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Vitamins, Minerals and Sources

A compact, tabular revision of vitamins and minerals, their chemical names, dietary sources and the functions they serve, for CAPF Paper I General Science

CAPF wiki•2 min read•5 sections

At a glance

SubjectGeneral Science

RevisionGeneral ScienceBiologyVitaminsMineralsNutritionPaper 1

Cover the right columns and recall source and function. This companion to vitamins and deficiency diseases focuses on sources and roles rather than the deficiency disease alone. CAPF tests the vitamin to source and the mineral to function links. These are standard nutrition facts.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamin	Chemical name	Rich sources	Main function
A	Retinol	Carrots, green leafy vegetables, liver, milk	Vision, skin and mucous health
D	Calciferol	Sunlight, fish liver oil, egg yolk	Calcium absorption, bone health
E	Tocopherol	Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds	Antioxidant, cell membrane health
K	Phylloquinone	Green leafy vegetables; gut bacteria	Blood clotting

Water-soluble vitamins

Vitamin	Chemical name	Rich sources	Main function
B1	Thiamine	Whole grains, pulses	Carbohydrate metabolism, nerve function
B2	Riboflavin	Milk, eggs, green vegetables	Energy release, skin and eye health
B3	Niacin	Meat, groundnut, cereals	Energy metabolism
B6	Pyridoxine	Fish, banana, potato	Protein metabolism, red cell formation
B9	Folic acid	Leafy greens, citrus	Cell division, foetal development
B12	Cyanocobalamin	Meat, fish, dairy	Red cell formation, nerve health
C	Ascorbic acid	Citrus fruits, amla, guava	Antioxidant, immunity, collagen, iron absorption

Major minerals

Mineral	Rich sources	Main function
Calcium	Milk, dairy, leafy greens	Bones, teeth, clotting, nerve and muscle
Phosphorus	Milk, meat, cereals	Bones, energy molecules (ATP)
Iron	Green leafy vegetables, jaggery, meat, pulses	Haemoglobin, oxygen transport
Iodine	Iodised salt, seafood	Thyroid hormone synthesis
Sodium	Common salt	Fluid balance, nerve signalling
Potassium	Banana, citrus, vegetables	Nerve and muscle function, heartbeat
Magnesium	Nuts, whole grains, greens	Enzyme action, muscle and nerve
Zinc	Meat, nuts, whole grains	Immunity, growth, wound healing
Fluorine	Fluoridated water, tea	Tooth enamel strength

Quick-recall facts

Fact	Answer
Vitamin synthesised by skin in sunlight	Vitamin D
Vitamin that aids iron absorption	Vitamin C
Vitamin needed for blood clotting	Vitamin K
Mineral in haemoglobin	Iron
Mineral for thyroid hormones	Iodine
Antioxidant vitamins	A, C and E
Vitamin absent in most plant foods	Vitamin B12 (mainly animal sources)

Cross-references

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