VITAMIN	PRIMARY	FOOD	DEFICIENCY
	FUNCTION	SOURCES	SYMPTOMS
C
(Ascorbic Acid)	Forms collagen to hold	brussels sprouts,	weakness, fatigue,
	body cells together.	strawberries,	loss of appetite,
	Helps maintain bones	oranges, broccoli,	weight loss, irrita-
	& teeth, heal wounds,	green peppers,	bility, slow growth,
	absorb iron and aids	grapefruit, collard	increased risk of
	resistance to infection.	greens, cauliflower	infection, swollen,
	Prevents destruction	cantaloupe,	inflamed & bleeding
	on B vitamins through	tangerines,	gums, swollen &
	oxidation.	tomatoes,	aching joints, easy
		asparagus, cabbage	bruising, nosebleeds,
			delayed wound
			healing
D	Increases absorption	fortified mlk, egg	poor bone & tooth
	of calcium and	yolks, organ meats,	formation, bowed
	phosphorus. Assists	fortified breakfast	legs, stunted
	in several phases of	cereals. Sunlight	growth, muscle
	calcium & phosphorus		weakness, softening
	metabolism, aiding in		of bones, pain in
	bone & tooth develop-		pelvis, back, legs;
	ment.		easily broken bones,
			muscle twitching &
			spasms
E	Protects essential fatty	plant oils (used in	red blood cell
	acids & vitamin A from	margarine & salad	breakage & muscle
	oxidation. Protects cell	dressings), wheat	weakness.
	membranes. Protects	germ, green leafy
	red blood cells. Helps	vegetables, nuts,
	cells use oxygen to	whole grains, liver,
	yield energy	egg yolks, legumes,
		fruits, other
		vegetables
K	Aids in formation of	green leafy	tendency to
	blood clotting proteins.	vegetables,	hemmorhage,
	Aids in regulation of	cabbage-family	delayed blood
	blood calcium	vegetables, liver,	clotting
		egg yolks, milk

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com