Vitamins and minerals are nutrients your body needs in small amounts to function properly. Minerals naturally occur in the soil or water. Minerals get transferred from the soil into your foods by way of the plants that grow in mineral-rich soil or from animals that graze on the mineral-rich plants. Vitamins are naturally created within plants and animals but not humans. A well-balanced diet that includes plant-based and animal-based foods provides you with all the vitamins and minerals you need daily. However, you can supplement your diet with a multivitamin as well depending on your specific nutritional needs. The primary use of vitamins and minerals is to maintain overall bodily functions and prevent deficiencies leading to conditions like anemia, malnourishment and cardiovascular problems.
Step 1
Eat a variety of nutritious, colorful fruits and vegetables for antioxidants to protect your heart and organs. Vibrant orange and yellow produce like sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, mango and papaya are rich in vitamin A. This vitamin is important for vision and to protect your immune system. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that protects your immune system, bones and skin. Vitamin E is plentiful in leafy green vegetables like spinach or collard greens. Add fruit or veggies to your snacks and each meal for the most nutritive benefit. Vitamins A and E from food sources are linked to protecting you against cardiovascular diseases when eaten as part of a healthy diet.
Step 2
Add extra vitamin C to your daily diet when you feel the initial symptoms of the common cold. Vitamin C is abundant in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, but it is also plentiful in strawberries, tomatoes and broccoli. This vitamin may reduce the duration of time you experience symptoms from a cold, but it will not prevent you from getting a cold. Add an orange to your breakfast or eat a cup of strawberries for an afternoon snack to help decrease your symptoms. The daily recommended allowance for vitamin C is 75 to 90 mg with an upper limit not to exceed 2,000 mg. One medium orange or grapefruit has approximately 70 to 76 mg of vitamin C and one cup of strawberries has 85 mg.
Step 3
Get plenty of vitamin D to help you properly absorb the mineral calcium for bone health. Vitamin D is naturally obtained from exposing your skin to direct sunlight but this can increase your risk of skin cancer. Get your daily recommended dose of 600 IU through fortified milk, cereal or canned meat like salmon or sardines. You need 1,000 mg of calcium daily, which is also found largely in dairy or fortified cereals and leafy green vegetables.
Step 4
Eat foods rich in the B vitamins, or take a B complex for added energy and to boost your metabolism. Whole grain breads, fish and leafy green vegetables are a good source of the B vitamins. Add wheat toast to breakfast or a baked salmon patty to your dinner entree to get your daily B vitamins. A diet with a variety of vegetables, grains and lean sources of meat is ideal for getting all of your B vitamin nutrients.
Step 5
Take a multivitamin supplement for added nutrition. A well-balanced diet provides all of the vitamins and minerals you need for daily health, but adding a multivitamin can help ensure your efforts. Choose a standard multivitamin instead of one marketed as a megavitamin. Your body only uses the nutrients it needs, so spending more on a vitamin with increased dosage is not necessary. Talk to your physician before taking a multivitamin to ensure safety for your health.
Step 6
Store your multivitamin in a dry area. If you choose to take a daily multivitamin, adhere to the packaging directions. Do not use expired vitamins and carefully store your vitamins so moisture does not destroy the nutritive value in the pills. Take the vitamin with food or water as indicated on the package, and try to take it around the same time every day.
Tips and Warnings
- Simple dietary reference charts are available online by the Institute of Medicine or the Office of Dietary Supplements. These charts give you the daily recommended doses of each vitamin or mineral and the upper limit, as well as examples of foods to incorporate into your diet to get natural sources of nutrients. Potassium is a mineral that helps regulate your body fluids and protects your muscles. Dairy, fruits and vegetables are a good source of potassium. Before, during and after workouts, drink plenty of water and eat a grapefruit or electrolyte-enhanced sports drink to get enough potassium for hydration.
- Do not exceed the upper limits of vitamins and minerals in supplement form without physician consent, because toxicity can occur. Some vitamin and mineral supplements can have interactions with medications. Consult your physician before taking supplements.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin C
- Cleveland Clinic: Antioxidants, Vitamin E, Beta Carotene and Cardiovascular Disease
- University of Michigan Health System: Anxiety
- Office of Dietary Supplements; Vitamin and Mineral Fact Sheets
- Harvard School of Public Health: Vitamins; What Should You Eat?
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes; Vitamins
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