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To the left is an interactive Vitamin Wheel. Take the opportunity to click on the vitamins and search through the information which specifies where each vitamin is found in terms of fruit, vegetables and nuts as well as the benefits and guidelines of each vitamin.
Alternativley, below is a table which provides information on vitamins and minerals and their function within the human body. It also details to foods they can be found in. The below information has been taken from the Department of Health and Ageing website, based briefly on the 2006 Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes.
NB: The term 'nutrient' identifies those substances in food that provide essential nourishment to maintain life.
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| Nutrient (Vitamins) | Needed For | Key Food Sources |
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- maintaining a normal reproduction system - good vision - formation and maintenance of healthy skin, teeth and soft tissues of the body - immune function (has anti-oxidant properties) |
Milk, cheese, eggs, fatty fish, yellow-orange vegetables and fruits such as carrots, pumpkin, mango, apricots, and other vegetables such as spinach, broccoli.
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Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) |
- supplying energy to tissues - breaking down and using the energy and nutrients in carbohydrates, proteins and fats - nerve function |
Fortified breakfast cereals, baking flour, wholegrains, wheatgerm, yeast, legumes, nuts, pork.
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Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) |
- obtaining energy from food - making Vit B6 active in the body - reducing a key cardiovascular risk factor - production of red blood cells and body growth |
Milk, cheese, yoghurt, fortified breads and breakfast cereals.
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Vitamin B3 (Niacin) |
- obtaining energy from food - breaking down and using carbohydrates, proteins and fats and their building blocks - maintaining healthy skin and nerves - releasing calcium from cellular stores |
Beef, pork, liver, beans, wholegrain cereals, eggs, cow’s milk.
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Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) |
- breaking down, using and reforming the building blocks of proteins |
Muscle and organ meats, fortified breakfast cereals, brussel sprouts, green peas, beans, split peas, and fruit. |
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Vitamin B12 (Cyano-cobalamin) |
- normal nerve function - normal blood function |
Beef, lamb, fish, veal, chicken, eggs, milk and other dairy products. |
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Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) |
- protects against oxidative damage
- aiding absorption of iron and copper - formation of collagen - healthy bones - helps fight infection - helps regenerate and stabilise other vitamins such as vitamin E or folate |
Blackcurrants, orange, grapefruit, guava, kiwi fruit, raspberries, sweet peppers (Capsicum), broccoli, sprouts. |
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Vitamin D |
- absorption of calcium and phosphorus
- maintenance of calcium levels in blood - immune function - healthy skin - muscle strength |
Sunlight on skin allows the body to produce Vitamin D. Few foods contain significant amounts however main dietary sources are fortified margarine, salmon, herring, mackerel, and eggs. |
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Vitamin E (Tocopherol) |
- acts as antioxidant particularly for fats
- keeping heart, circulation, skin and nervous system in good condition |
Oils and margarines, fats of meats, chicken, fish, wheat germ, spinach, cashews, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds. |
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Vitamin K (phylloquinone) |
- normal blood clotting |
Spinach, salad greens, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, soybean oil, canola oil, margarines |
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- breaking down and using the building blocks of fats and proteins |
Meats and cereals. |
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Calcium |
- development and maintenance of bones and teeth - good functioning muscles and nerves - heart function |
Milk, cheese, yoghurt, bony fish, legumes, fortified soy beverages and fortified breakfast cereals. |
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Choline |
- making nerve cell transmitters and cell membranes - inflammatory and allergic response - healthy kidneys and liver - reducing the risk of heart disease - fat and cholesterol transport and break down in the body |
Milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat germ, dried soybeans. |
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Chromium |
- enhancing the action of insulin to regulate blood sugar |
Widely found in foods such as yeast, eggs, meat, whole grains, cheese. |
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Copper |
- the functioning of several enzymes
- formation of connective tissue
- iron metabolism and blood cell formation
- nervous system, immune system and cardiovascular system function |
Organ meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole grains. |
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Fluoride |
- healthy teeth and bones |
Fluoridated water, fish, tea. |
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Folate |
- breaking down and using the building blocks of proteins - the processes of tissue growth and cell function
- maintaining good heart health
- preventing neural tube defects in newborns |
Cereals, cereal products, vegetables eg broccoli, legumes and fruit eg oranges. |
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Iodine |
- normal thyroid function (important in the growth and development of central nervous system)
- energy production
- oxygen consumption in cells |
Salt water fish, shellfish, seaweed, iodised salt, vegetables (if there is iodine in the soil where they are grown). |
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Iron |
- Haemoglobin in red blood cells (important for transport of oxygen to tissues)
- component of myoglobin (muscle protein) |
Red meats – beef, lamb, veal, pork, fish, chicken and wholegrain cereals. |
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Magnesium |
- the functioning of more than 300 enzyme systems
- energy production
- regulating potassium levels
- the use of calcium
- healthy bones |
Green vegetables, legumes, peas, beans, lentils, nuts, wholegrains and cereals |
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Manganese |
- healthy bones
- carbohydrate, cholesterol and protein metabolism |
Cereal products, tea, vegetables. |
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Molybdenum |
- breakdown of proteins |
Legumes, wholegrain products, nuts. |
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Pantothenic acid |
- making, hormones, vitamin A and D and substances that help make nerves work
- helps make new fats and proteins in the body |
Chicken, beef, potatoes, oat-based cereals, tomatoes, egg yolks, whole grains. |
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Phosphorus |
- forms part of DNA and RNA - buffers the acidity of urine
- protection of acid/base balance of blood
- storage and transport of energy
- helps activate some proteins |
Widely distributed in natural foods eg dairy, meat, dried fruit, eggs, cereals. |
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Potassium |
- nerve impulses - muscle contraction - regulates blood pressure |
Leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, root vegetables. Also moderately abundant in beans, peas, bananas, avocados, milk, yoghurt |
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Selenium |
- antioxidant - thyroid metabolism - part of several functional proteins in body |
Seafood, poultry, eggs and to a lesser extent other muscle meats and cereal foods (content varies widely with soil condition). |
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Sodium |
- maintain water balance throughout the body - nerve impulses - transport of molecules across cell walls |
Found in most take-away and processed foods eg bread, butter, margarine, deli meats, cheese, cereals. |
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Zinc |
- component of enzymes that help maintain structure of proteins and regulate gene expression
- needed for growth, immunity appetite and skin integrity |
Meats, fish, poultry, cereals, dairy foods. |
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