Vitamins are organic nutrients made by plants and animals, while minerals are inorganic substances that come from the soil. Water soluble vitamins, like vitamin C, are not stored in your body and must be part of your daily diet. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning it is broken down and stored by fat in your body. You get minerals, such as iron, in your diet by consuming plants that have absorbed the mineral. Additionally, you absorb some iron indirectly by eating animal foods, since animals consume plants, explains the Centers for Disease Control. You need a certain amount of each of these nutrients from your diet for basic functions.
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
Tolerable upper intake levels, or ULs, established by the Institute of Medicine, outline the maximum daily dosage of each nutrient your body can handle. Consuming more than the recommended UL can cause a toxicity in your body, which can be detrimental to your health. Almost all vitamins and minerals have a set UL. For vitamin A, the maximum dosage is 3,000 mcg daily, reports the Office of Dietary Supplements. Since vitamin A is stored in the liver, it can be especially harmful if you consume too much. The UL for vitamin C is 2,000 mg, but adverse health effects are unlikely to occur even at high dosages since your body excretes any excess. Too much iron can cause gastrointestinal distress; the UL for iron is set at 45 mg daily.
Vitamin A
The most well-known function of vitamin A is its role in eye health and vision. Additionally, vitamin A is important for growth and reproduction. Vitamin A helps cells divide as well as assists in cell differentiation, determining which type of cell they will become. Women require 700 mcg of vitamin A and men need 900 mcg, reports the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin A from animal foods is absorbed and utilized more efficiently than vitamin A from plant foods. Liver, milk, cheese and eggs are animal-based foods rich in vitamin A. Beneficial plant sources include carrots, spinach, kale and cantaloupe.
Vitamin C
Your body needs vitamin C from your diet throughout the day since it cannot store this vitamin. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps your immune system by fighting off free radicals. These substances cause permanent damage to cells and lead to chronic conditions such as cancer. Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, a protein used to make skin, tendons, ligaments, as well as aid in wound healing, says the University of Maryland. Women need 75 mg of vitamin C daily, but men need as much as 90 mg. You can get all of the vitamin C you need by eating fresh produce, like peppers, citrus fruits, strawberries and broccoli.
Iron
Iron travels through your blood, aiding in oxygen transport to cells, tissues and organs. You get both heme and nonheme iron from your diet. Heme iron, from beef, shellfish and dark poultry meat, accounts for only 10 to 15 percent of the total iron in your diet, explains the Linus Pauling Institute. Heme iron is easily absorbed and makes up about one third of the total iron absorbed. The absorption of nonheme iron depends on other factors in your diet, causing it to be less absorbable than heme iron. Nonheme iron comes from fortified cereal, lentils, beans and tofu. Each day, men need 8 mg of iron, but women require as much as 18 mg.
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