Table 2

Nutrient

Chemical Names/Forms of Nutrient

(list not complete)

Solubility

Function

Deficiency Disease and/or Symptoms

Overdose Disease and/or Symptoms

Major

Food Sources

Vitamin A

Retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, retinyl, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, carotenoids, including beta carotene

Fat

Required for normal vision, gene expression, reproduction, immune function; essential for normal growth, development, and maintenance of epithelial tissue; helps promote normal bone development and influences normal tooth formation; functions as antioxidant; necessary for wound healing

Night blindness, hyperkeratosis (thickening of outer layer of the skin that can cause calluses and corns), keratomalacia (drying and clouding of the cornea), dry eyes, poor bone growth, impaired resistance to infection

Hypervitaminosis A; fatigue, night sweats, vertigo, headache, dry skin and lips, brittle nails, hair loss, gingivitis, cheilosis (inflammation of the corner(s) of the mouth), irritability, abnormal liver function, hyperpigmentation, retarded growth, bone pain and fragility, abdominal pain, vomiting, jaundice, hypercalcemia

Orange and ripe yellow fruits; green leafy vegetables; carrots; pumpkin; squash; spinach; fish; soya milk; milk; egg yolk

Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid

Water

Important in immune responses, wound healing, and allergic reactions; increases absorption of nonheme iron; essential in the synthesis of collagen; functions as an antioxidant; functions in folacin metabolism; helps to metabolize drugs and steroids

Scurvy (weakness, fatigue, curly hair, and sore arms and legs), pinpoint peripheral hemorrhages, bleeding gums, osmotic diarrhea

Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, possible formation of kidney stones

Fruits (especially citrus fruits, papaya, cantaloupe, strawberries, guava, pineapple, kiwi), vegetables (cabbage, tomato, peppers, greens), potatoes

Vitamin D

Calciferol, cholecalciferol (D3), ergocalciferol (D2)

Fat

Necessary for the formation of normal bone and teeth; promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus; essential for normal growth and development

Rickets (softening and weakening of bones in children) and osteomalacia (softening of the bones that may lead to bowing and/or fractures)

Abnormally high blood calcium (that may lead to excessive calcifcation of bone), retarded growth, nausea/vomiting, kidney stones, headache, weakness, constipation, frequent urination, excessive thirst

Egg yolk; mushrooms, fatty fish (e.g., salmon, tuna, sardines); vitamin D-fortified milk

Also absorbed from sunlight

Vitamin E

Tocopherols, d-alpha tocopheryl, d-l-alpha tocopheryl, tocotrienols

Fat

Functions as an antioxidant in the tissues (membrane antioxidant); plays a role as a coenzyme; nueromuscular function; helps protect red blood cells

Deficiency is very rare; sterility in males; abortions in females; mild hemolytic anemia in newborn infants; retinal degeneration; inability to use other fat-soluble vitamins

Increased congestive heart failure risk (chronic condition that affects the chambers of the heart); may interfere with vitamin K activity leading to prolonged clotting and bleeding time; in anemia, suppresses the normal hematologic response to iron

Vegetables (green, leafy vegetables); nuts; seeds; vegetable oils; egg yolk; butter; whole grain breads, cereals, and other fortified or enriched grain products; wheat germ

Vitamin K

Phylloquinones (K1), menaquinones (K2), menadione (K3), phytonadione

Fat

Assists in prothrombin synthesis (a compound required for normal blood clotting); required in the synthesis of other blood clotting factors; involved in bone metabolism; made by intestinal bacteria; also assists in calcium metabolism

Prolonged bleeding and prothrombin time; hemorrhagic manifestations (especially in newborns)

Increases blood clotting time in patients taking warfarin, possible hemolytic anemia (condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before they should be), jaundice (a yellowish tinge to the skin and the white part of the eye caused by elevated bilirubin levels)

Leafy green vegetables (e.g., spinach, kale); egg yolk; vegetable oils; pork; wheat bran

Synthesized by the intestinal tract bacteria

Thiamin

(Vitamin B1)

Thiamine, thiamin, thiamin mononitrate

Water

Combines with phosphorus to form thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), which is necessary for the metabolism of protein, carbohydrates, and fat; essential for growth, normal appetite, digestion, and healthy nerves

Early stage deficiency: indigestion, constipation, malaise, heaviness and weakness of legs, tender calf muscles, “pins & needles” and numbness in legs, increased pulse rate and palpitations;

Wet beriberi:

Edema, tense calf muscles, fast pulse, distended neck veins,

high blood pressure, decreased urine volume;

Dry beriberi:

Worsening of early stage weakness/numbness of hands and feet, difficulty walking, Wernike-Korsakoff syndrome (loss of immediate memory, disorientation, jerky movement of eyes, staggering gait);

Can lead to cardiac failure and death

Drowsiness or muscle relaxation with large doses; headache, convulsions, muscular weakness, cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythym), allergic reactions

