Apr 17 2008 by Gerry Holt, Western Mail
Vitamin A
Important for:
A healthy immune system;
Bone and tooth development;
Healthy skin and mucus linings (in the nose for example); and
Vision in dim light.
Sources:
Milk, cheese, eggs, oily fish, fortified margarine and liver.
How much do I need?
It is fat-soluble so you don’t need it every day – any of the vitamin your body doesn’t need immediately is stored for future use.
0.7mg a day for men
0.6mg a day for women
What happens if I take too much?
Too much Vitamin A over many years can make bones more likely to fracture when you’re older.
If you’re pregnant, having large amounts of Vitamin A can harm your unborn baby.
Vitamin C
Important for:
A healthy immune system and helping the body to absorb iron.
Sources:
Found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables including citrus fruit, blackcurrants, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and brussels sprouts.
How much do I need?
It is water-soluble, which means you need it in your diet every day because it can’t be stored in the body.
Adults need 40mg a day.
What happens if I take too much?
Can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea and flatulence.
Vitamin E
Important for:
A healthy immune system; and,
Healthy circulation.
Sources:
Found in a wide variety of foods. The richest sources are plant oils such as soya, corn and olive oil. Other good sources include nuts and seeds, and wheatgerm (found in cereals and cereal products).
How much do I need?
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means you don’t need it every day because any of the vitamin your body doesn’t need immediately is stored for future use.
4mg a day for men
3mg a day for women
What happens if I take too much
There isn’t enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of vitamin E supplements each day.
Beta-carotene
Important for:
Its similar function to Vitamin A; and,
Used to make retinol, needed for healthy vision.
Sources:
Found in fruit and vegetables that are red-orange in colour including carrots, red peppers, mango, melon and apricots.
How much do I need?
You should be able to get the amount you need from your daily diet.
What happens if I take too much?
Increases the risk of lung cancer developing in smokers and in people who have been heavily exposed to asbestos at work.
Source: Food Standards Agency
Tags: body doesn, brussels sprouts, cereal products, cheese eggs, citrus fruit, flatulence, fruit and vegetables, healthy immune system, healthy skin, high doses of vitamin e, iron sources, light sources, milk cheese, nuts and seeds, oily fish, plant oils, stomach pain, tooth development, western mail, wheatgerm