Your heart depends on minerals to beat. Your metabolism, which includes every function of a cell, depends on optimal vitamin intake. Obviously, vitamins and minerals are necessary to sustain life. According to Earl Mindell's "New Vitamin Bible," a deficiency in even one vitamin or mineral can endanger the whole body. By having a better understanding of what vitamins and minerals do, you can have a greater appreciation for healthy eating.
How Vitamins and Minerals Work
Vitamins and minerals are comparable to parts of an automobile. Vitamins are like spark plugs in a spark ignition engine. A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into a combustion engine, which ignites fuel via electric spark. Minerals are the electric voltage or electric spark. Of course, the vehicle needs fuel to run as well, but without the spark plugs and electric current, fuel is useless to the automobile. The human body operates the same way. Vitamins and minerals provide the spark and current needed to use the fuel or energy resources, such as fats, proteins and carbohydrates. All of these nutrients work together to keep the body functioning optimally.
How Much You Need
Spark plugs usually require between 12,000 and 25,000 volts, sometimes up to 45,000 volts, to "fire off" properly. Likewise, your body needs a certain amount of voltage to work optimally. The National Institutes of Health provides Dietary Reference Intakes, or DRIs, that specify the amounts of nutrients you need daily. The UL established for some nutrients is the maximum amount or "voltage" your body can take safely. The DRIs vary depending on your age, gender or medical condition, such as pregnancy. For example, the DRI for vitamin A is 3,000 international units for adults, with a UL of 10,000 international units, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Pregnant women should refrain from taking more than 5,000 international units of vitamin A each day.
Influencing Factors
The condition of an automobile's parts influences the firing of the spark plug. Likewise, the human body depends on certain factors and conditions to absorb nutrients. A medical condition or an intrinsic factor can prevent the body from absorbing vitamins. As an example, the Office of Dietary Supplements suggests that an intrinsic factor influences vitamin B-12 absorption. When a patient has a medical disease or condition that affects vitamin absorption, a doctor might recommend taking a prescription-strength supplement. These supplements provide enzymes or other agents that assist with vitamin absorption.
Considerations
You wouldn't put spark plugs into your car's CD player to play music, although the player needs an electric current. The human body works the same way. People on certain medications may not be able to eat certain foods or take certain dietary supplements. According Amy Karch's "2010 Lippincott's Nursing Drug Guide," vitamin K supplements can cause drug interactions with blood thinners, while calcium supplements can cause drug interactions with certain heart medications. Some cancer medications and antacids could cause complications when taken along with supplements containing magnesium. There are many more possible drug interactions than these, so talk to your doctor before taking a new dietary supplement.
References
- "Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible: Revised and Updated"; Earl Mindell and Hester Mundis; 2011
- The Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin A, Jane Higdon, Ph.D., 2003
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B12
- "2010 Lippincott's Nursing Drug Guide with Web Resources"; Amy M. Karch; 2010
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