How vital are vitamins to your diet?

Last Updated: 14th August 2024 · Written by Kate Young

Are you looking to revolutionise your diet after allergy or intolerance testing? Vitamins (along with minerals) are required for essential body function and cannot be synthesised in the body, therefore they must be taken in through the diet. Vitamins provide the key to unlocking and using macronutrients for a specific purpose in the body. For example, B vitamins are required to produce energy for the body and a deficiency of this nutrient can result in fatigue.

Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble, meaning they require this substance to be present in order to absorb them. Everyone has a different level of requirement of vitamins due to different life stages, physical activity, health conditions, and medications however what is important for everybody is a good range of nutrient-dense food to provide a constant supply of vitamins for health and optimum function.

Below are the richest sources of each vitamin:

Water-Soluble B Vitamins                           

Oats, whole wheat, nuts, rye, buckwheat, brown rice, Brewer’s yeast, peanuts, mushrooms, soybean flour, split peas, pecans, soybeans, oatmeal, buckwheat flour, sunflower seeds, lentils, rye flour, cashews, chickpeas, broccoli, hazelnuts, brown rice, whole wheat flour, peppers

B12                                        

Oysters, mussels, scallops, liver, mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines, crab, beef, milk, yogurt, eggs, Swiss cheese, fortified products

Vitamin C                              

Red peppers, guavas, kale, kiwi, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, oranges, tomatoes, peas, mange tout, papaya, mango, pineapple, melon

Fat-Soluble Vitamin A Retinol                                   

Liver, beef, lamb, cod liver oil, mackerel, salmon, tuna, paté, goat’s cheese, cheddar, cream cheese, butter, eggs

Beta Carotene                       

Sweet potato, carrots, kale, spinach, collards, Swiss chard, pak choi, butternut squash, pumpkin, cos lettuce, romaine lettuce, dried apricots, prunes, peaches, melon, red peppers, tuna fish, mackerel, mango, eggs, butter

Vitamin D                              

Salmon, trout, swordfish, mackerel, tuna, mushrooms, buttermilk, some yogurt, sunlight, fortified products

Vitamin E                              

Dark leafy greens – cooked spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, collards, kale, nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, sunflowers seeds, avocado, shellfish – shrimp, crayfish, fish – rainbow trout, swordfish, herring, smoked salmon, salmon, plant oil – olive oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, broccoli, buttersquash and sweet potato, blackberries, kiwifruit, mango, peaches, nectarines, apricots, guavas, raspberries

Vitamin K                             

Dried herbs – basil, thyme, coriander, sage, parsley, green leafy vegetables – kale, spinach, mustard greens, spring onions, cress, brussel sprouts, cabbage, chilli powder, paprika, fennel, leeks, soy beans, olive oil,

These vitamins are all perfect if you are looking at improving your diet. If you do have any questions, Lifelab Testing will be able to help you via LiveChat.