There's
more to enriching your knowledge of vitamins and minerals than just
learning your vitamin As, Bs and Cs.
An increasing variety of health benefits are now attributed
to a wider range of vitamins and minerals. First, it's important to know
the difference.
Vitamins are organic substances necessary for life and
essential for the body to function normally. With a few exceptions,
vitamins can't be manufactured or synthesized within the body and must be
obtained from foods or supplements.
Minerals are naturally occurring elements found in the earth
that help the body perform everyday activities. Minerals also can't be
manufactured by the body, but are essential to the formation of blood and
bone, the maintenance of healthy nerve function and many other vital
bodily functions.
Here are several vitamins and
minerals and what they do:
- Vitamin A is vital to new cell growth and
healthy tissue. A is essential for maintaining healthy skin, hair,
eyes, teeth and various glands.
- Cod Liver Oil is a fatty acid containing
essential vitamins A and D. It promotes the maintenance of proper
vision and bone strength.
- Folic Acid is essential for the manufacture
of genetic materials as well as protein metabolism and red blood cell
formation.
- Niacin is needed by many enzymes to convert
food to energy. Niacin helps maintain a healthy digestive tract and
nervous system.
- Vitamin B-1 promotes and regulates energy
use and vital chemical reactions in the brain. It is necessary for
normal alertness and concentration.
- Zinc is an essential trace mineral that acts
to neutralize free radicals, unstable substances in the body which can
cause oxidative stress and damage to cells. It's essential for energy
metabolism, proper growth and normal reproductive development.
- Magnesium is essential for the proper
functioning of muscles and nerves and proper bone growth and
maintenance.
Are You On The Short End Of The Nutrition
Stick?
Some people are not able to
get all the nutrition they need from the foods they eat. For them, a
supplement would be helpful. A doctor's recommendation and supervision is
recommended. Likely candidates include:
- Dieters - because they tend to limit how
much they eat and the kinds of foods they eat.
- Women - including those who take oral
contraceptives and those who are, or trying to, get pregnant.
- Strict vegetarians who eliminate all animal
foods.
- People with food allergies or who are
lactose intolerant.
- People who smoke.
- Individuals with chronic disorders such as
osteoporosis or people at high risk for heart disease or cancer.
- Elderly who may eat less because they
require fewer calories. Also normal bodily changes that happen during
the aging
 process can reduce absorption of nutrients.
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