Vitamins and minerals - what do they do?

Vitamins and minerals

• help you to see in dim light
• keep your skin and hair healthy
• strengthen your immune system

• oily fish (such as mackerel)
• liver
• carrots
• fortified margarine
• cheese
• dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach)

• grow and keep bones and teeth healthy
• help your body to absorb calcium

• oily fish
• eggs
• fortified breakfast cereals
• fortified margarine

• protect your body from damage caused by free radicals (these are produced by your body's normal chemical reactions and are thought to damage body cells, which may lead to the development of diseases such as cancer)

• vegetable oils
• eggs
• wholegrain foods
• green vegetables
• nuts

• blood clotting
• build strong bones

• dark green leafy vegetables
• meat (particularly liver)
• potatoes
• cereals

• break down and release energy from food
• maintain muscle tissue
• keep your nerves working properly

• bread
• potatoes
• milk
• meat
• wholegrain and fortified breakfast cereals

• maintain good vision
• build tissue
• break down and release energy from food
• produce steroids and red blood cells
• help your body to absorb folic acid

• milk
• meat (particularly liver)
• eggs

• break down and release energy from food

• meat
• flour
• eggs
• milk
• fortified breakfast cereals

• keep your nerves working properly
• break down and release energy from food

• meat
• potatoes
• tomatoes
• broccoli
• cereals and grains

• break down and release protein from food
• produce haemoglobin

• chicken
• fish
• eggs
• brown rice
• oats
• grains
• some types of nut

• produce red blood cells
• keep your nervous system healthy
• process folic acid

• meat
• liver
• milk
• fish
• eggs

• produce red blood cells
• keep your nervous system healthy

• green leafy vegetables
• some types of fruits

• break down and release energy from food

• liver
• kidneys
• wholegrain foods
• nuts

• help your body to absorb iron
• keep cells and tissues healthy

• fresh fruit (particularly citrus fruits)
• sweet potatoes
• green vegetables

• regulate fluids
• digest food

• processed foods
• table salt

• regulate your body fluids

• potatoes
• vegetables
• green vegetables
• chicken
• dairy products
• bananas

• build strong bones and teeth
• keep your muscles and nerves functioning
• blood clotting

• milk
• cheese
• fortified bread and flour
• green leafy vegetables
• nuts

• break down and release energy from food
• activate enzymes in your body – enzymes help complex reactions to occur
• control the amount of calcium in your blood and bones

• green leafy vegetables
• nuts
• dairy products

• produce red blood cells

• red meat
• liver
• wholegrain flour
• green leafy vegetables

• produce new cells and enzymes
• repair tissue
• break down and release energy from food

• meat (particularly liver)
• seafood (particularly oysters)
• milk
• bread
• cereals

• produce red blood cells
• keep nerves and the immune system healthy

• nuts
• shellfish
• offal

• make and activate enzymes

• bread
• wheatgerm
• nuts
• avocados
• peas
• tea

• help enzymes function

• vegetables
• nuts
• cereals

• help enzymes function
• protect cells from damage

• brazil nuts
• seeds
• fish
• eggs

• enhance the action of insulin (insulin helps cells to absorb glucose, where it's converted to energy)

• wholegrain foods
• lentils
• spices

• produce thyroid hormone

• oily fish
• seaweed

• build bones
• break down and release energy from food

• dairy products
• eggs
• meat
• fish
• soya beans
• soya products
• lentils