These are the 13 vitamins your body needs and I guarantee your diet is not covering all of them even if you generally eat healthy. Just one deficiency can suppress your energy, mood, and immunity. So, in this video, I will show you exactly which foods to eat for every vitamin, how much you really need, and which supplement forms work best. I've spent the last 6 years coaching people one-on-one and this video is everything you need to know about vitamins. Let's start with the celebrity of vitamins, vitamin C. Your body needs vitamin C to make collagen, the structure-forming protein in your skin, joints, gums, and almost every connective tissue. So, without enough vitamin C, your tissues literally start breaking down, bleeding gums, loosening teeth, and wounds that split back open. That's scurvy and it killed thousands of sailors for centuries. The RDA is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women. A more optimal range would be 100 to 200 mg per day, especially if you exercise. From diet, you get vitamin C in fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits. Just one guava or one amla has all the vitamin C you need or you can eat two oranges or two kiwis or a bowl of papaya or pineapple. Top vegetable sources are your bell peppers and cruciferous veggies. Here is the full top 10 list. You can pause and screenshot. And remember, vitamin C is heat sensitive. So, cooking vegetables at high temperature can reduce vitamin C content by up to 50%. So, just include a daily draw serving of any of these fruits and your vitamin C intake is sorted. For most people, there is no need to supplement vitamin C, but many people casually pop these vitamin C tablets. Since excess vitamin C isn't toxic, your body just flushes out the excess as it's a water-soluble vitamin, but I don't recommend overdosing like this because vitamin C is also an antioxidant. So, it suppresses inflammation in your body and that's a good thing, but overdosing on it can suppress even the good inflammation that's required for muscle building. So I would keep any supplement under 250 mg. That's half a Limcee tablet. And no, mega dosing on vitamin C doesn't cure your cold. That's a big myth. Lastly, for vegetarians, vitamin C boosts iron absorption from plant-based foods by up to 300%. So definitely squeeze lemon on your dal or spinach sabzi. I covered this in the minerals video. Okay, so we just learned excess vitamin C isn't toxic. But excess vitamin A can be. Vitamin A supports your eyesight, especially in dim light, like while driving at night. It also supports your skin and immunity. So without it, your night vision starts to fail, your skin gets overly dry, and you get sick easily. The RDA is 900 micrograms for men and 700 for women. From food, vitamin A comes in two forms. Animal foods give you retinol, the ready-to-use form, and plant foods give you beta-carotene, which is then converted to retinol in your body. Among animal foods, your everyday sources are eggs, milk, and dairy products. But the richest source by far is liver. Just one serving of chicken liver covers your entire week of vitamin A. The plant form, beta-carotene, is present in orange and green-colored vegetables. A couple of carrots or pumpkin or leafy greens like spinach covers your daily requirement. Here is the full top 10 list. You can pause and screenshot. Just eat these vegetables with a little added fats because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. The oil or ghee used for cooking is usually enough. So bottom line, if you regularly eat eggs, dairy, and a colorful mix of vegetables, your vitamin A is easily covered. Supplementation is not required unless you have a real deficiency, which can be confirmed by a blood test. In that case, follow your doctor's advice. Now, because vitamin A is fat-soluble, your body stores the excess instead of flushing it out. So unlike vitamin C, overdosing here can lead to toxicity. In fact, polar bear liver is so high in vitamin A that just a few bites can kill you. But don't worry, with normal diet, there is no risk of toxicity. Just don't needlessly supplement high dose vitamin A or cod liver oil endlessly, especially during pregnancy. Too much vitamin A can cause birth defects in the baby. >> >> Next is the vitamin 70% Indians are deficient in, vitamin D. Vitamin D isn't really a vitamin, it's a hormone. And your skin can make it for free from sunlight. Its main job is to help your body absorb calcium and phosphorus from food, the two main minerals needed for strong bones. A lot of people over 50 supplement calcium tablets for their bones, but they never fix their vitamin D, and that's a mistake. You