The Benefits Of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D, and E

Your body needs vitamins to form blood cells, build strong bones, and regulate the nervous system, but it can’t just generate them on its own. Here are the vitamins that every person should be getting and the foods that contain these vitamins.

All about vitamins. Includes information on benefits of vitamins, types of vitamins, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D, and vitamin E. What are the main vitamin benefits and can you get too much or not enough of the benefits of vitamins?

Scroll down to find information on the vitamins you are looking for. They are in alphabetical order. The vitamins covered are:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine)
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E

The FDA recommends you get at least 5,000 IU daily

Some foods that contain this vitamin are:

• 1 oz. Cheddar cheese: 300 IU

• 1 scrambled egg: 420 IU

• 1 cup of nonfat milk: 500 IU

• 1 nectarine: 1000 IU

• 1 piece of watermelon: 1760 IU

Vitamin A aids in good vision (we all know this, but what else?) It helps to build and maintain skin! (Here’s an article about how you can avoid damaging your skin in one easy step: Click here) It helps to build and maintain teeth, bones and (ready?) mucous membranes. FUN!

What you DIDN’T know however, is that it can also stop the development of breast cancer (a win for all mankind) and vitamin A also increases resistance to infection in children.

• Milk
• Eggs
• Liver
• Cheese
• Fish oil

It is recommended that you get 1.5 milligrams everyday. Here us a little list of some specific foods and how much Vitamin B1 they contain.

• 1 slice enriched white bread: 0.12 mg
• 3 oz. fried liver: 0.18 mg
• 1 cup of black beans 0.43 mg
• 1 packet of instant oatmeal: 0.53 mg

• 1 oz. of dry-hull sunflower seeds: 0.65 mg

Vitamin B1 helps to convert carbohydrates into energy. It’s necessary for healthy brain, nerve cells, and heart function.

• Whole grains
• Enriched grain products
• Beans
• Meat
• Liver
• Nuts

For this vitamin, it is recommended that you get a dose of 1.7 mg daily. Here us a little list of some specific foods and how much Vitamin B2 they contain.

• 1 oz. chicken: 0.2 mg
• 1 bagel: 0.2 mg
• 1 cup milk: 0.4 mg
• 1 cup cooked spinach: 0.42 mg

Vitamin B2 helps to convert carbohydrates into energy and it also is essential for growth, production of red blood cells, and healthy skin and eyes. For such an uncommon vitamin, it’s pretty important, especially if you want healthy skin and eyes. Taking supplements of this vitamin however, is not recommended.

• Dairy products
• Liver
• Meat
• Chicken
• Fish
• Enriched grain products
• Leafy Greens
• Beans
• Nuts (almonds)
• Eggs

Vitamin B3 is pretty important in our body and especially in our blood streams, which is why you need a whole 20 milligrams of it daily. Here us a little list of some specific foods and how much Vitamin B3 they contain.

• 1 slice enriched bread: 1.0 mg
• 3 oz. baked flounder or sole: 1.7 mg
• 1 oz roasted peanuts: 4.2 mg
• 1 chicken breast: 29.4 mg

This vitamin aids in the release of energy from foods. It helps to maintain healthy skin, nerves and digestive system. What you didn’t know is that when taken in megadoses, it lowers high blood cholesterol. Doctors can prescribe these large doses but they may also cause flushing, liver damage, and irregular heart beat.

• Nuts
• Meat
• Fish
• Chicken
• Liver
• Enriched grain products
• Dairy products
• Peanut butter

You need about 7 mg of this vitamin. Here us a little list of some specific foods and how much Vitamin B5 they contain.

• 8 oz. nonfat milk: 0.81 mg
• 1 large egg: 0.86 mg
• 8 oz. low-fat fruit flavored yogurt: 1.0 mg
• 3 oz. liver: 4.0 mg

This vitamin is vital for the metabolism and the production of essential body chemicals. Careful about your dosages however…unless you want diarrhea. 

• Whole grains
• Beans
• Milk
• Eggs 
• Liver

You need about 2.0 milligrams of this vitamin daily. Here us a little list of some specific foods and how much Vitamin B6 they contain.

