The human body needs a lot of different types of vitamins in order to function correctly, even today with the overabundance of food a lot of people have vitamin deficiencies, and in a survival situation, the lack of some vitamins will only make your situation worse. Even if you are not in a survival situation you should still take vitamin supplements as you will not be able to get all the necessary vitamins from the food which you eat.
The survival vitamins are Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B7, Vitamin B9, and Vitamin B12.
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The food we eat today is not that nutritious, most food items are made to be sold in bulk, pumped full of preservatives, sugar, and sodium, with very few vitamins and minerals. The lack of certain vitamins in your diet will make you feel constantly tired, as your body has to struggle to keep the organs functioning correctly even with a vitamin deficiency. In a survival situation, a vitamin deficiency can have extremely negative effects.
As a general rule no matter if you are a prepper or not you should still stockpile some vitamins, usually, these have a fairly long shelf life and if you store them correctly you can even extend their shelf life. Our body is not that efficient in absorbing these vitamin supplements, this is why you have to take them after you have eaten, generally speaking, you should aim for a balanced diet, but in an SHTF situation, this probably will not be possible.
Think of vitamins as a preventative measure, if SHTF comes then you can rest assured that you still can use the vitamin supplements. A lot of people will stockpile food, but foods that tend to have a long shelf life do not have that many vitamins as the vitamins will slowly decay. Generally speaking, you should buy these vitamins before a recession, as in a recession their price will get higher for more information check out my recent article What to buy before a recession ( Top 14 Items ).
By far one of the best vitamins in a survival situation is Vitamin D, the best part about it that your body can actually produce Vitamin D, all it needs is sunlight. During the summertime, your body will have no problem producing plenty of vitamin D but this is not the case during the wintertime. If you have a sedentary lifestyle and you stay all day long in an office with artificial lights then you can have vitamin D deficiency even in the summer.
The main job of Vitamin D is to help your body absorb calcium, which is needed for healthy teeth and strong bones. Generally speaking, you need to spend around 15-20 minutes per day in direct sunlight for your body to be able to produce vitamin D. If you are stockpiling vitamins then you should also get some antibiotics just in case, for more information check out my recent article How to get antibiotics for prepping? ( Top 18 Sources ).
Vitamin A is also an essential vitamin for the human body, it has a lot of health benefits and without plenty of Vitamin A, you will have serious health complications. The main job of Vitamin A is to keep your teeth, mucus membrane, bones, and vital organs healthy and functioning properly. Vitamin A deficiency has a lot of negative effects on the human body, and it is even one of the main causes of child blindness, https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/.
In addition to this Vitamin A is also extremely helpful when it comes to fighting infections, and let’s face it in a survival situation you will probably get some cuts and bruises so you should definitely stockpile some Vitamin A. If you are worried about a long term power outage, then check out my recent article Power outage grocery list ( Top 38 Items ).
Vitamin C is usually found in green leafy vegetables and in citrus fruits, Vitamin C from these fruits and vegetables is a lot easier absorbed by the human body than from vitamin supplements. There are a lot of “natural” juices on the market with added vitamin C, the vitamin doesn’t actually come from the fruits as these natural juices have a very low content of actual fruits, for the most part, they are just chemicals with a small percentage of fruit content.
Vitamin C is extremely important for the human body, and a lot of sailors hundreds of years ago found this out the hard way. The lack of vitamin C will cause scurvy which is a horrible disease, basically, people suffering from it will bleed out of their orifices. A couple of centuries ago sailors figured out that if they ate citrus fruits they wouldn’t develop scurvy, the problem was that storing citrus fruits for long periods of time was impossible, and back then sailors would often spend months on the sea.
Their simple solution was to add limes and lemons to their rum barrels, and thus they were able to have a steady supply of Vitamin C. So if you have been drinking rum with lime than a couple of centuries ago this was an effective way of preventing against scurvy and vitamin C deficiency. In any survival situation, you have to be self sufficient, for more information check out my recent article How to be self sufficient ( In 14 Easy Steps ).
