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Vitamins Facts & Worksheets

Vitamins are organic molecules necessary for the healthy functioning of the body. We get vitamins from our food and supplements.

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Vitamins are organic compounds that you get from food or supplements that help your body grow, repair itself, and protect itself from infections. You can get vitamins from food or from supplements. Some examples of the vitamins we need to take are Vitamin A, D, E, K, and the B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, B9, and B12).

See the fact file below for more information on Vitamins or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Vitamins worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

OVERVIEW

  • Our parents remind us to always take our vitamins right? This is because our body cannot produce these vitamins. Vitamins are important in the involvement of the fundamental function of the body, growth, and maintenance of health and conversion of food to energy.
  • Nutrients are very small substances found in our food that our bodies take in to perform the necessary functions to keep us healthy and alive.

HISTORY OF VITAMINS

  • Since their discovery in the late 1800s and early 1900s, vitamins and their precise needs have been a source of contention. People with professions in the health sector collaborated to develop our current understanding of vitamins and minerals. 
  • After years of observation, tests, and trial and error, they were able to determine that several ailments were caused by vitamin deficiencies rather than viruses or poisons, as was widely believed at the time.
  • Chemists attempted to determine the molecular structure of a vitamin so that it might be duplicated. Researchers soon discovered the exact amounts of vitamins required to avoid deficiency disorders. We must thank these people for creating the standard to keep our bodies healthy and strong.
  • Casimir Funk, a biochemist, was the first to invent the term “vitamin”. The word was derived from “vita” meaning life and “amine” referring to a nitrogenous chemical required for living.
  • Commercially made vitamins were only produced in 1930s. Before that, people would only obtain vitamins and their nutrients from food.

KINDS OF VITAMINS

Vitamin A

  • Vitamin A is required for normal vision and immune function. It is important to keep our immune systems healthy to protect our bodies from diseases and other illnesses.
  • Common food sources of Vitamin A are liver, fish oils, dairy products, dark colored fruits, and leafy vegetables.
  • If one has Vitamin A deficiency, or a lack of Vitamin A, this may lead to eye defects or infections

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

  • This is important for the metabolism of carbohydrates (sugars). Basically, metabolism is the process by which food is converted into energy.
  • Common food sources of Vitamin B1 are bread or bread products and cereals.
  • Lack of Vitamin B1 can lead to tiredness, loss of concentration, and an irritable stomach.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

  • Like Vitamin B1, this is important for the metabolism of carbohydrates.
  • Common food sources are meats, milk, eggs, cereals, and vegetables.
  • A lack of Vitamin B2 can lead to dryness of skin, eye defects, poor growth, and low iron in the body.
  • Iron is important because this is needed for our red blood cells in carrying oxygen around the body

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

  • Again, this is important for the metabolism of carbohydrates.
  • Common food sources would be cereals and meats.
  • Lack of Vitamin B6 would lead to lack of iron in the body and the dryness of skin near the lips.

Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

  • Vitamin B7 is important in the production of fat, sugars, and proteins in the body.
  • Common food sources are liver, fruits and meats.
  • The lack of Vitamin B7 can lead to skin dryness, eye dryness, and hair loss.

Vitamin B9 (Folate)

  • Folate is another name for Vitamin B9. It is important for making blood cells, and it keeps the heart and blood vessels healthy. This is also important for the growth of children. This is also important for mothers who are pregnant because it can prevent defects when the child is born.
  • Food sources are cereals, dark colored vegetables, and bread
  • The lack of Vitamin B9 can cause impaired growth, low production of red blood cells, and also defects of the child that can be present when they are born.

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

  • This is vital for the bones, blood, eyes, mood, hair, skin, and nails. It is important to know that excessive consumption of egg whites can prevent Vitamin B12 to enter the body because of the substance present in egg whites called Biotin.
  • Common food sources are cereals, meat, fish, and chicken.
  • The lack of Vitamin B12 can lead  to the darkening of the knuckles and palms, growth delay, and red blood cell defects. Commonly seen in people who have strict vegetarian diet because Vitamin B12 is usually seen in meats. 

Vitamin C

  • This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums, bones, and blood vessels in good shape. Vitamin C is key if you get a cut because it helps you heal. It also helps the body absorb iron from food.
  • Food sources are citrus fruits like oranges, tomatoes, tomato juice, broccoli, spinach, and cabbage.
  • The lack of Vitamin C can lead to infections that cause us to have fever, gum problems like bleeding and swelling, slow healing of wounds, and also low iron in the body

Vitamin D

  • Vitamin D strengthens your bones. It also helps in developing nice and strong teeth. Vitamin D works hand in hand with calcium, a mineral that also gives you strong bones. When your skin gets exposed to healthy sunlight, the body starts making Vitamin D. 
  • You can also get Vitamin D from different food sources such as milk and dairy, fish, egg yolks, liver, and fortified cereal. 
  • Vitamin D deficiency can cause ones bones to become brittle.

Vitamin E

  • Vitamin E protects your body’s cells and tissues from getting harmed and it also keeps your red blood cells healthy.
  • Common sources of Vitamin E are whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and meat.
  • Lack of Vitamin E can lead to defects in your red blood cells.

Vitamin K

  • Think about a time you got a cut from falling off a bike or while playing with your friends. Your blood eventually clots to stop the bleeding;  Vitamin K aids in this process.
  • Common food sources of Vitamin K are green vegetables, cabbage, and margarine.
  • The lack of Vitamin K can cause slow healing of wounds.

CLASSIFICATION OF VITAMINS

Water-soluble vitamins

  • Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored since they must dissolve in water before being absorbed by the body. Any water-soluble vitamins that are not utilized by the body are mostly excreted in the urine. Vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins, such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate, are examples of water-soluble vitamins.

Fat-soluble vitamins

  • Vitamins that are fat-soluble dissolve in fat and accumulate in the body. Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K are all fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamins Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Vitamins across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Vitamins, which are organic compounds necessary for the healthy functioning of the body.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Vitamins and Nutrients Fact File
  • Grocery Day
  • Healthy Bodies
  • Case Study
  • Creative Poster
  • Strong Bodies
  • Test Your Knowledge
  • Know Your Vitamins
  • Self Check Up
  • School Lunch
  • Drawing Healthy

Frequently Asked Questions

What do vitamins do?

Vitamins have different jobs. They help to keep a body working properly and help keep it healthy. Vitamins also help the body fight infections and keep energy levels balanced.

Where do we get our vitamins from?

We can get most of our nutrients from eating healthy food, and it is the best way to keep our vitamin and mineral levels consistently topped up. By eating a well-balanced diet, one should get enough of most of these vitamins from food, and supplements usually only need to be considered if healthy food is not eaten in large enough quantities or if suffering ill health.

What is the RDA for vitamins?

RDA is the abbreviation for Recommended Dietary Allowance. Based on scientific knowledge, the RDA is the recommended intake to meet the nutrient needs of a healthy person adequately. The RDA information for supplements is usually printed on the container and will state the percentage of the RDA being supplied in the product.

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Link will appear as Vitamins Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 27, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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