What each vitamin does and where to find it
The cheat sheet above, by Matt Rosenman of Cheat Day Design, pairs 12 of these vitamins with the foods that supply them [7]. It leaves out vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), so it is covered below along with the others. Where the cheat sheet and NHS guidance differ, this page follows the NHS.
This table sums up what NHS guidance says each vitamin helps with, some good food sources, and how much an adult aged 19 to 64 needs each day [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Where two amounts are given, the first is for men and the second for women.
| Vitamin | Helps with | Good food sources | Daily need (adults) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (retinol) | The immune system, vision in dim light, healthy skin and linings such as the nose | Cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yoghurt, liver; beta-carotene from carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, red peppers and mango | 700 µg / 600 µg |
| B1 (thiamin) | Releasing energy from food, a healthy nervous system | Peas, bananas, oranges, nuts, wholegrain bread, fortified cereals | 1 mg / 0.8 mg |
| B2 (riboflavin) | Healthy skin, eyes and nervous system, releasing energy | Milk, eggs, fortified cereals, mushrooms, plain yoghurt | 1.3 mg / 1.1 mg |
| B3 (niacin) | Releasing energy, healthy nervous system and skin | Meat, fish, wheat flour, eggs | 16.5 mg / 13.2 mg |
| B5 (pantothenic acid) | Releasing energy from food | Chicken, beef, eggs, mushrooms, avocado | No UK amount set |
| B6 (pyridoxine) | Using and storing energy from protein and carbohydrate, forming haemoglobin | Pork, poultry, some fish, peanuts, soya beans, oats, bananas, milk | 1.4 mg / 1.2 mg |
| B7 (biotin) | Making fatty acids | Many foods at low levels; gut bacteria also make it | No UK amount set |
| B9 (folate) | Forming healthy red blood cells, lowering the risk of neural tube defects in unborn babies | Broccoli, brussels sprouts, leafy greens, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans | 200 µg |
| B12 | Making red blood cells, a healthy nervous system, releasing energy, using folate | Meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, fortified cereals | 1.5 µg |
| C (ascorbic acid) | Protecting cells, healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage, wound healing | Citrus fruit, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, potatoes | 40 mg |
| D | Controlling calcium and phosphate for bones, teeth and muscles | Sunlight on the skin, oily fish, red meat, egg yolks, fortified foods | 10 µg |
| E | Healthy skin and eyes, the immune system | Plant oils, nuts and seeds, wheatgerm | 4 mg / 3 mg |
| K | Blood clotting and wound healing | Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, vegetable oils, cereal grains | About 1 µg per kg of body weight |
A microgram (µg) is a thousandth of a milligram, so the amounts you need are tiny. That is why a normal mixed diet usually covers them.
Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
Vitamins split into two groups, and the difference changes how often you need to eat them.
The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. Your body stores what it does not need straight away, mostly in the liver and fatty tissue, so you do not need them every day [1][5][6]. The flip side is that they can build up if you take too much, which is why the NHS sets upper limits for supplements of vitamins A and D in particular [1][4].
The water-soluble vitamins are C and the B group. The NHS says vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid cannot be stored, so you need them in your diet every day, and folate has no long-term store either [2][3]. Fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, dairy, eggs and meat between them cover this group well.
The B vitamins and what they do
Most of the eight B vitamins help your body turn the food you have digested into energy, and several also keep the nervous system and skin healthy. As the Cheat Day Design cheat sheet points out, that does not mean B vitamins burn calories or give you extra energy on their own [7]. They help the process happen, and you only need small amounts.
A few points are worth knowing:
- Folate (B9) matters most before and in early pregnancy. The NHS advises anyone who is pregnant or could get pregnant to take a 400 µg folic acid supplement daily until 12 weeks of pregnancy [2].
- B12 is not found naturally in fruit, vegetables or grains, so vegans may not get enough without fortified foods or a supplement [2].
- B6 in high doses can be harmful. Taking 200 mg or more a day can cause loss of feeling in the arms and legs, and the NHS says not to take more than 10 mg a day in supplements unless a doctor advises it [2].
- Biotin (B7) is made by bacteria in your gut, so it is not clear that you need any extra from food [2].
Some claims on the cheat sheet go further than NHS guidance. It says B6 improves sleep, appetite and mood, and that B12 breaks down fatty acids and amino acids. The NHS does not list those roles, and there is no NHS advice to take extra B6 for sleep or mood [2].
Vitamin D and the winter supplement advice
Vitamin D is the one vitamin most people in the UK can run short of. From about late March or early April to the end of September, most people make enough from sunlight on their skin. Between October and early March the sun is not strong enough, and only a few foods (oily fish, red meat, egg yolks and fortified spreads and cereals) contain it [4].
So government advice is that everyone, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, should consider a daily 10 µg supplement during autumn and winter. People who are rarely outdoors, live in a care home or usually cover most of their skin are advised to take one all year, as are children aged 1 to 4, and people with dark skin should consider doing the same [4]. Adults should not take more than 100 µg (4,000 IU) a day [4]. Sunlight appears on the cheat sheet as a source of vitamin D: it is not a food, but your skin makes the vitamin when it is exposed to sunlight.
Can you get too much of a vitamin?
Yes, mostly from supplements rather than food. The NHS guidance includes these limits [1][2][3][4]:
- Vitamin A: more than 1.5 mg a day over many years may weaken bones. Liver is so rich in vitamin A that the NHS says not to eat it more than once a week, and not to eat it at all if you are pregnant. If you eat liver weekly, avoid supplements containing vitamin A, including fish liver oil.
- Vitamin C: more than 1,000 mg a day can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea and wind.
- Vitamin D: long-term excess can raise calcium levels in the blood, which can weaken bones and damage the kidneys and heart.
- Vitamin B6: see the 10 mg supplement limit above.
The cheat sheet lists liver as a source of vitamins A, D and K, which is true, but because of the vitamin A content it is a food to have occasionally rather than often.
Do you need a multivitamin?
For most healthy adults, no. The NHS says a varied and balanced diet should provide the vitamins you need, with vitamin D in winter and folic acid before and in early pregnancy as the main exceptions [2][4]. Cheat Day Design gives the same view: food should be your main source of vitamins, and supplements can fill gaps if your diet is limited [7]. If you follow a restricted diet, such as a vegan diet, or have a medical condition, ask a GP or pharmacist which supplements make sense for you. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Questions about vitamins
What are the 13 vitamins?
Vitamins A, C, D, E and K, plus eight B vitamins: B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate) and B12.
Which vitamins are fat-soluble?
A, D, E and K. The body stores them for later, so you do not need them every day, and they can build up if you take too much in supplements [1][4][5][6].
Which foods are high in vitamin D?
Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, herring and mackerel, plus red meat, egg yolks, liver and fortified spreads and breakfast cereals. Most of your vitamin D comes from sunlight on the skin between spring and early autumn [4].
Does vitamin B6 help with sleep?
The NHS does not list sleep, appetite or mood among B6’s roles. It says B6 helps the body use and store energy from protein and carbohydrate and form haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells [2].
What is the best time of year to take vitamin D?
Autumn and winter, from October to early March, when UK sunlight is too weak for your skin to make enough. The advice is 10 µg a day [4].
Sources
- NHS, Vitamin A.
- NHS, B vitamins and folic acid.
- NHS, Vitamin C.
- NHS, Vitamin D.
- NHS, Vitamin E.
- NHS, Vitamin K.
- Matt Rosenman, Cheat Day Design, Vitamin Cheat Sheet: Visual Guide For All 13 Vitamins, the creator’s original page (now showing a newer design).
Last reviewed 3 November 2026