Vitamin E will keep you younger and it also aids in the production of red blood cells. A lot of pharmaceutical products contain Vitamin E, as it will make your skin look a lot better, healthier, and even younger. Vitamin E is also known as tocopherol and it can be found in seeds, nuts, and in green vegetables.
The most important function of Vitamin K is keeping your bones healthy, in addition to this, it also helps the blood clot. This is extremely important in an SHTF situation, sooner or later you will have some cuts and bruises, and Vitamin K will help stop the bleeding. Although it is fairly rare for somebody to have a Vitamin K deficiency but it is still a good supplement to take, just in case. Vitamin K is found in green vegetables, fish, eggs, and in certain meats.
The main job of Vitamin B1 is to aid in the transformation of carbohydrates into energy. Today’s diet is filled with carbohydrates, and a lot of people have vitamin B1 deficiency, this is why a lot of people with extra fat deposits tend to be tired all day long, their body is working extra hard converting carbohydrates into energy. Vitamin B1 is also called thiamine and it is usually found in different types of meat and in several nuts and seeds.
In addition to aiding the transformation of carbohydrates into energy, this vitamin also aids the heart in different ways, making it healthier. Every prepper should have a full pantry in order to have plenty of vitamins and minerals from different sources, for more information check out my recent article Preppers pantry ( In 15 Easy Steps ).
The main job of Vitamin B2 is to help with the production of red blood cells, as these cells are extremely important for the well being of the human body, a Vitamin B2 deficiency can lead to several health-related problems. Vitamin B2 is also called riboflavin, and it works hand in hand with other vitamin B’s thus keeping the entire human body healthy. You can find vitamin B2 in dairy products, eggs, meats, whole grains, and green vegetables.
The main job of Vitamin B3 is to keep your skin healthy, in addition to this it also aids in keeping your nerves healthy. Vitamin B3 is also called niacin, and it can be found in eggs, whole grains, fish, avocado, and in some lean meats. A lot of people having Vitamin B3 deficiency will have a fairly pale skin, almost looking like they are constantly sick.
The main job of the Vitamin B5 is to aid in the production of hormones and cholesterol as well, although you have probably heard that high cholesterol levels are bad, but the truth is the body does need cholesterol for a lot of functions. Vitamin B5 is also called pantothenic acid and it can be found in dairy products, meats, and vegetables. Another very important function of Vitamin B5 is the breaking down of food, which makes your stomach work a lot more efficiently.
Vitamin B6 aids the body with protein synthesis which is basically helping the protein to be absorbed by the body. Usually, people who have vitamin B6 deficiency tend to be fairly skinny as their body has a hard time absorbing and using the protein. In addition to this vitamin B6 aids in the production of the red blood cells and with maintaining the brain healthy. Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine and it can be found in nuts, bananas, meats, and vegetables.
The Vitamin B7 has two main functions in the human body breaking down protein and carbohydrates, and in producing different hormones. Usually, people who suffer from a vitamin B7 deficiency will have a hormonal imbalance which could end up in mood swings. Vitamin B7 is also called biotin and it can be found in cereal, eggs, meats, vegetables, and even in chocolate.
The main job of Vitamin B9 is to create red blood cells and creating DNA. In addition to this, it aids the body in converting carbohydrates into glucose which is used as an energy source by the body. As vitamin B9 aids the creation of DNA, it is extremely important for pregnant women. Vitamin B9 is also called folate or folic acid, and it can be found in green vegetables, beans, citrus fruits, and wheat.
Vitamin B12 aids the breaking down of carbs and protein as well, it directly aids the metabolism. In addition to this as most Vitamin B’s it also aids in the production of red blood cells. Vitamin B 12 is also known as Cyanocobalamin, and it can be found in eggs, meats, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is one of the most important vitamins in the human body as it aids DNA synthesis and cellular energy production.
As you can see there are a couple of survival vitamins that you should stockpile especially if you are preparing for an SHTF event. There are plenty of vitamin supplements that have all of these vitamins, just make sure that you also check their shelf life especially if you want to stockpile them.