A Comprehensive Guide to Vitamins and Minerals: A Nutrition Handbook for Maintaining Physiological Functions and Preventing Nutritional Deficiency Diseases

Vitamin A (Retinol). Main functions: Maintains the health of epithelial tissues such as skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary tracts; normal vision; increases resistance to infection and other diseases. Food sources: Animal liver and other offal, spinach, other leafy green vegetables, carrots. Deficiency symptoms: Night blindness, softening of the cornea or even blindness, susceptibility to respiratory diseases, dry skin and keratosis, susceptibility to infectious diseases, susceptibility to tumors. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine). Main functions: Promotes appetite, growth, and carbohydrate metabolism; prevents neuritis and beriberi. Food sources: Various grains, cereals, especially whole grains, yeast, sunflower seeds, legumes, especially soybeans. Deficiency symptoms: Neuritis, beriberi, enlarged heart, muscle atrophy, loss of appetite, weight loss. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin). Main functions: Promotes the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates; essential for growth and maintaining health. Food sources: Animal offal, eggs, milk, yeast, cabbage, sunflower seeds. Deficiency symptoms: angular cheilitis, cheilitis, glossitis, seborrheic dermatitis, keratitis, scrotal dermatitis, eye strain. Niacin. Main functions: promotes the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids, lowers blood cholesterol, and maintains healthy skin and nerves. Food sources: poultry, fish, peanuts, sunflower seeds. Deficiency symptoms: glossitis, dermatitis, pellagra, loss of appetite, indigestion, diarrhea, headache, memory loss, dementia. Vitamin B6. Main functions: produces antibodies, regulates the central nervous system, and maintains healthy skin. Food sources: malt, yeast, tomatoes, bananas, peanuts, sunflower seeds. Deficiency symptoms: anemia, weight loss, stomach pain, vomiting, depression, nervousness, numbness or pain in the limbs. Vitamin B12. Main functions: normal growth, maintains a healthy nervous system, and promotes the production and health of blood cells. Food sources: animal organs, seafood, meat. Deficiency symptoms: pernicious anemia, neurodegeneration, inflammation of the tongue, oral cavity, and digestive tract mucosa. Folic acid. Main functions: Forms new blood cells and acts on rapidly growing tissues such as bone marrow and the lining of the digestive tract. Food sources: Spinach, kale, asparagus, malt, citrus fruits, animal liver. Deficiency symptoms: Anemia. Pantothenic acid. Main functions: Promotes adrenal function, converting fat and glucose into energy. Food sources: Yeast, barley, animal liver, eggs, soybeans, peanuts, sesame seeds. Deficiency symptoms: Digestive dysfunction, fatigue, weakness, ataxia. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Main functions: Essential for the formation of teeth and bones, healing of fractures, healing of external injuries and burns, and increasing resistance to diseases and infectious diseases. Food sources: Leafy green vegetables, bean sprouts, fruits, especially citrus fruits, potatoes. Deficiency symptoms: Vitamin C deficiency disease, swollen and bleeding gums, brittle bones, necrosis, capillary brittleness, subcutaneous hemorrhage. Vitamin D. Main functions: Promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, regulates the normal metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, and promotes the normal growth of teeth and bones. Vitamin D. Food sources: Outdoor sunlight, cod liver oil, eggs, fish, milk. Deficiency symptoms: Vitamin D deficiency in children, osteomalacia in adults, osteoporosis in the elderly. Vitamin E. Main functions: Maintains the health of the heart and skeletal muscles, may slow the aging process; has some effect in preventing air pollution. Food sources: Vegetable oils, wheat germ, whole wheat, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds. Deficiency symptoms: Red blood cell destruction. Vitamin K. Main functions: Maintains the activity of prothrombin and clotting factors. Food sources: Leafy green vegetables, synthesis by intestinal bacteria. Deficiency symptoms: Decreased prothrombin and clotting factors, easy bleeding. Calcium. Main functions: A major component of bones and teeth, helps blood clotting, helps activate certain enzymes in the body; maintains nerve conduction, regulates heart rate, and promotes iron metabolism. Food sources: Milk and dairy products, fish, soybeans and soy products, almonds, yeast. Symptoms of deficiency: Abnormal bone and teeth development, vitamin D deficiency, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, coagulation disorders, muscle spasms (cramps). Phosphorus. Main functions: A major component of bones and teeth, and a major component of cell nuclear proteins; all metabolic reactions in the body require phosphorus. Food sources: Meat, dried fruits, whole grains. Symptoms of deficiency: Generally not easy to be deficient, but abnormal tooth and bone development, vitamin D deficiency, and osteomalacia. Iron. Main functions: A major component of hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes, and other enzymes. Food sources: Animal organs, meat, eggs, leafy green vegetables, beans, dried fruits. Symptoms of deficiency: Iron deficiency anemia, fatigue, headaches, and decreased resistance to disease. Potassium. Main functions: Maintains the body's water balance, acid-base balance, and osmotic pressure; strengthens muscle excitability; maintains a regular heartbeat; participates in protein, carbohydrate, and energy metabolism. Food sources: Apples, apricots, bananas, citrus fruits, tomatoes, beef, chicken, fish, yeast, potatoes, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue, muscle weakness, drowsiness; severe deficiency can lead to paralysis, arrhythmia, and metabolic alkalosis. Sodium. Main functions: maintains fluid balance, osmotic pressure, and acid-base balance; enhances muscle excitability. Food sources: salt, pickles, preserved foods. Symptoms of deficiency: not common; severe deficiency can cause collapse and coma. Magnesium. Main functions: activates various enzymes in the body; inhibits nerve excitability; participates in protein synthesis, muscle contraction, and body temperature regulation; maintains the health of the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. Food sources: leafy green vegetables, honey, nuts, soybeans and other legumes. Symptoms of deficiency: hyperreflexia or hyporeflexia, muscle tremors, tetany, tachycardia, arrhythmia, emotional agitation, restlessness. Zinc. Main functions: activates zinc-containing metalloenzymes; maintains healthy skin; promotes wound healing; maintains normal blood vitamin A levels. Food sources: beef, cheese, eggs, legumes, fish, nuts, wheat germ, whole grains. Symptoms of deficiency include: stunted growth; failure of gonads to develop during adolescence; and decreased or abnormal sense of taste.