It has been proved that vitamins and minerals perform hundreds of roles in our body. There is a fine line between getting enough of these nutrients that is considered to be healthy. But also getting too much can end up harming you. However eating a healthy diet remains the best way to get sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Some of their roles involve shoring up bones, healing wounds, and bolster your immune system. They also convert food into energy and repair cellular damage.
Despite being micronutrients, vitamins and minerals differ in basic ways. Vitamins are organic micronutrients and can be broken down by heat, acid or air. Whereas minerals are inorganic and adhere to their chemical structure. Vitamins are made by living things, while minerals are found in the earth. For example, carrots produce beta carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A; minerals, such as iron and copper, can be found in soil and rock. Vitamins are much more delicate than minerals and can break down with heat or age, and they are organic; minerals are inorganic, making their chemical form more simple than that of vitamins.
Let us start with Vitamins: They are organic compounds and can be broken down by variety of sources. Some of the sources include air, heat and light. Vitamins can be classified into two categories: 1. Water Soluble Vitamins and 2. Fat Soluble Vitamins
Water soluble vitamins are vitamins that simply dissolve in water. Why do we need them? Our bodies are made up of mostly water and they get easily absorbed in the body for their regular functions. Our body tends to eliminate any excess of these vitamins when we urinate. All the B vitamins and C vitamins fall under water soluble category. Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins that don’t dissolve in water. There are four fat-soluble vitamins in the human diet, which include vitamin A, D, E and K. Since these vitamins cannot dissolve in water, they get absorbed into the body through fat foods. Some of these vitamins occur naturally in high-fat food sources like fatty fish.
Every day, your body produces skin, muscle, and bone. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote outposts, and it sends nerve signals skipping along thousands of miles of brain and body pathways. It also formulates chemical messengers that shuttle from one organ to another, issuing the instructions that help sustain your life. But to do all this, your body requires some raw materials. These include at least 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in sufficient amounts. Vitamins for eyes are considered essential nutrients—because acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body.
To choose healthy foods, check food labels and pick items that are high in vitamins and minerals. For example, if you're choosing beverages, you'll find that a glass of milk is a good source of vitamin D and the minerals calcium, phosphorous, and potassium. A glass of soda, on the other hand, doesn't have any vitamins or minerals.
You can also satisfy your taste buds without sacrificing nutrition while eating out: Vegetable pizzas or fajitas, sandwiches with lean cuts of meat, fresh salads, and baked potatoes are just a few delicious, nutritious choices. Here is the list of vitamins and their functions that you should be aware of:
Vitamin B1 (thiamine): Helps convert nutrients into energy
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Necessary for energy production, cell function and fat metabolism
Vitamin B3 (niacin): Drives the production of energy from food
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Necessary for fatty acid synthesis
Vitamin B6: Helps your body release sugar from stored carbohydrates for energy and create red blood cells
Vitamin B7 (biotin): Plays a role in the metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids and glucose
Vitamin B9 (folate): Important for proper cell division
Vitamin B12: Necessary for red blood cell formation and proper nervous system and brain function
Vitamin C: Required for the creation of neurotransmitters and collagen, the main protein in your skin
Vitamin A:Necessary for proper vision and organ function
Vitamin D: Promotes proper immune function and assists in calcium absorption and bone growth
Vitamin E: Assists immune function and acts as an antioxidant that protects cells from damage
Vitamin K: Required for blood clotting and proper bone development
As mentioned above minerals are inorganic compounds which means they maintain their chemical structure regardless of the external environment or treatment such as heat, light, air, etc. Minerals are divided into two categories: Trace minerals and Major minerals.
-
Calcium: Necessary for proper structure and function of bones and teeth. Assists in muscle function and blood vessel contraction
Phosphorus: Part of bone and cell membrane structure
Magnesium: Assists with over 300 enzyme reactions, including regulation of blood pressure
Sodium: Electrolyte that aids fluid balance and maintenance of blood pressure
Chloride: Often found in combination with sodium. Helps maintain fluid balance and is used to make digestive juices
Potassium: Electrolyte that maintains fluid status in cells and helps with nerve transmission and muscle function
Sulfur: Part of every living tissue and contained in the amino acids methionine and cysteine
Many micronutrients have a tendency to interact. Vitamin D enables your body to pluck calcium from food sources passing through your digestive tract rather than harvesting it from your bones. Vitamin C helps you absorb iron. The interplay of micronutrients isn’t always cooperative, however. For example, vitamin C blocks your body’s ability to assimilate the essential mineral copper. And even a minor overload of the mineral manganese can worsen iron deficiency.
The above essentials are available with BEPLEX FORTE: The best B-Complex supplements
Nutralogicx.com