Vitamins: dosage, benefits and safety

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds your body needs in small amounts to work normally. Some are fat soluble and stored (A, D, E, K); others are water soluble and need topping up (C and the B vitamins). Each monograph below gives the daily target by age, the safe upper limit, deficiency signs and interactions, all sourced from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

Vitamins

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium and maintain the serum calcium and phosphate neede

15 mcg·UL 100 mcg Vitamins

Vitamin C

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble essential vitamin the body cannot make, with an adult RDA of 90 mg for me

90 mg·UL 2,000 mg Vitamins

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for normal vision, immune function, reproduction, and cell growth, with an

900 mcg RAE·UL 3,000 mcg preformed vitamin A per day Vitamins

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin; the adult RDA is 15 mg per day of alpha-tocopherol, with a Tolerable Upp

15 mg·UL 1,000 mg Vitamins

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as a coenzyme for the synthesis of proteins involved in blood clotting and

120 mcg·no UL Vitamins

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin involved in more than 100 enzyme reactions, mostly in protein metabolism, with an

1.3 mg·UL 100 mg Vitamins

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a water-soluble vitamin required for red blood cell formation, nervous system function, and D

2.4 mcg·no UL Vitamins

Thiamin

Thiamin (vitamin B1) is a water-soluble B vitamin that acts as a cofactor in energy metabolism, with an adult RDA of 1.2

1.2 mg·no UL Vitamins

Riboflavin

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is a water-soluble B vitamin that the body uses to make the coenzymes FAD and FMN, which support

1.3 mg·no UL Vitamins

Niacin

Niacin (vitamin B3) is a water-soluble B vitamin the body converts to the coenzymes NAD and NADP, required by more than

16 mg NE·UL 35 mg Vitamins

Pantothenic Acid

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is a water-soluble B vitamin needed to make coenzyme A, which the body uses to metabolize

5 mg·no UL Vitamins

Biotin

Biotin (vitamin B7) is a water-soluble B vitamin that acts as a cofactor for five carboxylase enzymes in the metabolism

30 mcg·no UL Vitamins

Folate

Folate (vitamin B9) is a water-soluble B vitamin the body needs to make DNA and other genetic material and for cells to

400 mcg DFE·UL 1,000 mcg Vitamins

Choline

Choline is an essential nutrient that supports cell membrane structure, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and liver fa

550 mg/day·UL 3,500 mg/day