Vitamin Fact Sheet

A: Retinol

Description : A fat-soluble vitamin, stored mainly in the liver.

Benefits : Vital for good eyesight, particularly for the normal function of the retina and visual adaption to darkness & healthy skin

Deficiency Symptoms: Susceptibility to infections, scaly skin, flaking scalp, brittle, dull hair, poor eyesight and night vision, loss of appetite.

A: Beta Carotene

Description : Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body on an "as-required" basis.

Benefits : Beta-carotene acts as an antioxident in the body, neutralising potentially damaging free radicals

Deficiency Symptoms: None Known

B2: Riboflavin

Description : A water soluble vitamin vital for the processes that make energy available in the body

Benefits : It is important for skin and eye health and those who consume large amounts of alcohol, dieters, those with a busy/stressful lifestyle, athletes.

Deficiency Symptoms: Trembling, dizziness, poor concentration and memory. Also, blood-shot, red, tired or gritty eyes. Mouth ulcers or sores and cracks at the corner of the mouth. Red, inflamed tongue and lips and scaly eczema-like skin rash.

B5: Panthothenic Acid

Description : A water soluble vitamin which forms part of two substances, co-enzyme A and the acyl carrier protein. These have key roles in the release of energy from foods

Benefits : Important for healthy growth and production of antibodies to help fight infection. B5 is good for those who consume large amounts of alcohol plus people under stress or who have undergone surgery.

Deficiency Symptoms: Poor muscle co-ordination, muscle cramps, numbness and tingling, painful burning feet, depression, fatique, weakness headache and loss of appetite.

B6: Pyridoxine

Description : A water soluble vitamin which is important in protein metabolism and the function of a number of enzymes in the body.

Benefits : Promotes healthy skin, essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system and also for the formation of haemoglobin in red blood cells and antibodies that help fight infection.

Deficiency Symptoms: Anaemia; dry, cracked lips; red and inflamed tongue; sensation of burning skin.

B12: Cyanocobalamin

Description : A water soluble vitamin. Essential for recycling certain important enzymes to maintain the health of blood, nerves and other cells.

Benefits : Pregnant and breast-feeding women and older people (over 55). Vegetarians and vegans are likely to benefit as well from this vitamin

Deficiency Symptoms: Sore tongue, tiredness, memory, lack of concentration and anaemia

C: Ascorbic Acid

Description : An antioxidant, able to neutralise potentially damaging free radicals. Helps the white blood cell to fight infection and is essential for wound healing.

Benefits : Helps in the formation of collagen, for healthy skin, and for the formation of other structural materials in bones, teeth and capillaries. Helps in the absorption of iron from plant(non-animal) sources.

Deficiency Symptoms: Poor wound healing, dry skin, broken thread veins, scalp dryness, irritability, weakness

D: Cholecalciferol

Description : A fat soluble vitamin which helps the body to absorb and use calcium and phosphorus. Therefore essential for maintaining strong and healthy bones.

Benefits : Vitamin D can help anyone with low exposure to sunlight, some vegetarians and vegans, older people, pregnant and breastfeeding women, young children, those converned about osteoporosis.

Deficiency Symptoms: Poor growth, bone pain and deformities (i.e. rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults) constipation and muscle weakness.

E: Tocopherol

Description : A fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin which helps to neutralise potentially damaging free radicals in the body. Vitamin E particularly important for the protection of cell membranes as well as maintaining healthy skin, heart and circulation, nerves, muscles and red blood cells.

Benefits : Those on high polyunsaturated fat diets and those with fat malabsorption problems

Deficiency Symptoms: None Known

Folic Acid

Description : A water soluble vitamin essential for the efficient neural tube development during pregnancy which forms the brain and spinal cord. "Neural tube defects", such as spina bifida in babies appear to be linked to a "metabolic defect" in folate metabolism mother. This means that, even though the mother may have an adequate diet of folic acid, her body cannot use it efficiently. In addition folic acid is essential for the formation of red blood cells and has been shown to reduce levels of an amino acid (homocysteine). This reduction may have a protection against heart disease.

Benefits : Women planning a pregnancy and those in the early stages of pregnancy. Also people (over 55) and those who consume large amounts of alcohol.

Deficiency Symptoms: May lead to an increased risk of neural tube defect (spina bifida) in babies.

Biotin

Description : A water soluble vitamin which works synergistically with other B vitamins. It is in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats as well as helping to maintain healthy skin and nails.

Benefits : Those people taking antibiotics and sulphonamide anti-bacterial drugs.

Deficiency Symptoms: Patches of hair loss (alopecia), reversible baldness, depression, muscle pains, wasting. Also dry flaky skin, rash around the nose and mouth, brittle hair, tired and loss of appetite.

Calcium

Description : Essential for building and maintaining healthy bones, muscle contraction and clotting mechanism. Calcium is also essential to build healthy teeth

Benefits : Children and teenagers, those on restricted diets and older people concerned about osteoporosis.

Deficiency Symptoms: Muscle aches and pains, muscle twitching and spasm and muscle cramps

Phosphorus

Description : In order for calcium, which gives strength to bones and teeth, to be stabilised to be combined with another mineral, e.g. phosphorus, and then calcium becomes calcium phosphate.

Benefits : Those concerned with general well-being.

Deficiency Symptoms: Abnormal calcification of soft tissue, tetany (spasm and twitching of the muscle particularly those of face, hands and feet) lethargy, anorexia.

Magnesium

Description : A mineral stored throughout the body tissue. Needed for the formation of enzymes in the body which release energy from food. Vital for the nervous system, muscle movement and for the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

Benefits : Heavy drinkers, women with PMS, plus those concerned with osteoporosis.

Deficiency Symptoms: Loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, weakness, insomnia, diarrhoea.

Zinc

Description : Zinc is required for growth of the immune cells plus maintenance of hair, skin and nails. Superoxidismutase (a powerful antioxidant enzyme that neutralises potentially damaging free radicals) requires zinc.

Benefits : Older people (over 55), anyone on a restricted diet, those suffering from a cold. Delayed puberty, loss of smell and taste, diarrhoea, visual disturbance, skin problems such as eczema.

Deficiency Symptoms: May slow wound healing.

Iodine

Description : Iodine is a trace element - only small amounts are needed to maintain good health. Iodine is used to form thyroid hormones which regulates our metabolic rate.

Benefits : Those whose diet is lacking in dairy products and food from the sea.

Deficiency Symptoms: None Known

Omega-3

Description : Polyunsaturatedacids, the most important members of which are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). DHA is important in infant development, particularly in premature infants. DHA is believed to be necessary to early eye and brain development. Fatty acids also help to maintain suppleness.

Benefits : Those concerned with general well-being and who want to maintain healthy supple joints and a healthy heart and circulation.

Deficiency Symptoms: None Known

Source: The Health Supplements Information Service, 2004