Word on the Streets

Vitamin A

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One of the 4 types of fat soluble vitamins is Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is also known as retinol. Vitamin A strengthens your immunity, keeps your skin healthy and helps with vision in dim light.

Cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yoghurt and liver are good sources of vitamin A. Yellow, red and green leafy vegetables, as well as yellow fruit, are good sources of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

  • Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is mainly needed to help in the absorption of calcium in the body. Calcium is required to maintain healthy teeth, bones and muscles.

Sources of vitamin D are oily fish, red meat, liver and egg yolks. But as it turns out, it’s quite hard to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D from food alone! The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. Standing in sunlight for 10-15 minutes three times a week is usually enough for most people to get a proper amount of vitamin D.

  • Vitamin E:

Vitamin E, also called tocopherol, is required for a strong immune system as well as skin and eye health. Vitamin E helps the body use vitamin K.

Sources of vitamin E include plant oils, nuts and seeds and wheat germ.

  • Vitamin K:

Vitamin K is required to help blood coagulate to form clots, which is important for wounds to heal.

Green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils and cereal grains contain vitamin K.

By now, you’ve hopefully gained a good idea of vitamins and their importance. It may seem at this point that the best thing to do for yourself is to up your vitamin intake, but be careful! Although not very common, vitamin overdose is a real medical condition that can lead to vitamin toxicity and other complications. To avoid that, it is important to be aware of your daily required amounts of vitamins and speak to your doctor before implementing any diet changes or deciding to take supplements. Realistically, just making sure you have a balanced and healthy diet is usually all you need to do to make sure you’re getting enough of everything. In my opinion, it’s best to not overthink, and trust that your body will let you know if anything is needed.