The human body requires essential vitamins and minerals to support everyday functions. Although doctors recommend meeting the recommended daily intake of each essential nutrient by eating a healthy diet that consists of a variety of foods, supplements can help prevent a deficiency. Vitamins and minerals provide many health benefits in addition to the major benefit of preventing the onset of a nutrient deficiency disease.
Strong Bones
Bone consists of living cells that continually undergo a process known as osteogenesis -- the formation of new bone. The formation of new bone requires osteoclasts, which breakdown old bone, and osteoblasts, which deposit new minerals to form new bone. Your body needs adequate levels of several vitamins and minerals to build strong bone. Vitamin D, synthesized in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun, promotes the absorption of calcium, the main mineral used to build bone. Other minerals, including phosphorus, magnesium and fluoride also help to build strong bones.
Healthy Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells, known as erythrocytes, live an average of 120 days. This means that stem cells in the bone marrow must continually produce new blood cells to replace the old and dying cells. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin -- a specialized protein that gives red cells their red color. Hemoglobin binds to and carries the oxygen molecules. To produce hemoglobin the body needs iron, an essential mineral. Vitamins also support the formation of red blood cells. The production of healthy red blood cells requires information from DNA -- deoxyribose nucleic acid. The body needs vitamins B-12 and B-9, also known as folic acid, to produce DNA. Without enough vitamin B-12 and folic acid, the DNA is defective and the resulting red blood cells become too large and do not contain hemoglobin, so they become ineffective for carrying oxygen.
Efficient Energy Conversion
Food provides the human body with the energy it needs to function. To harness that energy, the digestive system breaks down food particles and converts the protein, fat and carbohydrates into smaller molecules it can absorb. Glucose is a simple sugar that serves as the main source of energy for cells. The breakdown of food requires a series of complex reactions that all need enzymes -- substances that facilitate the reactions. The body needs vitamins to produce the necessary enzymes. B vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin all help to produce enzymes that aid in the efficient conversion of food into energy.
Reduced Chronic Disease Risk
Normal chemical reactions throughout the body produce a by-product known as an oxidant, or free radical. Environmental factors such as pollution and tobacco smoke also introduce oxidants into the body. Oxidants damage cells and increase the risk for diseases like cancer and heart disease. Several vitamins function as potent antioxidants, which mean they remove oxidants from the blood and protect the cells from damage. These vitamins include vitamin A, most commonly found in the form of beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E. Selenium, an essential mineral, also functions as an antioxidant. By protecting the cells from damage, these nutrients decrease the risk of chronic disease.
References
- Council For Responsible Nutrition: Recommended Intakes of Vitamins and Essential Minerals; Annette Dickenson; June 2002
- Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board: Dietary Reference Intake Summary; 2004
- University of Illinois McKinley Health Center: Vitamins and Minerals
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins; February 2009
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