Vitamins and Minerals: Your Daily Reference
NHS uses 11 sub-pages. NIH has a separate fact sheet for each nutrient. \
No single page shows all the essentials in one place. This reference covers the 12 nutrients most commonly deficient in adults, drawn from FDA Daily Values and NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets. Each entry answers the three questions that matter: how much per day, where to get it from food, and what happens when you run low.
The four most common deficiencies
Studies consistently find these four nutrients short in adult diets across wealthy countries: vitamin D, B12, iron, and magnesium. The reasons differ by nutrient, but the pattern holds across US, UK, and European survey data.
Vitamin D
20 mcg (800 IU) per day
Vitamin D: best food source
Fatty fish (salmon: 570 IU per 90 g cooked)
Vitamin D: deficiency signs
Fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, low mood
Vitamin B12
2.4 mcg per day (more is not stored, it is excreted)
Vitamin B12: best food source
Beef, fish, dairy, eggs, fortified cereals
Vitamin B12: deficiency signs
Fatigue, tingling in hands or feet, memory lapses
Iron
18 mg per day for women under 50, 8 mg for men and women 50+
Iron: best food source
Red meat, lentils, spinach (pair plant iron with vitamin C)
Iron: deficiency signs
Persistent tiredness, pale skin, shortness of breath
Magnesium
420 mg per day (men), 320 mg (women)
Magnesium: best food source
Pumpkin seeds (156 mg per 28 g), spinach, almonds
Magnesium: deficiency signs
Muscle cramps, poor sleep, low energy, anxiety
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, K)
These three are stored in body fat rather than flushed daily. Deficiency builds slowly, which makes it easy to miss. Too much from supplements is also a real risk, since they accumulate rather than pass through.
Vitamin A
900 mcg RAE per day (men), 700 mcg (women)
Vitamin A: best food source
Beef liver (6582 mcg per 85 g), sweet potato, carrot
Vitamin A: deficiency signs
Night blindness, dry eyes, increased infection risk
Vitamin E
15 mg alpha-tocopherol per day
Vitamin E: best food source
Sunflower seeds, almonds, sunflower oil, hazelnuts
Vitamin E: deficiency signs
Rare in healthy adults; nerve damage if severely low
Vitamin K
120 mcg per day (men), 90 mcg (women)
Vitamin K: best food source
Kale (547 mcg per 130 g cooked), spinach, broccoli
Vitamin K: deficiency signs
Easy bruising, slow wound clotting, weakened bones
Water-soluble vitamins (C, B6, Folate)
Water-soluble vitamins are not stored. Surplus is excreted, so daily intake matters. Deficiency can appear within weeks if intake drops, which makes these the vitamins most sensitive to a poor diet over a short stretch.
Vitamin C
90 mg per day (men), 75 mg (women)
Vitamin C: best food source
Red bell pepper (190 mg per 149 g raw), orange, kiwi
Vitamin C: deficiency signs
Bleeding gums, slow wound healing, fatigue, joint pain
Vitamin B6
1.7 mg per day
Vitamin B6: best food source
Chickpeas (1.1 mg per 240 g cooked), tuna, potato
Vitamin B6: deficiency signs
Anemia, skin rash, cracked lips, confusion
Folate (B9)
400 mcg DFE per day (600 mcg if pregnant)
Folate: best food source
Beef liver, edamame, lentils, asparagus, spinach
Folate: deficiency signs
Megaloblastic anemia, fatigue, mouth sores
Two key minerals (Calcium, Zinc)
Calcium and zinc round out the twelve. Both show up reliably in deficiency surveys, and both have clear food-first solutions. Calcium needs vitamin D to absorb properly, which makes the two linked: a vitamin D shortfall can undermine calcium intake even when the diet looks adequate.
Calcium
1300 mg per day (FDA Daily Value, 2020 update)
Calcium: best food source
Plain yogurt (415 mg per 245 g), milk, cheese, tofu
Calcium: deficiency signs
Muscle cramps, brittle nails, weak bones over time
Zinc
11 mg per day (men), 8 mg (women)
Zinc: best food source
Oysters (74 mg per 85 g cooked), beef, pumpkin seeds
Zinc: deficiency signs
Slow wound healing, hair loss, dulled taste or smell
Daily Values shown are FDA figures for adults and children 4 and older on a 2,000 calorie diet. The NHS uses broadly the same figures as UK Reference Nutrient Intakes. Individual needs differ by age, sex, pregnancy, and health status. These numbers are a starting point, not a prescription. Check with a GP or registered dietitian before adding supplements to your routine.