Nutrient-Rich Superfoods: Your Curated List of Foods Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

As kids, we all have learned in books how essential vitamins are for our health. But we often forget to include those sources of vitamins and minerals in our diet. As much as you need air and water for your survival, vitamins, and minerals play a fundamental role in maintaining your overall well-being. Although you may need vitamin-rich foods in relatively small amounts, their health relevance can’t be understated. 

Why are Vitamins Necessary in our Diet?

Vitamins are organic compounds that work as coenzymes in contemplating various biochemical reactions in the body. Vital for carrying out various functions, these vitamin and mineral-rich foods help your body get enough energy for immune function and cell growth. Minerals, on the tandem side, are inorganic compounds that act as cofactors for enzymatic reactions. Your body needs foods rich in vitamins and minerals to keep up with various bodily functions, including fluid balance, bone health, oxygen transport, etc.

What are the Most Important Vitamins for your Body?

Although there is a long list of vitamins out there, some are relatively more important for the body to function well. These Vitamin food chart includes:-

• Vitamin A: Vitamin A has a significant role in maintaining the health of your teeth, soft tissue, mucus membranes, and skin. It is also revered as retinol because it secretes the pigments in the eye’s retina. It also ensures a healthy pregnancy in women. 

• Vitamin B1: The ability of vitamin B to metabolise fat and provide energy to the body makes it the most important of all vitamins food list. 

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): This antioxidant helps keep your blood and nerve cells healthy by fighting free radical damage. It also helps make DNA that carries genetic information for development and function. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause a condition called anaemia that makes you feel weak and tired.  

• Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Niacin, or vitamin B3, is a micronutrient that the body needs for nervous system function and metabolism. As your body can’t produce vitamin B3 on its own, you need to obtain it from foods that contain vitamin B3, such as legumes, seeds, nuts, etc. 

• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid): It breaks down fat and carbs into energy. A healthy source of B5 vitamin-enriched foods also helps produce RBCs and sex-related hormones in the adrenal glands. It healthified your digestive tract and helps your body utilise vitamin B12. 

• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Vitamin B6 supports brain health. It helps transport oxygen around the body and promotes a healthy immune system. It is extremely beneficial in producing neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. 

• Vitamin B7 (Biotin): The most common vitamin known to promote healthy hair, skin, and nails is Vitamin B7. Since it is not water-soluble, it can get flushed out of the body. So you need to ensure daily intake of this vitamin food source. 

• Vitamin B9 (Folate): Folate works closely with vitamin B12 to support RBC formulation. It also ensures the healthy function of the nervous system. 

• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): Our body does not make vitamin B12, so we need to get it from vitamin-rich fruits and veggies. It helps make DNA and produce healthy RBCs. For individuals following a vegetarian diet, obtaining B12 can be challenging due to its scarcity in plant-based foods. Exploring Vegetarian Vitamin B12 Sources, such as fortified cereals, non-dairy milk, eggs, and dairy, becomes essential. Alternatively, B12 supplements offer a reliable solution.