Vitamin A is a well-known essential nutrient for eye health and night vision.

Vitamin A helps your body create white blood cells, specifically the white blood cells called lymphocytes. Vitamin A is also needed to create the mucus membranes that line your organs and respiratory tract. These mucus membranes form a protective barrier that traps any potentially harmful substances and prevents them from causing disease, helping to reduce the risk of infection and improving immune activity.

 Vitamin A is found in dairy fats, fish oils, egg yolk, liver, fortified margarines and ProNutro

 Like vitamin A, Vitamin C is an antioxidant often associated with immune support and prevention of disease.

Vitamin C also helps your body to create infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies, which help fight off disease and infections in your body.

Vitamin C can help shorten the duration of a cold once a virus is contracted, but it cannot prevent it. 

It helps keep joints, bones and skin firm and strong.

Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, green peppers, tomatoes, guavas, strawberries and ProNutro.

 Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage.

It is needed for the formation of red blood cells and blood circulation.

Vitamin E is known to help with healing the skin and improves immune activity.

Vitamin E is found in seeds, vegetable oils, margarine, nuts, wheat germ, eggs, green leafy vegetables and ProNutro.

 Selenium is important in maintaining resistance to disease.

As part of the antioxidant enzyme, glutathione peroxidase, it may enhance immune function by protecting white blood cells from free radical damage.

It also appears to increase antibody production, and accelerate the production of white blood cells and enhance their effectiveness in attacking and destroying harmful micro-organisms.

Selenium is found in seafood, lean red meat, poultry, wholegrains and ProNutro.

 Vitamin D is crucial in activating our immune defenses and without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system – T cells – would not be able to react to, and fight off, serious infections in the body.

Vitamin D is found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, snoek and pilchards, egg yolk, dairy and fortified foods such as margarine and ProNutro.

Vitamin B1 is essential for the transformation of food into energy.  It is necessary for brain and nervous system function.

Vitamin B1 is found in wheat germ, pork, liver, oysters, whole-grains, pasta, yeast, peas and ProNutro.

Vitamin B2 is essential for the transformation of food into energy.

It’s also important to get a good supply of this vitamin for hair, skin and nails.

Vitamin B2 aids in the production of infection-fighting immune cells and helps to boost the immune system.

Vitamin B2 is found in dairy products, dark green vegetables, whole-grains and ProNutro.

Vitamin B3 is essential for the transformation of food into energy, brain function and for healthy skin.

It also balances blood sugar and lowers cholesterol levels.

B3 is also closely involved in helping to reduce inflammation and improving immune activity.

Vitamin B3 is found in liver, poultry, lean red meat, fish, wholegrains, nuts, legumes and ProNutro.

Vitamin B5 is essential for the transformation of food into energy.

It also helps in the production of infection-fighting immune cells and helps to boost the immune system.

Vitamin B5 is needed to produce antibodies, proteins that destroy foreign substances in the blood, and therefore helps to fight infection.

Whole-grains, eggs, vegetables, and ProNutro are a source of Vitamin B5.

Vitamin B6 is particularly important for immune function, the production of antibodies and red blood cells.

 It is found in wholegrains, avocados, bananas, peanuts, cabbage, milk, eggs, legumes, nuts and ProNutro.

Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system.

Without adequate B12, white blood cells can't mature and multiply.

Vitamin B12 is essential for the transformation of food into energy.

It is found in lean red meat, fish, eggs, poultry, dairy and ProNutro.

Folic Acid contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system.

It plays a vital role in making DNA (the substance that makes up our genes), in normal growth and development and red blood cell formation.

Wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, nuts, pulses and ProNutro are all sources of folic acid.

Biotin is essential for the transformation of food into energy.

Egg yolk, liver, green vegetables, nuts, dairy products and ProNutro contain Biotin.

Calcium is a vital component of bones and teeth.

Calcium binds to the protein, calmodulin, activating enzymes that help produce energy for muscle contraction.

Regular exercise and a balanced diet with enough calcium are needed for the smooth functioning of nerves and muscles.

Dairy products, tinned sardines, green leafy vegetables and ProNutro all contain calcium.

Iron is involved in the efficient functioning of the immune system and the immune response can be impaired in iron-deficient people.

Excess iron can also generate free radicals which can damage the immune system.

Iron transports oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from cells.  It is needed for energy production.

Iron is found in lean meat, liver, legumes, green leafy vegetables, eggs, whole grains and ProNutro.

Magnesium helps strengthen bones and teeth, and helps muscles relax.

It is also important for the heart muscles and the nervous system.

Magnesium is needed for energy production. Every cell makes ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to help meet energy needs. Magnesium binds to ATP to form active ATP.

Wholegrains, legumes, soya, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and ProNutro contain magnesium.

Zinc plays a role in the synthesis of infection-fighting white blood cells and ensures that wounds are able to heal properly.

Zinc is needed to create several proteins and enzymes that work together to heal wounds and for the efficient functioning of the immune system.

Without zinc, even small wounds would not be able to heal properly.

Oysters, lean red meat, poultry, dairy products, peanuts, seeds and ProNutro are a source of zinc.

Iodine is essential for normal thyroid function.

Iodine is also needed to help make hormones which govern the rate and efficiency at which food is converted into energy.

Iodine is found in iodised salt, fish, shellfish, vegetables and ProNutro.