Vitamins A-K and 15 Essential Minerals — Complete Master Table

This is the expanded master reference for vitamins and minerals — deeper than the introductory note, with chemical names, daily requirements, and excess effects all in one place. PSC exams typically ask 2-4 questions from this topic.

Complete Vitamin Master Table

Vitamin	Chemical Name	Type	Food Sources	Deficiency Disease	Excess Effect	RDA (Adult)
A	Retinol	Fat-soluble	Carrot, papaya, liver, egg, spinach, milk	Night blindness, Xerophthalmia, Keratomalacia	Hypervitaminosis A (liver damage, headache)	900 mcg (M), 700 mcg (F)
B1	Thiamine	Water-soluble	Whole grains, pork, legumes, nuts	Beriberi (wet: cardiac; dry: neurological)	No known toxicity	1.2 mg (M), 1.1 mg (F)
B2	Riboflavin	Water-soluble	Milk, eggs, green vegetables, liver	Ariboflavinosis (cracked lips, sore throat)	No known toxicity	1.3 mg (M), 1.1 mg (F)
B3	Niacin (Nicotinic acid)	Water-soluble	Meat, fish, peanuts, mushrooms	Pellagra (4 Ds: Dermatitis, Diarrhoea, Dementia, Death)	Flushing, liver damage	16 mg (M), 14 mg (F)
B5	Pantothenic acid	Water-soluble	Meat, avocado, broccoli, whole grains	Fatigue, numbness (rare)	Diarrhoea (rare)	5 mg
B6	Pyridoxine	Water-soluble	Poultry, fish, potatoes, bananas	Anaemia, dermatitis, convulsions	Nerve damage	1.3 mg
B7	Biotin	Water-soluble	Egg yolk, nuts, liver, soybeans	Dermatitis, hair loss (rare)	No known toxicity	30 mcg
B9	Folic acid (Folate)	Water-soluble	Green leafy vegetables, legumes, citrus	Megaloblastic anaemia, neural tube defects in foetus	Masks B12 deficiency	400 mcg
B12	Cobalamin (Cyanocobalamin)	Water-soluble	Meat, fish, dairy, eggs (NOT in plants)	Pernicious anaemia, neurological damage	No known toxicity	2.4 mcg
C	Ascorbic acid	Water-soluble	Citrus fruits, amla, guava, tomato, capsicum	Scurvy (bleeding gums, tooth loss, poor wound healing)	Kidney stones, diarrhoea	90 mg (M), 75 mg (F)
D	Calciferol (D2: Ergocalciferol, D3: Cholecalciferol)	Fat-soluble	Sunlight, fish oil, egg yolk, fortified milk	Rickets (children), Osteomalacia (adults)	Hypercalcemia (calcium deposits)	15 mcg (600 IU)
E	Tocopherol	Fat-soluble	Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, spinach	Haemolytic anaemia in premature infants; rare in adults	Bleeding risk	15 mg
K	Phylloquinone (K1), Menaquinone (K2)	Fat-soluble	Green leafy vegetables, soybean oil; K2 from gut bacteria	Haemorrhagic disease (bleeding, poor clotting)	Jaundice in newborns (excess K3)	120 mcg (M), 90 mcg (F)

PSC Favourite Vitamin Facts

Fact	Answer
”Anti-sterility vitamin”	Vitamin E
”Sunshine vitamin”	Vitamin D
”Anti-haemorrhagic vitamin”	Vitamin K
”Anti-scurvy vitamin”	Vitamin C
”Anti-beriberi vitamin”	Vitamin B1
Only vitamin with cobalt	Vitamin B12
Only vitamin not found in plants	Vitamin B12
Only vitamin synthesised by skin	Vitamin D
Only vitamin synthesised by gut bacteria	Vitamin K (K2)
Pellagra’s 4 Ds	Dermatitis, Diarrhoea, Dementia, Death

