The NNWA nutrition handbook
Vitamins
The fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins: requirements, Indian sources, deficiency and upper limits.
Vitamins in brief
Thirteen vitamins are needed in small amounts, and a vegetarian or low-sunlight routine can leave some of them short. Each entry gives the ICMR-NIN requirement, the Indian foods that supply the vitamin, the signs of too little and too much, and when testing is a matter for a doctor.
Every entry on vitamins
Each entry opens with the figures most readers come for, then covers requirements, Indian food sources, safety and the evidence.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): Requirements, Indian Sources and Deficiency
Cobalamin
2.2 mcg a dayAdult allowance, men and women
Vitamin B12 in India: ICMR-NIN's 2.2 mcg requirement by age, what milk, curd and eggs supply, what fortified atta adds, deficiency signs and tests.
Read the entryVitamin A (Retinol and Beta-Carotene): ICMR-NIN Values, Indian Sources and the Child Dose Schedule
Retinol; provitamin A carotenoids such as beta-carotene
1,000 mcg a dayAdult man, daily allowance
Vitamin A for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values by age, the 3,000 mcg upper limit, beta-carotene in Indian foods, survey figures and the child dose schedule.
Read the entryVitamin D (D2 and D3): ICMR-NIN Value in IU, Sunlight, Fortified Foods and Testing
Calciferol; ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3); the sunshine vitamin
600 IU (15 mcg)Adult daily allowance
Vitamin D for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN's 600 IU allowance and 4,000 IU limit, sunlight timing, FSSAI-fortified milk and oil, Indian studies and megadose risks.
Read the entryVitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): ICMR-NIN Values by Age, Indian Sources, Cooking Losses and Iron Absorption
Ascorbic acid; ascorbate
80 mg a dayAdult man, daily allowance
Vitamin C for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values for every age, the 2,000 mg upper limit, amla, guava and citrus per portion, cooking losses and iron.
Read the entryFolate and Folic Acid (Vitamin B9): ICMR-NIN Values, Indian Sources, Neural Tube Defects and the IFA Tablet
Vitamin B9; folic acid (the synthetic form); folacin
300 and 220 mcgAdult man and woman, daily allowance
Folate for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values for every age, 570 mcg in pregnancy, pulses and greens per portion, and folic acid before conception.
Read the entryVitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): ICMR-NIN Requirement, Indian Sources, Upper Limit and Nerve Damage
Pyridoxine; pyridoxal; pyridoxamine
1.9 mg a dayAdult man, sedentary
Vitamin B6 for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values by age and activity, Indian food sources per portion, the upper limit and nerve damage from high doses.
Read the entryThiamine (Vitamin B1): ICMR-NIN Requirement, Polished Rice, Beriberi and Alcohol
Vitamin B1; thiamin; aneurin
1.4 mg a dayAdult man, sedentary
Thiamine for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values by activity and age, what polishing does to rice, beriberi reports from Kashmir, alcohol and Indian sources.
Read the entryRiboflavin (Vitamin B2): ICMR-NIN Requirement, Milk and Millet Sources, and Angular Stomatitis
Vitamin B2
2.0 mg a daySedentary man, daily allowance
Riboflavin for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values by age and activity, how much milk, greens and millets supply, angular stomatitis and who runs short.
Read the entryNiacin (Vitamin B3): Niacin Equivalents, ICMR-NIN Requirement, Pellagra and High-Dose Risks
Vitamin B3; nicotinic acid and nicotinamide
14 mg a daySedentary man, daily allowance
Niacin for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values, the 35 mg upper limit, niacin equivalents from tryptophan, pellagra on jowar and maize diets, and flushing.
Read the entry
Other subjects
The handbook is arranged in subjects. These are the others that have entries.
Carbohydrates
Starch, sugars and fibre: how much of an Indian plate they fill, and what the type and amount do to blood glucose.
Proteins and amino acids
Protein and the amino acids it is built from: requirements, quality, and how cereal and pulse meals combine.
Fats
Cooking oils, ghee and the fatty acids in them: how much visible fat is advised, and which kinds matter.
Minerals
Iron, calcium and the other minerals: Indian requirements, food sources, and who runs short.
Supplements
What the common supplements are, what the trials show, and what FSSAI allows on a label.
Hormones
Insulin and the other hormones that govern blood glucose, appetite and metabolism: what each does, and how food interacts with it.
Diets
Named diets such as DASH: what each plan asks, an Indian day on it, the trial evidence and whom it does not suit.
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