Vitamins and minerals are essential to an individual’s health and well-being. Their supplement forms may be up for debate, but it is decided eating foods rich in essential vitamins helps the body function.

Since there are so many to consider, The National Institutes of Health have narrowed down the 13 essential vitamins: Vitamin A, C, D, E, and K; Vitamin B 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12; as well as pantothenic acid, biotin, and folate or folic acid. How much an individual should consume, however, depends on their sex and age. For example, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends females between the ages 19 and 30 intake 700 micrograms (µg) of vitamin A and 75 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C. The IOM recommends men intake 900 µg of A and 90 mg of C.

But to make it even easier, Dr. Dennis Goodman, director of integrative medicine at NYU and a clinical associate professor and cardiologist in the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology and Preventative Medicine, recommends starting out by focusing on “the big five.” If this were a safari, the big five would mean the jungle’s main players: the lion, rhinoceros, buffalo, leopard, and elephant. The vitamin version, Goodman told Medical Daily, translates to a quality multivitamin, vitamin D, fish oil, magnesium, and vitamin K2.

Here’s how to source each one.

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Find out how you can source "the big five" vitamins and minerals essential to our health and well-being. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock