What are Vitamins Minerals and Supplements

Health Supplements Multi Vitamins

Vitamins and Minerals Are

Vitamins and Minerals helps people's bodies to work correctly. You can get vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat every day, although some foods have more vitamins and minerals than others.

Vitamins Are

Vitamins are natural substances found in plants and animals. What are Vitamins - Plants and Animals The body uses these substances to stay fit and healthy, supporting its many functions. There are two types of vitamins: water soluble and fat soluble.

Vitamins fall into two categories: fat soluble and water soluble. The fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K dissolve in fat and can be stored in your body. The water soluble vitamins C and the B complex vitamins (such as vitamins B6, B12, niacin, riboflavin, and folate) need to dissolve in water before your body can absorb them. Because of this, your body can't store these vitamins. Any vitamin C or B that your body doesn't use as it passes through your system is lost (mostly when you pee). So you need a fresh supply of these vitamins every day.

Water soluble vitamins

Water soluble vitamins are easily absorbed by your body. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, they don’t have to be absorbed using bile acids (fluids used to digest fats). Your body doesn’t store large amounts of water-soluble vitamins. The water-soluble vitamins you don’t need are removed by your kidneys and come out in your urine.

Fat soluble vitamins

Your body has to use bile acids to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Once these vitamins are absorbed, your body stores them in body fat. When you need them, your body takes them out of storage to be used. Note: use mineral oil frequently to treat constipation or eating the fat substitute Olestra.

Minerals

Whereas vitamins are organic substances (made by plants or animals), minerals are inorganic elements that come from the soil and water and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals to get nutrients. Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium, to grow and stay healthy. Other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you only need very small amounts of them each day.

The best way to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs is from the food you eat. Most people don’t need to take additional vitamin and mineral supplements. You should never take extra vitamins and minerals without talking to your doctor first. However, your doctor may suggest taking extra vitamins or minerals if you have certain health problems. You also may need more vitamins and minerals at certain times in your life.

Vitamins and minerals aren’t dangerous unless you get too much of them. It would be hard to “overdose” on vitamins or minerals that you get from the foods you eat. But if you take supplements, you can easily take too much. This is even more of a risk if you take fat-soluble vitamins.

Sometimes, taking too much of a vitamin or mineral can lead to problems such as the side effects. Taking too much can also cause problems with some medical tests or get in the way of how some drugs work. It’s very important to talk with your doctor before you take any vitamin and mineral pills, especially if you take prescription medicines, have any health problems or are elderly.

VITAMINS

Vitamin A (retinol)

Useful Benefits

Vitamin A is essential for the growth, pep, and development of cells, promoting healthy skin and developing strong bones. Vitamin A builds resistance to infection, especially of the respiratory tract. It helps maintain a healthy condition of the outer layers of the many tissues and organs. Vitamin A prevents eye problems permitting formation of visual purple in the eye, which counteracts night blindness and weak eyesight. Finally, it fosters a healthy immune system.

Sources

Good sources of vitamin A are dairy products like milk, fortified cereals, eggs, liver, fish, darkly colored orange or green vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and kale, and orange fruits such as cantaloupe, apricots, peaches, papayas, and mangos.

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

Useful Benefits

It is necessary for changing carbohydrates (starches and sugars) into energy and it is good for the heart, muscles, and nervous system to function properly.

Sources

Good Source of Vitamin B1

Lean beef, pork, liver, yeast (bread), eggs, berries, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, dried beans, peas, soy foods, enriched whole grain products

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Useful Benefits

Riboflavin is essential for turning protein, fats, and carbohydrates into energy, helping produce red blood cells and healthy skin. It is also important for vision.

Sources

Lean beef, pork, liver, fish, legumes, eggs, cheese, milk, nuts, fortified cereals, enriched whole grain products, and some green vegetables

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Useful Benefits

Niacin helps the body process food into energy. It helps maintain healthy skin, digestion and is important for nerve function.

Sources

Liver, turkey, tuna, salmon, swordfish, red meat, peanuts, beans, yeast, enriched whole grain breads and cereals

Potential Effects of taking too much

Flushing (redness) of the skin, upset stomach

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Useful Benefits

Helps your body process nutrients, and helps your body make red blood cells

Sources

Organ meats, beef, chicken, lobster, milk, eggs, peanuts, peas, beans, lentils, broccoli, yeast, cereals, whole grains

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine)

Useful Benefits

Vitamin B6 helps your body break down proteins, and fats, supporting the nervous and immune systems. B6 assists your blood carry oxygen to your body’s tissues, helping break down copper and iron, it also prevents one type of anemia and helps maintain normal brain, nerve function and blood sugar levels.