15 Essential Minerals — Master Table

Mineral	Chemical Symbol	Key Sources	Functions	Deficiency Disease/Effect	Excess Effect	RDA (Adult)
Calcium	Ca	Milk, cheese, green leafy vegetables, ragi	Bones, teeth, muscle contraction, blood clotting	Rickets (children), Osteoporosis (adults)	Kidney stones, calcification	1,000 mg
Phosphorus	P	Meat, fish, dairy, nuts, cereals	Bones, teeth, ATP energy, DNA/RNA	Weakness, bone pain (rare)	Calcium imbalance	700 mg
Iron	Fe	Liver, red meat, spinach, jaggery, dates	Haemoglobin, myoglobin, oxygen transport	Anaemia (most common nutritional deficiency globally)	Hemochromatosis (organ damage)	18 mg (F), 8 mg (M)
Iodine	I	Iodised salt, seafood, seaweed	Thyroid hormones (T3, T4)	Goitre, cretinism (in children), hypothyroidism	Thyrotoxicosis	150 mcg
Zinc	Zn	Meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, nuts	Immunity, wound healing, taste, growth	Stunted growth, skin lesions, poor immunity	Nausea, copper deficiency	11 mg (M), 8 mg (F)
Sodium	Na	Table salt, processed foods	Nerve impulses, fluid balance, muscle function	Hyponatremia (cramps, confusion) — rare	Hypertension, oedema	1,500 mg (adequate intake)
Potassium	K	Banana, potato, coconut water, spinach	Heart rhythm, nerve function, fluid balance	Hypokalemia (muscle weakness, cramps)	Hyperkalemia (cardiac arrest)	2,600-3,400 mg
Magnesium	Mg	Nuts, seeds, whole grains, dark chocolate	Enzyme function (300+ enzymes), muscle/nerve	Muscle cramps, arrhythmia	Diarrhoea	400 mg (M), 310 mg (F)
Copper	Cu	Liver, shellfish, nuts, seeds, cocoa	Iron metabolism, collagen, melanin	Menkes disease (rare genetic); anaemia	Wilson’s disease (genetic copper accumulation)	900 mcg
Manganese	Mn	Whole grains, nuts, tea, leafy vegetables	Bone formation, metabolism, antioxidant	Poor bone growth, impaired glucose tolerance	Neurological symptoms	2.3 mg (M), 1.8 mg (F)
Selenium	Se	Brazil nuts, fish, meat, eggs	Antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase), thyroid	Keshan disease (cardiomyopathy), Kashin-Beck disease	Selenosis (hair/nail loss)	55 mcg
Fluorine	F	Fluoridated water, tea, toothpaste	Tooth enamel strength, bone density	Dental caries	Fluorosis (teeth staining, bone deformity)	4 mg (M), 3 mg (F)
Chromium	Cr	Broccoli, grapes, meat, whole grains	Insulin function, glucose metabolism	Impaired glucose tolerance	Rare	35 mcg (M), 25 mcg (F)
Molybdenum	Mo	Legumes, grains, nuts	Enzyme cofactor (sulfite oxidase)	Extremely rare	Gout-like symptoms	45 mcg
Cobalt	Co	Meat, fish, dairy (as part of Vitamin B12)	Component of Vitamin B12	Same as B12 deficiency	Cardiomyopathy, thyroid issues	Part of B12 requirement

Disease-Mineral Quick Match (PSC Favourites)

Disease	Mineral Involved
Goitre	Iodine deficiency
Anaemia (iron-deficiency)	Iron deficiency
Osteoporosis	Calcium deficiency
Dental caries	Fluorine deficiency
Fluorosis	Excess fluorine
Keshan disease	Selenium deficiency
Wilson’s disease	Copper excess (genetic)
Menkes disease	Copper deficiency (genetic)
Hemochromatosis	Iron excess
Cretinism	Iodine deficiency (in pregnancy)