It seems like there’s always a new vitamin on the market, an additional supplement that you’re being told you should add to your daily routine to make sure you’re enjoying all of the health benefits. But what vitamins do you really need? And when does it make sense to get them from a supplement, rather than from your diet?

We’ll take a closer look at daily vitamin needs and some of the most common vitamins you might want to pay a little bit more attention to.

Why Are Vitamins Important?

Vitamins are an important part of our diet and our overall health because they can help our bodies break down macronutrients like carbohydrates, fat, and protein. These macronutrients power our bodies and enable them to function, so having the right tools to break them down is critical.

In most cases, it’s usually best to strive for meeting your vitamin needs through your diet, but in some cases you may find that you need a little extra boost. That’s where vitamin supplements can come in.

It’s estimated that the vast majority of adults in the United States take some sort of vitamin or mineral supplement every day. They can be a great way to meet the recommended daily amounts for various vitamins to help support a healthy body and lifestyle.

Vitamin Needs Are Personal

Every person’s diet, body, lifestyle, and health needs are different, which means everyone’s vitamin needs are going to be different. It would be nearly impossible to put together a universal set of recommendations for vitamin needs and vitamin supplements.

If you’re worried or just generally thinking about your vitamin needs and whether you’re deficient in certain areas, look critically at your diet, think about your goals, and talk with your healthcare provider. Having these pieces of information can help you decide where you, personally, might have further vitamin needs that you could fill with a supplement, or where you could make changes to maximize your diet to meet your vitamin needs. 

That being said, there are certain vitamins and minerals that are quite common for someone to be deficient in, and if those deficiencies become extreme, they could affect how your body functions.

10 of the Most Common Daily Vitamin Needs

Let’s dive into some of those vitamins that you need – that you might not be getting enough of.

1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that can help your body in a number of ways, including helping fight infection, maintaining healthy vision, supporting heart, lung, and kidney health, fighting off free radicals, and strengthening bones.

Because vitamin A is fat soluble, that means that your body can store excess vitamin A. It also means that, because of those stores, it’s possible to get too much vitamin A. For the general male population, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A is 900 mcg, and the RDA for the general female population is 700 mcg.

Vitamin A can commonly be found in sweet potatoes, frozen spinach, raw carrots, and skim milk with added vitamin A.

2. Vitamin B Complex

The vitamin B complex is actually eight different vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate and folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). All B vitamins are water soluble, and all have different RDAs.

Each of these have their own critical functions in the body. The vast majority are helpful in various processes of energy metabolism, and they also support healthy cells, all the way from creation through development.

B vitamins can commonly be found in whole grains and grain products fortified with B vitamins (think cereals, flour, breads, pastas, etc). They’re also generally found in high concentrations in leafy green vegetables and animal proteins.

B12 is the most common B vitamin found in animal proteins. If you currently eat a vegan, vegetarian, or otherwise more-plant-based diet, you might be advised by a healthcare provider to take a B12 supplement.

3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another water-soluble vitamin that contains antioxidants, promotes healthy tissue growth, supports your immune system, maintains healthy skin, strengthens bones, protects against free radicals, and makes collagen. Plus, if you have an iron deficiency (keep reading for more on iron!), taking a vitamin C supplement in tandem with an iron supplement may help you better absorb the iron.

The average man should be getting about 90 mg of vitamin C per day, while the average woman should be aiming for about 75 mg per day.

Vitamin C can commonly be found in red peppers (raw), oranges and orange juice, grapefruit and grapefruit juice, and kiwi fruit.

4. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is probably one of the most well-known vitamins – and a vitamin that most people know they’re at least a little deficient in. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin that’s activated by ultraviolet (UV) light. That’s often why you hear about people who may be deficient in vitamin D trying to spend more time in the sun!

Vitamin D can support immune cell function, help maintain a healthy nervous system, and support bone health. Most adults need 15-20 mcg of vitamin D every day.

Vitamin D can be commonly found in cod liver oil, cooked fish like rainbow trout and sockeye salmon, and milk fortified with vitamin D.

5. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that greatly supports organ function and your immune system. It also helps prevent blood clots, protect cells from damage, and maintain muscle function.

Similar to vitamin A, it is possible to have too much vitamin E. It’s important to be careful with dosages if you decide to take a vitamin E supplement. The average adult needs 15 mg of vitamin E per day.

Vitamin E can commonly be found in wheat germ oil, dry-roasted sunflower seeds, dry-roasted almonds, dry-roasted hazelnuts, and sunflower oil.

6. Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting, supports wound healing, supports strong bones, and can help protect against heart disease.

The average male adult needs about 120 mcg of vitamin K per day, while the average female adult needs about 90 mcg per day. If you happen to be taking a blood thinner, you should be more cautious with vitamin K supplements since they can sometimes reduce the effectiveness of the medication.

Vitamin K can commonly be found in boiled greens (collards, turnip greens), raw greens (spinach, kale), and boiled broccoli.

7. Calcium

Calcium is a mineral (rather than a vitamin) that supports healthy bone growth, proper muscle function, and nerve function. It can also contribute to healthy blood pressure and proper hormone secretion.

If you think you might have trouble absorbing calcium, try taking it with vitamin D, since vitamin D can help your body absorb it. On the flip side, it can be possible to get too much calcium, and too much calcium can cause a range of issues.

Older adults (especially women) need more calcium (1,200 mg) to help support their bones and protect against the development of osteoporosis (women are usually at a higher risk of osteoporosis than men). Your average adult male and female need around 1,000 mg of calcium per day.

Calcium can commonly be found in tofu (if prepared with calcium sulfate), plain yogurt, orange juice (if fortified with calcium), cheese, cooked collard greens, and canned sardines.

8. Iron

Iron is a mineral that helps transport oxygen in the blood. It can help improve immune function and brain function as well as contribute to higher levels of energy. A deficiency in iron can contribute to a weak immune system and greater levels of fatigue.

People who are of menstruating age usually need more iron, around 18 mg a day. The average person who doesn’t menstruate needs around 8 mg per day.

Iron can commonly be found in iron-fortified cereals, canned white beans, and beef liver. If you follow a more-plant-based diet, you may be at a higher risk for an iron deficiency. Vitamin C can help increase iron absorption from plant-based sources.

9. Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that supports hundreds of essential processes in the body, including regulating blood pressure, regulating glucose levels, making proteins and DNA, and supporting the proper function of bones and nerves. 

Like vitamin D, many people are deficient in magnesium and might not even know it. Most young adults need between 310-400 mg of magnesium a day, while older adults need between 320-420 mg.

Magnesium can commonly be found in roasted pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, dry-roasted almonds, boiled spinach, and dry-roasted cashews.

10. Zinc

Zinc is a mineral that’s small but mighty. We don’t need much of it, but it can help support your immune system as well as your memory.

Women need around 8 mg of zinc per day, while men need around 11 mg per day.

Zinc can commonly be found in cooked oysters, sirloin beef, crab, hemp seeds, and zinc-fortified cereals.

Choose Your Supplements Carefully

Not all supplements are necessarily created equal, and it’s important to think about and choose your supplements carefully. Really think about your diet as well as your vitamin needs, and consider whether you can fill any of your vitamin needs by making shifts in your diet.

If you do decide to introduce supplements, make sure to discuss your options with a healthcare provider. Not only can they provide important recommendations about specific products, but they can also shed light on whether any supplements may negatively interact with certain medications or treatments – some supplements don’t mix well with medications.

Support Your Health – Holistically

Vitamins are just one aspect of building a healthy lifestyle for yourself. They should be thought of as a way to give your diet a little boost – but they can only do that if you already have the foundation of a complete and healthy diet.

Working with an online fitness and nutrition coach can help you understand where you might still have gaps in your diet and exercise plan as you work toward a healthier lifestyle. If you want to learn more about working with an online coach, read the comprehensive guide. And if you think online coaching is for you, head to the inquiry form so that we can connect one-on-one.

Written by Emily Greffenius. Reviewed by Meghan Farrell, CPT, BSN