Symptom of Symptom of
Vitamin Function Food sources
deficiency excess
Vitamin Helps produce red Dairy products, Anaemia Uncommon
B12 blood cells
Maintains healthy
fish, eggs,
liver, meat
Slowness in
thinking,
VITAMINS
nervous system emotional
Promotes appetite chaos, poor
Helps in protein memory
metabolism Weakened
sensation
Vitamin C Helps synthesize Citrus fruits Scurvy Abdominal
collagen; promotes (mandarin, Gum pain
the growth and orange, inflammation Diarrhea
repair of cells, gum, grapefruit, and bleeding, Kidney stone
teeth, blood vessels lemon), fall of teeth
and bones strawberry, Susceptibility to
Helps healing after black current, skin bleeding, The marconutrients of food include carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and
operation and injury kiwi fruit, burst of minerals. The body needs to obtain appropriate vitamins from food to maintain
Helps calcium and tomato, green capillary vessels the normal functions of cells and organs, and is necessary to promote growth and
iron absorption leafy Weakness, development. Any lack or excess amounts of vitamins in the body may have side
Enhances immunity vegetables, fatigue effects.
green pepper Bone pain,
swollen and
Functions and Categories
aching joints
Vitamins have various functions that help to regulate metabolism, to prevent
Should we take vitamin supplements? chronic diseases (such as heart disease and cancer), and to maintain normal
appetite, mental health, and immunity.
There are various kinds of vitamin supplements Vitamins can basically be classified into the following two categories:
available on the market. Should we take these “tonics” (1) Fat-soluble vitamins
to maintain good health? Include Vitamins A, D, E and K; dissolve in fats; and are
absorbed with the help of fats that are in the diet
We should maintain a balanced diet and should not be food picky. Food Excessive fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and will not
Pyramid provides general guideline for healthy eating and you will absorb be eliminated from the body
sufficient and appropriate vitamins from your daily intake. There is no need to
take extra nutritional supplements to stay healthy. (2) Water-soluble vitamins
Include Vitamins B and C, and dissolve in water
If you need to have diet control because of any diseases, you should consult a Excessive amount of water-soluble vitamins are excreted through
doctor or dietitian. Never take any vitamin pill or supplement on your own. urine and sweat
The amount of vitamins in food is affected by the ways in which food is stored
or cooked. Vitamins A and C and some Vitamins B can be destroyed under
strong light, so food rich in those vitamins should be stored in dim places or in
the fridge.
Student Health Service Vitamin C and some Vitamins B are soluble in water and can be destroyed
Department of Health under heat, and thus we should avoid
www.studenthealth.gov.hk (1) washing them too much
2010
(2) cooked them too long time
Symptom of Symptom of Symptom of Symptom of
Vitamin Function Food sources Vitamin Function Food sources deficiency excess
deficiency excess
Vitamin A Maintains eye Dairy products, Night Dry, scaly, Folic acid Helps produce Dairy products, Anaemia Uncommon
health cod liver oil, blindness, dry peeling, and cells and red liver, Decreased
Promotes liver, dark green eyes itchy skin, blood cells whole-wheat immunity
growth and and yellow Dry skin rash Promotes growth cereals, beans, Fatigue
development, vegetables and Stomach Hair loss and reproductive banana Stomach
maintains fruits discomfort Poor appetite, functions discomfort
healthy bones Poor growth fatigue Vitamin Helps carbohydrate whole-wheat Beriberi Uncommon
and teeth Weak bones Vomiting, B1 and protein cereals, fish, Listlessness,
Enhances the and teeth stomach metabolism, thus meat, various insomnia,
protection and discomfort enabling the body to vegetables, vomiting
regeneration of Liver injury get energy from food beans, yeast Nervous system
cells and mucous Headache, Helps maintain problems,
membrane bone pain normal function of depression
Maintains healthy Nervousness, the heart, muscles Growth
respiratory and irritability and digestive system retardation in
intestinal tracts Promotes growth children
Maintain healthy and development
hair, nails and skin Vitamin Helps in Dairy products, Inflammation Uncommon
Vitamin D Helps body Egg yolk, liver, Children: Calcified B2 carbohydrate, protein eggs, meat, of the oral
absorb and cod liver oil, fish. rickets cartilage and fat metabolism, green leafy cavity, mouth
utilize calcium Our skins also Adults: High calcium enables the body to vegetables, liver, corner and
and phosphorus, produces Vitamin osteoporosis level in the get energy from food whole-wheat tongue
so as to maintain D when exposed blood causes Maintains healthy cereals, nuts, Itchy, dry and
bones, teeth and to sunlight abnormal mouth, lips, tongue, yeast bloodshot eyes
brain healthy heart beat and and eyes Dry skin
Maintains damage to Maintains healthy Weakness
normal calcium organs such as skin, hair and nails
level in blood kidneys Vitamin Helps in carbohydrate Dairy products, Dyspepsia Stomach
Vomiting, B3 and fat metabolism, fish, meat, Rough and discomfort,
diarrhea enabling the body to poultry, inflamed skin vomiting
Sore eyes get energy from food vegetables, Listlessness Listlessness,
Itchy skin Regulates whole-wheat headache,
Vitamin E Maintains normal Green leafy New born Low thyroxine cholesterol level cereals fatigue
conditions of vegetables, infants: level Maintains healthy
cells, and healthy whole-wheat haemolytic Headache, skin, mucous
skin and tissues cereals, nuts, egg anaemia dizziness, membranes,
Protects red yolk Adults: fatigue tongue and the
blood cells weakness Stomach digestive system
Antioxidation discomfort, Vitamin Helps in protein Dairy products, Anaemia Limb
Enhance immunity poor appetite B6 metabolism meat, Nervousness, numbness,
Vitamin K Helps blood Green leafy Uncontrol Can lead to Helps produce red whole-wheat insomnia, partial loss of
clotting, prevent vegetables, soya bleeding from liver damage blood cells, cereals, green depression sensation
over bleeding beans. The wounds due to hormones, enzymes leafy vegetables, Muscle cramps
Maintains health human body can clotting and antibodies fish
of the liver also produce difficulty Helps in
Vitamin K through transmission of
germs in the colon nervous impulse