Recommended daily amounts (RDAs)

          Throughout this factsheet, recommended daily amount refers to the European Union recommended daily amounts (EU/RDA) for nutritional labelling of food products. Nutritional requirements are often slightly different for young children and adolescents, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are concerned about your own or your children's vitamin intake.

Vitamin A (retinol) properties      Good for: eyesight growth appetite and taste.

Signs of vitamin A deficiency:

• night-blindness.

Good sources of vitamin A :

• liver
• fish-liver oil
• carrots
• green leafy vegetables
• egg yolks
• enriched margarine
• milk products
• yellow fruits.

Recommended daily amount: 800 micrograms.

Poisoning: vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and so it is stored for a long time in the human body, especially in pregnancy. An overdose may be dangerous.

Destroyed by: fatty acids.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) properties

Good for:

• nervous system
• digestion
• muscles
• the heart
• alcohol-damaged nervous tissues.

Signs of vitamin B1 deficiency:

• tingling in fingers and toes
• confusion
• difficulties in maintaining balance
• loss of appetite
• exhaustion
• weakened powers of concentration.

Good sources of vitamin B1:

• liver
• yeast
• rice
• wholemeal products
• peanuts
• pork
• milk.

Recommended daily amount: 1.4mg.

Poisoning: no poisoning dangers as the vitamin dissolves in water, so excess is excreted in the urine.

Destroyed by: high temperatures, alcohol and coffee.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) properties

Good for:

• growth
• skin
• nails
• hair
• sensitive lips and tongue
• eyesight
• protein, fat and carbohydrate breakdown.

Signs of vitamin B2 deficiency:

• itching and irritation of the eyes
• itching mucous membranes
• itching lips and skin.

Good sources of vitamin B2:

• milk
• liver
• yeast
• cheese
• green leafy vegetables
• fish.

Recommended daily amount: 1.6mg.

Poisoning: no danger of poisoning as the vitamin dissolves in water, so excess is excreted in the urine.

Destroyed by: light (this is why milk-cartons are better than bottles) and alcohol.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) properties

Good for:

• preventing skin conditions
• nerve problems
• helping the body absorb proteins and carbohydrates.

Signs of vitamin B6 deficiency: skin inflammation.

Good sources of vitamin B6:

• fish
• bananas
• chicken
• pork
• whole grains
• dried beans.

Recommended daily amount: 2mg. Women taking the contraceptive pill may need more.

Poisoning: may cause nerve problems in large doses, but current evidence is conflicting about the maximum safe dose. Discuss this with your pharmacist if you are concerned.

Destroyed by: the contraceptive pill, roasted or boiled food, alcohol and oestrogen (the female hormone).

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) properties

Good for:

• making red blood cells
• the formation of the nerves.

Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency:

• tiredness due to anaemia
• abnormalities of nervous tissue function.

Good sources of vitamin B12:

• fish
• liver
• beef
• pork
• milk
• cheese.

           Vitamin B12 deficiency can arise in strict vegans because our dietary sources of vitamin B12 are animal in origin. The other main cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is pernicious anaemia.

Recommended daily amount: 1 microgram.

Poisoning: no danger as the vitamin dissolves in water, so excess is excreted in the urine.

Destroyed by: water, sunlight, alcohol, oestrogen and sleeping pills.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) properties

Good for:

• the immune defence system
• protection from viruses and bacteria
• healing wounds
• reducing cholesterol content of the blood
• a natural laxative
• cell lifespan
• preventing scurvy.

Signs of vitamin C deficiency:

• tiredness
• bleeding gums
• slow-healing wounds.

Good sources of vitamin C:

• citrus fruits - especially kiwi fruit
• berries
• tomatoes
• cauliflower
• potatoes
• green leafy vegetables
• peppers.

Recommended daily amount: 60mg.

Poisoning: Large doses can cause diarrhoea and nausea. Some scientists have recently argued that 1 to 5g per day may influence your genes.

Destroyed by: boiling food, light, smoking and heat.

Vitamin D properties

Good for:

• strong bones and teeth.

Signs of vitamin D deficiency:

• unhealthy teeth
• osteomalacia (causes weakening of bones)
• rickets in children.

Good sources of vitamin D:

• cod-liver oil
• sardines
• herring
• salmon
• tuna
• milk and milk products
• sunlight (the action of sunlight on the skin allows our bodies to manufacture vitamin D).

Recommended daily amount: 5 micrograms.

Poisoning: this vitamin is fat-soluble so can accumulate in the body and overdoses are dangerous.

Destroyed by: mineral oil.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) properties

Good for:

• fighting poisons - vitamin E is a powerful 'anti-oxidant'.

Signs of vitamin E deficiency:

• weak muscles
• fertility problems.

Good sources of vitamin E:

• nuts
• soya beans
• vegetable oil
• broccoli
• sprouts
• spinach
• wholemeal products
• eggs.

Recommended daily dose: 10mg

Poisoning: there is a theoretical but slight risk of overdose, as vitamin E is fat soluble.

Destroyed by: heat, oxygen, frost, iron, chlorine and mineral oil.

Folic acid properties

Good for:

• production of red blood cells
• essential during the first three months of pregnancy to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida, cleft palate or cleft lip.

Signs of folic acid deficiency: anaemia, red tongue.

Good sources of folic acid:

• carrots
• yeast
• liver
• egg yolks
• melon
• apricots
• pumpkin
• avocado
• beans
• rye and whole wheat
• green leafy vegetables.

           Recommended daily amount: 200 micrograms. Pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy should take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms, continued for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Poisoning: no danger of poisoning as it dissolves in water, so excess is excreted in the urine.

Destroyed by: water, sunlight, oestrogen, heat.