Oatmeal; brown rice; vegetables; potatoes; eggs; wheat germ; whole-grain and enriched breads, cereals, and other grain products; legumes

Riboflavin

(Vitamin B2)

Riboflavin

Water

Essential for growth; plays an enzymatic role in tissue respiration and acts as transporter of hydrogen ions; synthesis of FMN (flavin mononucleotide; oxidazing agent) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide; a redux cofactor that assists with several reactions in metabolism, particularly with fatty acid metabolism)

Tearing, burning, or itching of the eyes; soreness and burning of the lips, mouth, or tongue; inflammation (swelling) of the corner(s) of the mouth; purple, swollen tongue; peripheral neuropathy (damage to peripheral nerves that often causes weakness, numbness, and pain usually in the hands and feet); corneal vascularization (excessive growth of blood vessels into the cornea)

Not known to be toxic; however high doses are not beneficial

Milk and dairy products; eggs; bananas; popcorn; green beans; asparagus; meats; egg yolk; legumes; whole-grain breads, cereals, and fortified or enriched grain products

Niacin

(Vitamin B3)

Niacin, niacinamide,

nicotinic acid, nicotinamide riboside

Water

Part of the enzyme system, aids in transfer of hydrogen and acts in the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids; necessary for the synthesis of glycogen and the synthesis and breakdown of fatty acids; involved in tissue respiration

Muscular weakness, indigestion, pellagra (dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, death), tremors, sore tongue, confusion, disorientation  

Liver damage (doses > 2 g/d); transient due to the vasodialation effects of niacin (does not occur with niacinamide)-flushing, tingling, dizziness, nausea; high uric acid levels; decreased LDL and increased HDL cholesterol

Meat; poultry; fish; egg yolk; vegetables (mushrooms); tree nuts; whole-grain breads, cereals, and fortified or enriched grain products; legumes; milk

Vitamin B6

Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal, pyridoxol, pyridoxine HCl

Water

Aids in the synthesis and breakdown of amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids from essential fatty acids; essential for conversion of tryptophan to niacin; essential for normal growth

Microcytic anemia (reduced red blood cell volume or a reduced concentration of blood hemoglobin), peripheral neuropathy (damage to peripheral nerves that often causes weakness, numbness, and pain usually in the hands and feet); convulsions, irritability

Impairment of proprioception (one’s own ability to sense their own body’s position, motion, and equilibrium); sensory neuropathy (meaning it affects nerves that provide feeling) with progressive ataxia (the loss of full control of body movement); photosensitivity (a sun allergy/extreme sensitivity to the UV rays from the sun); nerve damage (doses > 100 mg/d)

Meat; vegetables; tree nuts; bananas; whole-grain breads, cereals, or other grain products; legumes; potatoes; egg yolk; milk; oatmeal

Folate

(Vitamin B9)

Folic acid, folinic acid, folacin

Water

Essential in the biosynthesis of nucleic acids (especially important in early fetal development); necessary for the normal maturation of red blood cells; functions as a coenzyme in single-carbon metabolism

Poor growth; megaloblastic anemia (condition in which the bone marrow produces unusually large, structurally abnormal immature red blood cells); deficiency during pregnancy is associated with birth defects, such as neural tube defects; impaired cellular immunity

May mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency

Green, leafy vegetables; legumes; whole-grain breads, cereals, and fortified or enriched grain products; oranges; cantaloupe; cereal; lean beef; eggs; fish; lentils; asparagus; broccoli; collards; yeast

Vitamin B12

Cobalamin, cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin

Water

Essential in the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and nucleoproteins; assists with red blood cell maturation; involved with folate metabolism; plays a role in central nervous system metabolism; also assists as a coenzyme in the metabolism of amino acids; related to growth

Pernicious anemia (a decrease in red blood cells); neurologic deterioration; heart palpitations; shortness of breath; lightheadedness; pale skin; diarrhea; vision loss; memory loss; depression

No appreciable toxicity reported

Meat; fish; poultry; milk and dairy products; egg yolk

Vegans require supplementation

Biotin

Biotin

Water

Essential component of enzymes; important in reactions involving the lengthening of carbon chains; coenzyme carrier of carbon dioxide; plays an important role in the metabolism of fatty acids and amino acids

Seborrheic dermatitis (red, itchy rash on the scalp that may produce flakes); glossitis (inflammation/swelling of the tongue); nausea; insomnia

No known toxic effects, even in very large doses

Meat; egg yolk; yeast; bananas; most vegetables; strawberries; grapefruit; watermelon; peanuts; milk

Synthesized by intestinal bacteria

Pantothenic Acid

Pantothenic acid, D-calcium pantothenate

Water

Functions in the synthesis and breakdown of many vital compounds; essential in intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fat

Fatigue; sleep disturbances; nausea; muscle cramps; impaired coordination; loss of antibody (part of the immune system) production

Diarrhea; water retention

Meat; fish; poultry; egg yolk; yeast; whole-grain breads, cereals, and other grain products; legumes; vegetables

Possibly synthesized by intestinal bacteria