Vitamins and Minerals-Some Facts You Need to Know

Vitamins and minerals are wonders that help one’s body to function properly. The main distinction between vitamins and minerals is that while the former is organic, the latter is inorganic. Organic substances are those found in plants or animals.

On the other hand, inorganic elements are those that come from water and soil and are often absorbed by plants and animals. Even if people know which food they can get these vitamins and minerals from, the challenge is on finding which ones have a higher vitamin and mineral content.

The Importance of Vitamins and Minerals

These vitamins and minerals are very important to your health mainly because they boost your immune system while simultaneously helping the cells of the body to grow and develop. It also helps in making bodily organs function properly. Every physical change that people undergo entails a lot of help from these vitamins and minerals. For instance, upon reaching puberty, teenagers go through so much growth and needs a large amount of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.

Types of Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals can be classified into two basic categories. The first class is fat-soluble vitamins which are aptly called as such because it dissolves in fat before being stored in the body. Fat-soluble vitamins and minerals include vitamins A, D, E, and K.

The second class of vitamins and minerals are called water-soluble vitamins since they need to be dissolved in water before they can be absorbed by the body. Vitamin C, folate, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and B12, or otherwise known as the B-complex vitamins, are just a few of the so-called water-soluble vitamins. Your body is in constant need of this type of vitamin because if they aren’t used up entirely by your body, they will exit from it every time you urinate.

There is a third category that may be added to the first two which is known as trace minerals. These minerals are called as such largely due to the fact that the body only uses small amounts of these minerals everyday.

What Can These Vitamin and Minerals Do For You?

Basically, the best method of getting all the essential vitamins and minerals that one needs every day is eating a wide variety of food. Having the right balance of these vitamins and minerals is the key to staying healthy.

Here are a few of the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs to help you stay healthy:

• Calcium does not only help your body grow since it also keeps it strong and healthy. Strong bones are attributed to this vitamin. Calcium is largely found in milk and yogurt.
• Vitamin A helps keep your eyes sharp.
• Vitamin K aids in the clotting of blood which is important in situations when you get cuts and scrapes. This is usually found in green leafy vegetables like broccoli or in soybeans and oatmeal.

There are more of these essential nutrients your body needs in order to keep it functioning at its optimum. It is important though that you get proper medical advice regarding your nutrient requirements before taking in a certain vitamin or mineral supplement because too much of it can be hazardous to your health.