need healthy D levels for strong bones, strong muscles, immunity, and healthy testosterone. If your levels are low, you will feel tired all day, deep in your bones and muscles, especially in your back and legs. Very low levels are also linked to depression, and chances are you are running low because you get almost no vitamin D from food. Sunlight has always been the main source, and nobody gets enough sun anymore. We are indoors all day, and even when we go out, we are covered in clothes and sunscreen. That's why more than 70% Indians are deficient. So, step one is get a blood test done, so you know exactly where your levels are. Depending on how deficient you are, you may need to supplement 60,000 IU's weekly for 6 to 12 weeks. Consult a doctor to set your proper dosage. Then once you recover, you can stop supplementing the high dose vitamin D, but to maintain healthy levels, you must continue supplementing a maintenance dose, unless you get enough sun to stay tanned. Now, the RDA is 600 IU's, but that's barely enough. Most experts suggest at least 2,000 IU's a day. Just look for a supplement that has vitamin D3, not the D2 form. D3 form is what your skin makes, and your body best responds to. Also, take your vitamin D3 with some fats because it's a fat-soluble vitamin, just like vitamin A. I just take mine every morning with eggs in breakfast. The product I'm using is Ultimate Omega 3 Plus by Naturaltein. It's a smart three-in-one formula. In every capsule, you get vitamin D3 plus omega-3 plus vitamin E. And I'll explain you the science behind this formulation. Pairing vitamin D3 with omega-3 makes total sense because D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin. Omega-3 is EPA plus DHA in triglyceride form, which is the best absorbed form. And vitamin E is the antioxidant that protects omega-3 fats from getting oxidized. >> >> With three soft gels, my omega-3 is covered, and it also gives me a solid 1,800 IUs of vitamin D3. To try it for yourself, go to naturaltein.in, and for maximum discount, use coupon code hyper. So, 1,800 IUs from this, plus on most days, I top this up with 1,200 IUs more from a D3 plus K2 supplement because vitamin D and vitamin K act as partners. D pulls the calcium from food, and K parks that calcium into your bones, away from your arteries. Vitamin K stands for coagulation as it also helps clot your blood. Without it, even a tiny paper cut could bleed you excessively. Now, men need around 120 micrograms a day, and women need about 90. And it comes in two forms, K1 and K2. K1 is abundant in plant foods like leafy greens and cruciferous veggies. K2 is the one you don't easily get from diet. It's there in fermented cheese, Japanese natto, and a little bit in animal foods. Plus, the bacteria in your intestines convert some K1 to K2. Here is the full top 10 list. You can pause and screenshot. Bottom line, if you regularly eat green vegetables, eggs, and dairy, then your vitamin K intake is probably fine. Though, you are at risk if you eat trash diet with mostly grains and little to no vegetables. Supplementing vitamin K is safe. There is no risk of toxicity, and it's a good overall insurance if your diet is lacking greens. Vitamin D3 plus K2 is most popular formulation because of their synergistic effect. I use Natural Teen's D3 plus K2 alongside their omega-3 product. Honestly, some days I forget taking this one, but with these products combined, my average D3 intake easily crosses 2,000 IUs per day. Next is vitamin E. It's basically the bodyguard of your cells. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, so it protects your cell membranes from oxidation and free radical damage. You need only 15 mg a day. Just a single handful of almonds or sunflower seeds cover 50% of your RDA. Here is the top 10 list, you can pause and screenshot. Deficiency is rare and can be diagnosed with blood work. So, unless you are actually deficient, there is no need to supplement high dosage of vitamin E. You must have seen these vitamin E tablets, easily available in medical stores. Each capsule has a whopping 400 mg vitamin E. But, just like vitamin C, overdosing on vitamin E supplements can suppress muscle building because antioxidants suppress inflammation. Also, the vitamin E in foods is 26% better absorbed than the synthetic one in supplements. So, for this one, food should be your preferred source. The vitamin E in the product I take is just enough to protect the omega-3 fats. Next, let's cover B vitamin. It's a family of eight vitamins. All of them basically convert your food into usable energy. They also support healthy brain and nerve function. Good news is you