Vitamins and Minerals-Why They Are Good For Your Health

Vitamins and minerals are very important substances that your body needs to keep it functioning well. It also supports the body’s growth and development. And because of its benefits, it is especially needed by children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating women.

It is essential that you know how much or how little amount of every vitamin or mineral your body needs in order to avoid diseases that are often caused by a deficient supply of these vitamins and minerals. This is the reason why doctors and dieticians always recommend a balanced diet and an extra effort to check out the RDA (recommended daily amount) information at the back portion of those chips or beverages.

What Vitamins and Minerals Do
Below is a good glimpse of some essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs. It also gives you a general idea of how they can actually benefit your body as well as the kinds of food you can get them from.

Vitamins

• Vitamin A, found in liver, carrots, yellow fruits, and other green leafy vegetables, is essential for better appetite and sharp eyesight. A deficiency in this vitamin may cause night-blindness.

• Vitamin B1, otherwise known as thiamine, is good for digestion and regeneration of tissues damaged by alcohol. Too much alcohol and coffee should be avoided especially if one shows signs of deterioration in terms of balance, concentration, and appetite.

• Vitamin B12 is essential in the manufacture of red blood cells. It is generally found in meat. However, vegetarians can still get this vitamin from eggs, milk, cereals, and several other dairy products.

• Vitamin D aids the body in absorbing calcium that is needed for stronger bones.

• Folic acid, a kind of B vitamin, helps in generating new cells. A pregnant woman needs a sufficient amount of this vitamin to prevent the fetus from having brain and spine defects upon birth.

Minerals

• Calcium helps build stronger bones and teeth, increases bone mass, and reduces the risk of having osteoporosis as you grow older. However, too much calcium can spell kidney deposits and stones in the gall bladder, as well as headaches, high blood pressure, stomach pain, and diarrhea.

• Iron is a much needed mineral in the body because it is essential in the functioning of many organs. It is also an important ingredient of both red and white blood cells. For instance, iron forms part of the protein hemoglobin which is important in transporting oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. Deficiency of this mineral can cause difficulty in concentration, irritability, and tiredness.

• Magnesium is essential in converting food substances into energy. It also helps in repairing cells and the building of stronger bones and teeth. Further, it also helps in regulating the body temperature. Magnesium can be obtained from eating nuts, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables. The correct intake of magnesium lessens the risk of having diabetes, muscle spasms, weak bones, and high blood pressure. On the other hand, too much magnesium can cause diarrhea.

As you can see, taking in vitamins and minerals is really beneficial for your body. Thus, it is very important that you make sure that you get the necessary amount of these nutrients for your body. It helps if you see a doctor so that he will be able to assess the kind of vitamin or mineral that you need for your health.