Vitamins 101: Your Guide to a Healthier Lifestyle

Mint Presents… is a new series of articles where we partner with pharmacy professionals to discuss new trends, break down common misconceptions and gain perspective on medicine and healthcare.

Just which vitamins do you need on a day-to-day basis? How much? Are there certain vitamins you don’t need—and are any of them unsafe?

Our bodies are complex constructs composed of thousands of different muscles, tendons, blood vessels, organs, and other features. To keep our body healthy and operating at peak performance, we must ingest food and water, and maintain a balanced diet. We must give it the nutrients and minerals it requires to perform vital tasks and to keep our organs working.

One of the most important groups of micronutrients we must ingest are vitamins. Vitamins are organic compounds and essential molecules that our body cannot make naturally, and therefore must ingest through nutritious foods or artificial supplements. It’s highly recommended to obtain vitamins naturally by maintaining a balanced diet and below, we’ll explain the benefits of doing so.

As we previously mentioned, our bodies require vitamins and we cannot make them naturally through our bodily processes. Each type of vitamin provides a different benefit to these processes. Vitamins provide ample support to our body and help it perform some basic functions; providing numerous benefits to our bodily processes. Some of the main benefits they provide are listed below:

Helps prevent diseases and infection
Help reduce cholesterol and excess fat
Helps reduce the risk of heart problems
Improves bodily mechanisms and functions
Boost metabolism and blood circulation
Boost nervous systems
Strengthen bones, muscles and joints
Treats insomnia
Reduces sweating

Without a healthy and balanced dose of vitamins, our bodies would become deficient in them which can cause a number of problems.

You can get vitamins either via supplements or by eating foods rich in vitamins. By embracing a balanced diet, you should be able to ingest a strong variety of vitamins naturally. To ensure that you’re eating sufficient amounts of each type of vitamin, you can find a breakdown below of some of the common foods types associated with each vitamin group.

Vitamin A – liver, carrot, broccoli, cod liver oil, milk, eggs, fish
B Vitamins – fish, eggs, spinach, lentils, bananas, sunflower seeds, mushrooms
Vitamin C – peppers, cabbage, kale, oranges, guava, mango, papaya, strawberries
Vitamin D – fish, cheese, egg, mushrooms and naturally through sunlight
Vitamin E – almonds, spinach, avocado, peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ oil
Vitamin K – kale, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other greens

More information can be found at https://medalerthelp.org/the world-of-vitamins-infographic, which provides plenty of information on vitamins including the deficiency signs of each vitamin.

If you found this article enjoyable, and are interested in more great health content like our Mint Presents… series, subscribe to receive email updates from our Health Resources library. If you have any questions or concerns about pregnancy and new mom health, feel free to reach out to your local Mint Health+Drugs or reach out through Instagram or Facebook!

Introducing The Mint Experience

More than a pharmacy visit — a standard of care we hold ourselves to in every interaction, every day.

Read Introducing The Mint Experience

We Are Now CAC Accredited

Mint Health + Drugs is proud to be CAC Accredited — validated across Governance, Management, and Home Care for our commitment to quality, accountability, and putting you first.

Read We Are Now CAC Accredited

New Look, Same Service.

Mint Health + Drugs is excited to announce the launch of a company-wide rebrand starting on Monday, June 9, 2025. This rebrand will provide Mint with a more modern and professional appearance, while maintaining the reliable and trusted identity that the pharmacy has built through the years. History is a key element in the timing […]

Read New Look, Same Service.

Travel Plans Without Vaccines are Too Risky

Plan ahead for your winter travel with our guide on vaccine requirements, especially if you have multiple exotic destinations on your itinerary. Stay informed and stay safe on your next trip.

Read Travel Plans Without Vaccines are Too Risky

Mint Expands to Bowser, B.C.!

The expansion of Mint continues. With the addition of a new pharmacy in Bowser, B.C., Mint continues to become more prevalent in the B.C. pharmaceutical landscape.

Read Mint Expands to Bowser, B.C.!