Description Of Vitamins And Minerals

Vitamins are organic compounds that you need in small amounts for proper growth and development. There are 13 vitamins that are divided into two major categories based on how your body absorbs them. Minerals are inorganic compounds that are also needed in fairly small amounts by the body. Minerals are divided into two categories based on how much of the mineral you need to eat daily.

Functions of Vitamins and Minerals

Neither vitamins nor minerals contain any calories, so they do not provide your body with energy. Each nutrient performs different functions that enable your body to function properly. Vitamins ensure that you maintain proper health and are able to grow and develop normally. Vitamins also aid in red blood cell formation, nervous system health and visual acuity.

Minerals help maintain the fluid balance in your body, keep your immune system healthy, provide structure to your cells and contribute to the structure of enzymes.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water in your body and travel directly to your bloodstream. Because water-soluble vitamins travel throughout your body dissolved in fluid, excess amounts are excreted in your urine rather than stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins can be easily destroyed by exposure to air, heat or water. Because of this, it is important to use extra care when storing and cooking fruits and vegetables that are rich in water-soluble vitamins. The water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B complex group, which consists of folate, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins require the presence of dietary fat to be properly absorbed. The fat-soluble vitamins combine with fatty acids and bile in your body and travel to the beginning of the small intestine, where they are absorbed. The fat-soluble vitamins travel through your lymphatic system before finally reaching your bloodstream. Your body has an ability to store excess amounts of fat-soluble vitamins for use when your dietary intake does not cover your daily needs. According to "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake, the major storage areas for fat-soluble vitamins are your liver and fat and muscle tissues. The fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E and K.

Minerals

Minerals are classified as major or trace, based on how much of each mineral you should eat on a daily basis. The major minerals are given their name because you require more of them than the trace minerals. Your daily needs for major minerals range from hundreds to more than 1,000 milligrams, whereas your daily needs for trace minerals don't exceed 20 mg, according to "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake. The major minerals include potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chloride and sulfur. The trace minerals include iron, zinc, selenium, iodine, manganese, copper, chromium, molybdenum and fluoride.

It is important to note that the daily requirement for certain minerals is not indicative of their importance in the body. All of the vitamins and minerals are essential for proper health.