Vitamins & Minerals Essential to the Body

Your body needs vitamins and minerals to function properly. Without these nutrients, your mind would become muddled, your blood wouldn't clot properly and your skin would dry out. You would be susceptible to infection, your vision would deteriorate and your organs would fail.
While just about any vitamin and mineral is available through supplements, the best way to obtain these important nutrients is through natural foods.

Types

• There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat, while water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water.
  Your body needs two types of minerals: macro minerals and trace minerals. The body requires larger quantities of macro minerals, such as calcium and potassium, than it does trace minerals, such as iron and zinc.

Function

• Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin A is needed for growth and development. It also enhances your eyesight and your boosts your immune system. Vitamin D works with calcium to form bone density in children and maintain it as the body ages. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that improves blood circulation. Vitamin K works with vitamin E to improve blood circulation. They aid in preventing blood clots from forming and in allowing the blood to clot properly when you've been injured.
  Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins are water-soluble vitamins. Vitamin C builds collagen, keeping your skin strong and supple. It also aids in mineral absorption and forming enzymes. B-complex vitamins include a host of nutrients. These aid in energy conversion, immune building, mineral absorption and regulating your nervous system.
  Your body needs minerals for bone and muscle strength, to regulate your metabolism and your thyroid. Minerals work with vitamins to ensure your joints work, to move oxygen through your bloodstream and to regulate your digestive tract.

Diet

• A balanced diet should provide you with the right balance of nutrients. If you eat properly and get enough exercise, your body will absorb all the necessary vitamins and minerals it needs and dispose of the rest through waste.
  Some of the important foods to include in your diet are leafy greens, "bright" vegetables such as carrots and broccoli along with citrus fruits and berries. Whole grains, dairy, fish and lean meats also provide essential vitamins and minerals.

Supplements

• Keep a food diary for two weeks. You may find you don't necessarily get a healthy portion from each food group each day. This is not uncommon, and it's one of the primary reasons people take supplements.
  A multivitamin includes both vitamins and minerals. One tablet a day may help fill in the gaps caused by missed meals or days you rely on fast foods. Which multivitamin you choose is important. Avoid those that have a heavy dosage of one particular vitamin or mineral. Instead, choose a diversified multivitamin. Avoid those with sugar or artificial flavorings. Keep in mind, too, that if you experience nausea, diarrhea or skin rash after starting a daily dose of a multivitamin, stop taking it. You may be getting too much of a good thing.

Considerations

• Every body operates the same way, yet each is unique in its needs. Just because your neighbor felt better after starting a regimen of regular doses of vitamin C doesn't mean you will. Perhaps you drink more fruit juice or eat more citrus than your neighbor. If you supplement with vitamin C, you may be getting too much, which can result in nausea and cramping.
  Supplements may not be medication, but they do directly effect the body's operations, so they may interact with medications. An example of this is seen in those who suffer from thyroid disorders. Anyone taking a synthetic hormone to regulate thyroid function shouldn't take any supplement for four full hours after taking his medication. That's because the iron content in multivitamins interferes with absorption of the medication.
  If you eat well-balanced meals consistently and exercise regularly, you probably don't need supplements. If you feel you need to take a multivitamin to ensure you get enough of the essential vitamins and minerals necessary to stay healthy, consult with your pharmacist, physician or nutritionist first.