• 1 Bran muffin: 0.11 mg
• 1 cup Lima beans: 0.3 mg
• 3 oz. cooked bluefin tuna: 0.45 mg
• 1 banana: 0.7 mg

This vitamin is vital in chemical reaction of proteins. If you didn’t know, once you take away the water in your body, 75% of your weight is proteins. It’s in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue, so you better believe that this 2.0 mg of Vitamin B6 that you need, is important!

Proteins make up hemoglobin (actually, hemoglobin is a protein.) Hemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen throughout your body in your red blood cells (or you die). Vitamin B6 helps to form red blood cells too, so there’s basically no way you can live without this vitamin. 

• Whole grains
• Bananas
• Meat
• Beans
• Nuts
• Chicken
• Liver
• Fish

You need about 6.0 micrograms of vitamin B12. Here is a list of specific foods and the amount of vitamin B12 that they contain.

• 1 chicken breast: 0.58 mcg
• 1 large egg: 0.77 mcg
• 1 cup of nonfat milk: 0.93 mcg
• 3 oz. lean beef flank: 2.50 mcg

The benefits sound boring and uninteresting, yet they are crucial for the body. Vitamin B12 helps maintain normal functioning of the nervous system and it’s necessary for the development of red blood cells. If you are a strict vegetarian, you might need supplements of this vitamin.

• Beef
• Liver
• Pork
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Milk
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Shellfish
• Fortified cereals

Vitamin C is a commonly known vitamin. Your body needs about 60 micrograms of Vitamin C daily. Here is a list of specific foods and how much Vitamin C they contain.

• 1 Orange: 70 mcg (That’s right…one orange and you’ve got your dose of vitamin C for the day)
• 1 green pepper: 95 mcg
• 1 cup cooked broccoli: 97 mcg
• 1 cup fresh orange juice: 124 mcg

Vitamin C helps to promote healthy gums and teeth (beware; citric acid, which is often associated with vitamin C degenerates the calcium in your teeth.) Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron. You can read more about why iron is so crucial in your body, here. Vitamin C aids in the healing of wounds and in maintaining healthy connective tissues.

As an antioxidant, it combats the effects of free radicals. Most of the reactions in your body are reducing reactions. When something is oxidized (loses electrons and becomes more positive) in your body, that is usually bad. ANTIoxidants prevent the things (aka free radicals) from oxidizing, which is why you hear so much hype that antioxidants are so good for you!

In addition Vitamin C reduces the risk of lung, esophagus, stomach, and bladder cancers, as well as coronary artery disease. So if you smoke, vitamin C should be your best friend. For those of you that are not yet elderly, you should know that Vitamin C prevents and delays cataracts and slows the aging process. (Do you WANT wrinkles?)

• All citrus fruits and juices
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Broccoli
• Potatoes
• Kale
• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts

Here is another important vitamin. You need 400 IU of this daily. Here is a list of specific foods and how much Vitamin D they contain.

• 1 oz. Cheddar cheese: 3 IU
• 1 large egg: 27 IU
• 1 cup of nonfat milk: 100 IU

Vitamin D strengthens bones and teeth by aiding the absorption of calcium. Helps to maintain phosphorus in the blood. It might reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and forestall breast and colon cancer. 400 IU supplements are recommended for vegetarians and the elderly, also for the people that do not get a lot of sun exposure. It’s toxic in high doses so take the supplements in moderation. 

• Milk
• Fish oil
• Fortified margarine
• Produced by the body in response to sunlight

Yet another essential vitamin that you need about 30 IU of. Here is a list of specific foods and how much vitamin E they contain.

• 1 cup of boiled Brussels sprouts: 2.04 IU
• 1 cup of boiled spinach: 5.4 IU
• 1 oz. almonds: 8.5 IU

Vitamin E helps form red blood cells. It also combats free radicals. It may cut the risk of esophageal or stomach cancers and coronary artery disease. It may prevent cataracts and boost immunity in elderly. It is advised that everybody take a supplement of Vitamin E because the average person cannot get this much Vitamin E in their system, especially on a low-fat diet.

• Vegetable oil
• Nuts
• Margarine
• Leafy greens
• Seeds
• Almonds
• Olives
• Asparagus

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