Vitamins play an important role in your health. For one, they allow your body to function properly. Aside from that, they are also necessary to break down various macronutrients, such as fats, protein, and carbohydrates. For these reasons, doctors recommend that you get your daily dose of essential vitamins. So, what are the vitamins you need for optimum health?
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is also known as retinol, and it is a fat-soluble vitamin that provides the following benefits:
Plays an important role in your lung, kidney, and heart health.
Strengthens your teeth and bones
Keeps your skin healthy
Maintains good eyesight or vision
Boosts your immune system
Because of these many benefits, vitamin A should be taken daily either from your diet or supplements. The recommended daily dose of this vitamin is 900 micrograms for males and 700 micrograms for females.
Vitamin B
One of the most important vitamins you need for optimum health is vitamin B. As you know, there are eight different kinds of vitamin B, and each one has a role in your body’s proper functioning.
Some of the benefits of vitamin B are:
For memory and proper brain function
Necessary for metabolism
Promotes a healthy heart
Necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system
Necessary for the production of blood cells
Because B vitamins have an important role in the proper functioning of your body, it is necessary to include foods rich in this vitamin in your diet. The good news is that a lot of products, like bread, cereal, and pasta, are fortified with B vitamins.
Vitamin C
Many of you are familiar with vitamin C and its numerous benefits. Some of the health perks of this vitamin are:
Boost your immune system
Protects your cells from free radicals
Maintains healthy skin
Strengthens your teeth and bones
Helps in the production of collagen
The recommended daily dose of vitamin C is 90 milligrams for males and 75 milligrams for females. Fortunately, there are a lot of foods containing this vitamin, such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, and many more.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin with many functions, including the following:
Boosts your immunity
Maintains proper functioning of your nervous system
Essential for healthy bones
Regulates phosphorus and calcium levels in your blood
The recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 15 micrograms or 600 IU for adults and children. For people aging 70 and above, the recommended daily dose is 20 micrograms or 800 IU.
The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. As such, health experts recommend going out in the morning (before 10 AM) to get your daily dose of this vitamin. However, you can also get it in various fortified products, like milk, juices, and cereals.
Vitamin E
The last on this list of vitamins you need for optimum health is vitamin E. Most of you are familiar with the beauty benefits of this vitamin. However, it also has other functions, including the following:
Boosts your immune system
Protects cells from free radicals
Helps maintain muscle function
Because vitamin E is important for the proper functioning of your organs, the recommended daily dose of this vitamin is 15 milligrams. Fortunately, this nutrient is present in numerous foods, such as seeds, nuts, whole grains, avocado, and spinach.
