Vitamins and minerals are two of the main types of nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and alive. Vitamins help your body grow and function properly. There are 13 vitamins – vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate). Vitamins have different jobs, vitamins help you fight infections, keep your nerves healthy and help your body get energy from food or your blood to clot properly. Minerals also help your body function. Some minerals, like iodine and fluoride, are only needed in very small amounts. Others, like calcium, magnesium and potassium, are needed in larger amounts. As for vitamins, if you eat a varied diet, you will probably get enough of most minerals. In this article we will provide useful information to help users better understand the role of vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals are essential micronutrients of the body, they are responsible for participating in many activities such as cell structure, energy metabolism as well as all life activities of the body. However, these nutrients are not produced in the body of each person but must be supplemented from external foods such as fruits, vegetables and other foods that people put into the body every day.
Vitamins and minerals play an important role in the body.
1. What are vitamins?
Vitamins are organic substances that are usually soluble in fat or soluble in water. Vitamins are divided into two groups including fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. Typical fat-soluble vitamins include: Vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K), these vitamins are soluble in fat and tend to accumulate in the body. Water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin B complex (vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate) need to be dissolved in water before they are absorbed by the body, which is also the reason why they cannot be stored in the body. Any water-soluble vitamin that the body cannot use up will gradually disappear through urine.
There are many different types of vitamins with separate functions such as:
- Vitamin B: stimulates appetite, helps skin and hair to be shiny, especially contributes to the development of the nervous system.
- Vitamin A: helps brighten eyes, fights the aging process of the body.
- Vitamin C: slows down oxidation, widely used in dermatology, has the ability to increase the strength of blood vessels, and is used in the treatment of bleeding diseases.
- Vitamin D : along with calcium helps stimulate the development of the skeletal system. Vitamin D deficiency will cause bone and joint diseases such as rickets, curved spine, slow tooth growth…
- Vitamin E: related to skin and blood cell diseases.
- Vitamin K: is one of the important factors related to blood clotting. Vitamin K deficiency makes blood difficult to clot, and wounds will bleed continuously.
2. What are minerals?
Minerals are inorganic elements found in soil and water, which are absorbed by plants or consumed by animals and then exist in those plants and animals. Besides the minerals that people often mention in daily life such as calcium, sodium and potassium, there are still other types of minerals, including trace minerals such as copper, iodine and zinc with very small amounts but necessary for human life.
Some typical minerals are:
- Magnesium: necessary for the function of the digestive system, especially muscle contractions and nerve impulses. At the same time, Magnesium also participates in controlling blood sugar, regulating blood pressure, and maintaining bone strength.
- Selenium: is a component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase that affects all components of the immune system, affecting the development of white blood cells. Selenium deficiency causes immunosuppression, impaired white blood cell function, and prevents metabolic disorders in the digestive system.
- Iron: necessary for the process of creating blood cells. Iron deficiency will cause anemia, hair loss, dizziness and headaches.
- Zinc: stimulates enzyme activity, supports the immune system, protects taste and smell, and is related to DNA synthesis.
- Chloride: is a special mineral in the body, a component of gastric juice. Chloride, together with Sodium, helps the body balance the body’s fluid system.
- Potassium: necessary for the central nervous system, also participates in fluid balance in the body. When the concentration of Potassium is disturbed, it can cause heart rhythm disturbances.
- Sodium: combined with Chloride will help balance extracellular fluid, regulate blood pressure
In the United States, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) has developed nutrient reference values called “Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)” for vitamins and minerals. These reference values will help each person to self-assess their diet and adjust their diet to improve and maintain their health. This is also considered the scientific basis for developing food guidelines in both the United States and Canada.
Potassium helps ensure stable heart rhythm.
3. The role of vitamins and minerals.
Every day, the human body needs to produce cells for each part of the body to develop and maintain health. Nutrient-rich red blood will carry nutrients and oxygen to the body’s target organs and nourish them and maintain life. But to do the above, the human body needs some raw materials, including at least 30 types of vitamins, minerals and other components in the diet that the body cannot produce enough of. Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients for the body, they strengthen bones, heal wounds and strengthen the immune system of each person. Besides, vitamins and minerals also help the body easily convert food into energy and repair cell damage.
Vitamins and minerals are considered micronutrients because each person’s body only needs a very small amount of vitamins and minerals. However, many people cannot get enough of that small amount, leading to vitamin deficiency diseases such as rickets due to vitamin D deficiency, bleeding gums due to vitamin C deficiency, blindness or poor vision due to vitamin A deficiency, etc. It is necessary to fully absorb all micronutrients because it takes a combination of many micronutrients to create a healthy body. For example, if you want strong bones, you need to combine calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, and phosphorus to protect your bones when there are external impacts that lead to fractures. Or to prevent birth defects, pregnant women need to supplement folic acid early in pregnancy to help prevent birth defects in the spine and spine of the child.
To ensure that you have a healthy, vibrant body, using a suitable diet is extremely reasonable. Scientists have shown that foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good proteins and healthy fats will provide enough nutritional needs for the body. However, not everyone can manage their own diet, typically people are aware that multivitamins play an important role for the body but only a few people fully meet the types and content of vitamins for the body.
4. The difference between vitamins and minerals
Although both vitamins and minerals are considered micronutrients, they are in fact completely different. Vitamins are organic and can be destroyed by heat, air or acid, while minerals are inorganic and retain their chemical structure. This means that minerals in soil and water can easily enter the body through plants, animals or even in the liquids that people often use. However, transferring vitamins from food and other sources into the body will be more difficult because during the process of food processing, food preservation or simply exposure to air can also lose the activity of this fragile compound.
However, there is an interaction between vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamin D allows the body to take calcium from food sources through the digestive tract instead of taking calcium from the bones, or vitamin C helps the absorption of iron to take place faster and more effectively. However, sometimes the effects of micronutrients are not always cooperative. For example, the fact that vitamin C prevents the body from absorbing the essential mineral copper. Even high levels of manganese can aggravate iron deficiency.
For children to be healthy and develop well, they need a nutritional regimen that ensures quantity and balance of quality. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients that negatively affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills.
Children who do not eat properly are at risk of lacking micronutrients, causing anorexia, slow growth, poor absorption, etc. If you notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with support products containing lysine, essential micronutrients and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also aid digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.