get B vitamins in most whole foods, especially in animal protein sources. Here are the top foods for every B vitamin, you can pause and screenshot. So, if your diet is whole foods based and high protein, your B vitamins are easily covered. But, there are two exceptions. First, pregnant women. During pregnancy, folate or B9 requirements increase from 400 to 600 micrograms a day because it's important for the neural development of child. Since there is no toxicity risk, pregnant women should generally supplement 200 to 400 micrograms of folate as per your doctor's recommendation. Second exception is vegetarians. Vegetarians and vegans are at a very high risk of B12 deficiency. In India, around 70% vegetarians are B12 deficient because B12 is only found in animal foods. There are no reliable plant sources. For your reference, here are the top B12 foods. Low B12 levels make you feel tired all day. You feel brain fog and a tingling sensation in your hands and feet. A simple blood test can confirm deficiency. Your liver actually stores enough B12 to last 2 to 5 years, >> >> which is why B12 deficiency takes years to develop. But once developed, it's hard to treat without injections. RDA is 2.4 micrograms, but for optimal health, you should get 3 to 4 micrograms a day. And you get that easily with just three whole eggs and some dairy. But people with plant-dominant diets like vegans and vegetarians must supplement vitamin B12 to maintain healthy levels. At least get tested so you know what's going on. Natural team has a very clean formulation of B12 plus folate. Or you can just get a B complex easily available at any medical shop. Just make sure it has 2 to 3 milligrams of vitamin B12 per capsule. Also remember that a B complex packs all B vitamins. So don't panic if your pee suddenly turns bright neon yellow. That's just extra B2 leaving your body. Completely harmless. It also happens with many multivitamins. You can take your B12 supplement anytime of the day. Also, many people take biotin supplements or hair gummies. But for most people, it's useless waste of money because biotin is basically vitamin B7. You easily get that in diet. It's in eggs, nuts, and seeds, and even your gut makes some. Deficiency is nonexistent. So you can skip the biotin supplements. All right. That was a lot of information. So here is everything in one vitamin protocol you can set and repeat. First, don't obsess over daily intakes. You don't have to track all 13 vitamins every single day. Only the water-soluble ones, vitamin C and B vitamins, should come in your diet regularly, ideally daily, because your body stores very little of them. The fat-soluble ones, vitamin A, E, D, >> >> K, and even B12, your body stores these up, so you don't need them every day. Just eat the right food groups consistently, and your stores stay topped up. And here is exactly how you do that. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, and variety is the keyword. If you only eat apples, bananas, aloo, pyaaz, tamatar, kheera, then you will still end up deficient. As a general recommendation, aim for 500 g of fruits and vegetables every day from a mixed variety. Eat the seasonal fruits daily, and try to include one vitamin C-rich fruit from time to time. Daily vegetables may try to include at least one deeply colored vegetable. Dark greens have vitamin K, C, E, and folate, and orange ones have vitamin A. Third, eat a variety of whole foods. Again, variety is the keyword. Eggs, dairy, daal, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, these should be your staples. Nuts and seeds cover vitamin E. Animal foods cover your B12. Legumes and grains move the remaining B vitamins. And of course, if you don't eat animal foods, supplement B12. Number four, supplement vitamin D3. It's the only vitamin almost everyone benefits from supplementing. Take around 1,000 to 2,000 IUs a day with a meal that has some fats. >> >> If you follow this protocol, every single vitamin gets covered. And if you want us to apply all of this information to your diet and lifestyle, then check out our coaching details at hypertrophy.com. You'll get fully personalized service with customized diet and training plan according to your body and your goals, with daily chat support, so your progress never gets stuck. Here are some of our results. Actually, one more thing, vitamin D works best when your magnesium intake is adequate. And I covered magnesium in the minerals video. It's the other half of your micronutrient system. You can watch the minerals video here. And if you want to learn about every protein, then watch this video. I'll see you guys in the next video. Stay fit.