Whether you’re new to the wide world of supplements or have years of experience with them, you’ve probably asked yourself, “What vitamins should I take?” or “How many vitamins can you take a day?” at least once or twice. While individual nutrient needs change throughout life, there are a few vitamins that should be included in your “best vitamins” list. So, in general, what do vitamins do? Keep reading to answer this question and understand a bit more about how vitamins help your body.

Essential vitamins and their role in health

Vitamins are nutrients necessary for human health and functioning, but since they can’t be made by the body (at least not in adequate amounts), we rely on food and supplements to meet our daily needs. Vitamins are typically categorized as water soluble or fat soluble based on how they are absorbed into the body.

Water-soluble vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and any excess is flushed out. Have you ever taken a multivitamin and been surprised by neon yellow urine? That’s your kidneys at work, removing any excess B vitamins not needed by the body at that time. It is the B2 (riboflavin) that is primarily responsible for the colorful urine.

Speaking of B vitamins, there are eight different B vitamins with their own unique chemical structures. You may recognize them by their number or name, but together, they make up what we consider a “B complex.”

  • B1: Thiamin
  • B2: Riboflavin
  • B3: Niacin
  • B5: Pantothenic acid
  • B6: Pyridoxine
  • B7: Biotin
  • B9: Folate
  • B12: Cobalamin

B vitamins impact many systems throughout the body and influence how you’re feeling day to day. Primarily, B vitamins have a role in metabolism creating energy from the food we consume, building new red blood cells, and powering healthy neurological function. You’ll find B vitamins in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, and fish, but you’ll also consume plant sources of B vitamins such as whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and many fortified cereals and breads. Read more about B vitamins and what happened to B4, B8, B10, and B11 here.

Vitamin C is another water-soluble vitamin necessary for health. Thinking back to pirate times, sailors experienced fatigue, poor wound healing, and muscle pain due to vitamin C deficiency, leading to scurvy. Their diet of salted, dried meat, and bread might have lasted well on long voyages, but it didn’t have many fruits or vegetables to provide the essential vitamin C needed by the body’s immune system. The antioxidant activity of vitamin C provides cellular protection from damaging oxidative stress and promotes tissue healing and recovery by boosting collagen formation. Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, and bell peppers. In fact, red bell peppers have the highest vitamin C content per serving, even topping oranges which are widely recognized as king of vitamin C.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins tag along with dietary fat in foods and beverages to be absorbed and then stored in fat tissue throughout the body. These fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. Since these vitamins are stored, there is typically a lower risk of deficiency, but excessive intake of these has the potential to reach upper safety limits. 

Vitamin A plays a key role in vision and eye health, as it concentrates in the retina to help the eyes detect light and see clearly in darker environments. It also is an important nutrient for the immune system and has antioxidant properties to protect sensitive tissues like the eyes from oxidative damage. You’ll find a few different forms of vitamin A consumed in the diet; preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters) is often found in fish, eggs, and dairy products, and provitamin A (carotenoids) is found in leafy greens, and red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables like squash, pumpkin, and carrots – another reason to eat the rainbow.

Next up is vitamin D. We typically associate vitamin D with bone strength and structure, but vitamin D is also a key nutrient for healthy immune function. While getting out in the sunshine can be a mood booster in and of itself, the vitamin D we synthesize in the skin after soaking up some rays also impacts the brain and overall mood. Several foods can also provide beneficial vitamin D to help meet our needs. Dairy and eggs as well as fatty fish, like salmon and tuna, are great sources of vitamin D. And if you’re onboard with the tinned fish fanatics, those small soft bones provide vitamin D and some of our essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Vitamin E is best known for its antioxidant activity, protecting fatty acids in cell membranes throughout the body from oxidative damage and promoting cell integrity. Food sources of vitamin E lean toward plants, with nuts and seeds leading the charge. Leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals, and vegetable cooking oils also are rich sources of vitamin E.

And finally, vitamin K. There are several compounds within the vitamin K family that vary based on their chemical structures, but they have similar roles in the body. Vitamin K is primarily known for its involvement with blood clotting, but it is also essential for healthy bone metabolism and cardiovascular support. Many of the foods already discussed contain vitamin K, including the dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli, as well as vegetable oils. Fermented foods like kimchi and some cheeses also contain different forms of vitamin K but in lesser and more varied amounts based on the microbial strains involved in the fermentation process. You can read more about vitamin K and the differences between K1 and K2 here.

Thorne steps up to the plate

Many people do not meet their recommended daily vitamin needs, so this is where your guide to supplements can come in handy. But you might be asking, "What vitamin supplements should I take?" Approximately one-third of American adults take a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement to help fill the nutritional gaps in the diet that might be lacking in essential vitamins.1 An excellent multi-vitamin/mineral nutritional supplement is good “dietary insurance” and a small investment to ensure you get all the essential nutrients daily, particularly if you aren’t eating a balanced diet.

Thorne offers several multivitamin-mineral complexes, including one of our top sellers, Basic Nutrients 2/Day, a complete vitamin-mineral profile in a simple two-capsule daily dose. 

For women trying to conceive, who are pregnant, or who are breastfeeding, Basic Prenatal provides the most important vitamins necessary to support mom and baby, including iron, folate, and choline in highly absorbable forms.*

Geared towards athletes or anyone looking to support their fitness goals, Thorne’s Multi-Vitamin Elite is designed to support athletic performance.* The AM formula promotes energy production while the PM formula enhances rest and recovery.* Multi-Vitamin Elite is available as NSF Certified for Sport®, assuring athletes that their supplements are trustworthy and compliant.

Get the support you need as you age with two solutions formulated with the best vitamins and other nutrients for healthy aging.* Thorne’s Men’s Multi 50+ is a multi that covers the nutritional bases with added lycopene and zinc to support prostate health,* while Women’s Multi 50+ is formulated with an optimal amount of calcium, magnesium, and vitamins D and K to provide added bone, muscle, and cardiovascular support amidst hormonal changes with menopause.*

Lastly, for those looking for more enhanced support for high toxin exposure or healthy aging, Advanced Nutrients includes antioxidant nutrients and botanicals like nicotinamide riboside and resveratrol to promote healthy aging, and bilberry, lutein, and zeaxanthin to support eye health.* Whatever your needs may be, Thorne is here to help.

Reference

  1. Multivitamin/mineral supplements. NIH.gov. Updated July 17, 2024. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/MVMS-HealthProfessional/  [Accessed February 14, 2025]