Vitamins: Sources and Deficiency Diseases
Updated 17 Oct 2026
Which vitamin prevents which disease, and where to find it: a favourite Everyday Science topic.
| Vitamin | Main sources | Deficiency disease |
|---|---|---|
| A | Carrots, milk, eggs, liver, green vegetables | Night blindness |
| B1 (Thiamine) | Whole grains, pulses, meat | Beriberi |
| B3 (Niacin) | Meat, fish, peanuts, whole grains | Pellagra |
| B12 | Meat, fish, eggs, milk | Anaemia (pernicious anaemia) |
| C | Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons), guava, tomatoes | Scurvy |
| D | Sunlight on the skin, fish, egg yolk | Rickets (in children) |
| K | Green leafy vegetables | Poor blood clotting (bleeding) |
Useful facts
- Vitamin D is made by our skin in sunlight.
- Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble; B and C are water-soluble.
- Iron deficiency causes anaemia; iodine deficiency causes goitre (these are minerals, not vitamins).
Practise: Everyday Science MCQs.