There are important vitamins that are missing from the average American diet. They are missing because of lack of understanding or in the atmosphere of losing weight. Here are some common vitamins that are missing:

Vitamin A 

Vitamin A is good for vision, tissue growth and immunity.

How much do you need?

• Men: 900 micrograms/day

• Women: 700 micrograms/day

Note that there are two types of vitamin A: carotenoids and retinol. The former are usually missing from many American diets. 

Foods that contain carotenoids include: cooked fresh carrots, cooked winter squash, cooked fresh potato with skin, and cooked spinach. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C plays important roles in the body. It boosts the immune system and works as a powerful antioxidant that prevents cell damage. It also improves collagen production.

How much is needed?

• Men: 90 milligrams/day

• Women: 75 milligrams/day

Good sources are sweet red pepper, orange, strawberries, cantaloupe, and cooked broccoli.

Vitamin E

A lot of people don't get enough vitamin E. The primary reason for this is that people are trying too hard to eat healthy. The deal is vitamin E appears in foods with high fat content, like oils, nuts, and seeds. So, to eat low-fat and lose weight, people ignore the foods that are rich in vitamin E. But that's a big mistake. This is because vitamin E is a fantastic antioxidant that prevents cell damage.

Regardless of the fat, you should include these foods in your diet. Although a low-fat diet is relevant to good health, there is need to distinguish between the typical bad fats (saturated fats) and the good ones (such as the polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated) which are in these vitamin E foods.  Remember that foods with the good fats are still significantly high in calories. So, you also need to eat moderately.

The type of vitamin E that is most relevant is called alpha-tocopherol vitamin E (AT). To be specific, adults need about 15 milligrams of this per day.

Good sources of vitamin E include:

• Roasted sunflower seeds 7.4 milligrams (1 ounce)

• Almonds 7.3 milligrams

• Peanut butter 2.5 milligrams (2 tablespoons).

• Tomato sauce 2.5 milligrams (1/2 cup).

Give these suggestions a try and see if they make a difference to your health. If you are still struggling to get the nutrients that you need each day, check out vitamin products from Jarrow Formulas and Enzymedica. These supplement options may make all the difference and may provide you the support that you need each day.