Sources

Organ meats, pork, beef, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, peanuts, potatoes, seeds, nuts, bananas, carrots, spinach, cabbage, wheat germ, yeast, fortified cereals

Potential Effects of taking too much

Nerve damage to the arms and legs, which may cause numbness, trouble walking and pain

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)

Useful Benefits

Vitamin B12 and folic acid helps to make red blood cells, and is important for nerve cell function, and its needed to make genetic material in cells and prevents one type of anemia.

Sources

Good Source of Vitamin B12

Liver, poultry, beef, clams, sardines, fish (ex. flounder & herring), eggs, milk, blue cheese, fortified cereals

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Useful Benefits

Vitamin C is needed to form collagen, maintenance of the ligaments, tendons, and other supportive tissue, holding cells together. It’s essential for healthy bones, teeth, gums, and blood vessels. It helps the body absorb iron and calcium, aids in wound healing, and contributes to brain function. Also, acts as an antioxidant and protects your body’s cells from being damaged from free radicals (by-products of metabolism); good for your immune system.

Sources

Good Source of Vitamin C

Broccoli, red and green peppers, spinach, brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, red berries (ex. strawberries), cabbage

Potential Effects of taking too much

Upset stomach, kidney stones, increased iron absorption

Vitamin D

Useful Benefits

Is necessary for the body's use of calcium.

Sources

Good Source of Vitamin D

Vitamin D also forms when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

It is present in fish-liver oil and vitamin D-fortified milk.

Vitamin E (tocopherol)

Useful Benefits

Helps maintain cell membranes.

Sources

Vegetable oils and whole-grain cereals are especially rich in this vitamin. It is also found in small amounts in most meats, fruits, and vegetables.

Vitamin H (biotin)

Useful Benefits

Helps your body use nutrients, good for your nervous system, and helps form red blood cells

Sources

Liver, kidney, egg, yolks, peas, beans, nuts, tomatoes, yeast

Vitamin K

Useful Benefits

Is necessary for proper clotting of the blood.

Sources

Green leafy vegetables contain vitamin K. It is also manufactured by bacteria in the intestine.

Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid (folate)

Useful Benefits

Folate helps the body make and sustain red blood cells. It is also needed to make DNA. Folate prevents one type of anemia; prevents neural tube birth defects.

Sources

Poultry, dark leafy vegetables, dry beans and peas, citrus fruits (ex. oranges), fortified cereals and grain products

Potential Effects of taking too much

High levels of folic acid may hide signs of B12 deficiency (a deficiency that can cause nerve damage), especially in older adults.

MINERALS

Calcium

Useful Benefits

Calcium is vital for building strong bones and teeth. The time to build strong bones is during childhood and the teen years, so it's very important to get enough calcium now to fight against bone loss later in life. Weak bones are susceptible to a condition called osteoporosis, which causes bones to break easily.

Sources

Milk and other dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese are good sources of calcium. You'll also find this mineral in broccoli and dark green, leafy vegetables. Soy foods and foods fortified with calcium, including some kinds of orange juice and soy milk, are also good sources.

Iron

Useful Benefits

Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include weakness and fatigue, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath.

Sources

Iron rich foods include red meat, pork, fish and shellfish, poultry, lentils, beans and soy foods, green leafy vegetables, and raisins. Some flours, cereals, and grain products are also fortified with iron.

Magnesium

Useful Benefits

Magnesium helps muscles and nerves function, steadies the heart rhythm, and keeps bones strong. It also helps the body create energy and make proteins.

Sources

You get magnesium from whole grains and whole grain breads, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, beans, avocados, bananas, kiwi, broccoli, shrimp, and chocolate

Phosphorus

Useful Benefits

Phosphorus helps form healthy bones and teeth. It also helps the body make energy. It is part of every cell membrane, and every cell in the body needs phosphorus to function normally.

Sources

Phosphorus is found in most foods, but the best sources are dairy foods, meat, and fish.

Potassium

Useful Benefits

Potassium helps with muscle and nervous system function. It also helps the body maintain the balance of water in the blood and body tissues.

Sources

Potassium is found in broccoli, potatoes (with skins), green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, bananas, dried fruits, and legumes such as peas and lima beans.

Zinc

Useful Benefits

Zinc is important for normal growth, sexual development, strong immunity, and wound healing.

Sources

You'll find zinc in red meat, poultry, oysters and other seafood, nuts, dried beans, soy foods, milk and other dairy products, whole grains, and fortified breakfast cereals.

SUPPLEMENTS

Liquid Vitamins and Minerals

While staying within the nutrition zone take note about the transfer of super nutrition health supplements from pill to liquid form. Liquid vitamins and minerals are the wave of the future, making it easier for our body to absorb and digest the vitamins and minerals into our cells, getting the full benefits of the multi vitamins and minerals into our system.

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