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Vitamins

Vitamins
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KidsHealth> Kids> Staying Healthy> Fabulous Food> Vitamins

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Vitamins Hang Out in Water and Fat

Vitamins Feed Your Needs
Vitamin A

The B Vitamins
Vitamin C

Vitamin D
Vitamin E

Vitamin K
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If you're like most kids, you've probably heard at least one parent
say, "Don't forget to take your vitamin!" "Eat your salad — it's
packed with vitamins!" But what exactly are vitamins?
Food Guide Pyramid Button Image

Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat.
Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just
like you should. When it comes to vitamins, each one has a special
role to play. For example:
Vitamin D in milk helps your bones.

Vitamin A in carrots helps you see at night.
Vitamin C in oranges helps your body heal if you get a cut.

B vitamins in leafy green vegetables help your body make protein
 and energy.
Vitamins Hang Out in Water and Fat

There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble.
When you eat foods that contain fat-soluble vitamins, the vitamins are
stored in the fat tissues in your body and in your liver. They wait
around in your body fat until your body needs them.

Fat-soluble vitamins are happy to stay stored in your body for awhile
— some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months! Then, when it's
time for them to be used, special carriers in your body take them to
where they're needed. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat-soluble
vitamins.
Water-soluble vitamins are different. When you eat foods that have
water-soluble vitamins, the vitamins don't get stored as much in your
body. Instead, they travel through your bloodstream. Whatever your
body doesn't use comes out when you urinate (pee).

So these kinds of vitamins need to be replaced often because they
don't stick around! This crowd of vitamins includes vitamin C and the
big group of B vitamins — B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6
(pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine), biotin, and pantothenic
acid.
Continue

Vitamins Feed Your Needs
Your body is one powerful machine, capable of doing all sorts of
things by itself. But one thing it can't do is make vitamins. That's
where food comes in. Your body is able to get the vitamins it needs
from the foods you eat because different foods contain different
vitamins. The key is to eat different foods to get an assortment of
vitamins. Though some kids take a daily vitamin, most kids don't need
one if they're eating a variety of healthy foods.

Now, let's look more closely at vitamins — from A to K:
Vitamin A

This vitamin plays a really big part in eyesight. It's great for night
vision, like when you're trick-or-treating on Halloween. Vitamin A
helps you see in color, too, from the brightest yellow to the darkest
purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in healthy
skin.
Which foods are rich in vitamin A?

milk fortified with vitamin A
liver

orange fruits and vegetables (like cantaloupe, carrots, sweet
 potatoes)
dark green leafy vegetables (like kale, collards, spinach)

BackContinue
The B Vitamins

There's more than one B vitamin. Here's the list: B1, B2, B6, B12,
niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Whew — that's quite
a group!
The B vitamins are important in metabolic (say: meh-tuh-bah-lik)
activity — this means that they help make energy and set it free when
your body needs it. So the next time you're running to third base,
thank those B vitamins. This group of vitamins is also involved in
making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Every
part of your body needs oxygen to work properly, so these B vitamins
have a really important job.

Which foods are rich in vitamin B?
whole grains, such as wheat and oats

fish and seafood
poultry and meats

eggs
dairy products, like milk and yogurt

leafy green vegetables
beans and peas

Vitamin C
This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums and
muscles in good shape. C is also key if you get a cut or wound because
it helps you heal. This vitamin also helps your body resist infection.
This means that even though you can't always avoid getting sick,
vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected
with an illness.

Which foods are rich in vitamin C?
citrus fruits, like oranges

cantaloupe
strawberries

tomatoes
broccoli

cabbage
kiwi fruit

sweet red peppers
BackContinue

Vitamin D
No bones about it . . . vitamin D is the vitamin you need for strong
bones! It's also great for forming strong teeth. Vitamin D even lends
a hand to an important mineral — it helps your body absorb the amount
of calcium it needs.

Which foods are rich in vitamin D?
milk fortified with vitamin D

fish
egg yolks

liver
fortified cereal

Vitamin E
Everybody needs E. This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your
body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It
protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is
important for the formation of red blood cells.

Which foods are rich in vitamin E?
whole grains, such as wheat and oats

wheat germ
leafy green vegetables

sardines
egg yolks

nuts and seeds
Vitamin K

Vitamin K is the clotmaster! Remember the last time you got a cut?
Your blood did something special called clotting. This is when certain
cells in your blood act like glue and stick together at the surface of
the cut to help stop the bleeding.
Which foods are rich in vitamin K?

leafy green vegetables
dairy products, like milk and yogurt

broccoli
soybean oil

When your body gets this vitamin and the other ones it needs, you'll
be feeling A-OK!
Reviewed by: Heidi Kecskemethy, RD, CSP
Date reviewed: September 2007
Originally reviewed by: Mary Frances Picciano, PhD

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