Vitamins&Minerals

Are you taking your minerals and vitamins?

What minerals, vitamins and nutrients are vital to our health and well being…

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to work properly. Most people should be able to get all the nutrients they need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you choose to take vitamin and mineral supplements, seek advice where appropriate.

Vitamins are divided into 2 categories:

1. Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E and K) are mainly found in:

• animal fats
• vegetable oils
• dairy foods
• liver
• oily fish

While your body needs these vitamins to work properly, you don’t need to eat foods containing them every day.

2. Water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C, the B vitamins and folic acid) are mainly found in:

• fruit and vegetables
• grains
• milk and dairy foods

These vitamins aren’t stored in the body, so you need to have them more frequently. If you have more than you need, your body gets rid of the extra vitamins when you urinate.

Minerals include calcium and iron amongst many others and are found in:

• meat
• cereals
• fish
• milk and dairy foods
• fruit and vegetables
• nuts

Minerals are necessary for 3 main reasons: 

• building strong bones and teeth;
• controlling body fluids inside and outside cells;
• turning the food you eat into energy.

Vitamins and minerals get thrown together, but they are quite different. Vitamins are organic substances produced by plants or animals. They often are called “essential” because they are not synthesized in the body (except for vitamin D) and therefore must come from food. Minerals are inorganic elements that originate from rocks, soil, or water. However, you can absorb them indirectly from the environment or an animal that has eaten a particular plant.

Vitamins and minerals are as essential for living as air and water. Not only do they keep your body healthy and functional, they protect you from a variety of disease.