W

e have all heard how good are vitamins for us, but we often forget this in the big buffet landscape of food choices. Now is the time to refresh our knowledge on the benefits of a good dose of vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin A: the eyes and body immunity guardian

What is it: a group of nutritionally unsaturated hydrocarbons, which include retinol, retinal, retinoic acid and several provitamin A carotenoids, including beta-carotene

Where you get it: sweet potato, carrot, spinach, lettuce, bell peppers tomato, papaya, cantaloupe, liver, cheese, egg yolk.

What it does for you: strengthening immunity against infections, helping vision in dim light, keeping skin and the linings of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy.

Vitamin B complex: the energy producer

What are they: a group of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. There are eight types of B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12

Where you get it: B vitamins are found in whole unprocessed foods. B vitamins are particularly concentrated in meat such as turkey, tuna and liver. Other good sources include kombucha, whole grains, potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers, tempeh, beans, nutritional yeast and molasses. Another popular means of increasing one'€™s vitamin B intake is through supplements.

What it does for you: energy production and making red blood cells

Vitamin C: the antioxidant

What is it: an antioxidant vitamin needed for the formation of collagen to hold the cells together and for healthy teeth, gums and blood vessels; improves iron absorption and resistance to infection.

Where you get it: Vitamin C is found in many fresh vegetables and fruits, such as broccoli, green and red peppers, collard greens, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, lemon, cabbage, pineapples, strawberries, citrus fruits.

What it does for you: lessens oxidative stress.

Vitamin D: the sunshine vitamin

What is it: a group of fat-soluble secosteroids, which is responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate.

Where you get it: Vitamin D is found in milk (fortified), cheese, whole eggs, liver, salmon, and fortified margarine. The skin can synthesize vitamin D if exposed to enough sunlight on a regular basis.

What it does for you: promotes absorption and use of calcium and phosphate for healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin E: the skin smoothener

What is it: a group of eight fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Where you get it: This variant can be found most abundantly in wheatgerm oil, sunflower, and safflower oils.

What it does for you: stops the production of reactive oxygen species formed when fat undergoes oxidation, has antioxidant function, enzymatic activities and neurological functions.