Can You Live On Vitamin And Mineral Supplements Without Eating?

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients for normal growth, development and maintenance of the body. Vitamins and minerals are best obtained through a balanced healthy diet. If you need personalized information on the nutrients that are best for you and your family, consult your physician or a registered dietitian.

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds required in small amounts for physiological functioning. For the most part, vitamins cannot be synthesized in your body and thus must be obtained through dietary means. Vitamins cannot sustain life on their own. In fact, one of the main functions of vitamins is to help your body unlock the energy in the foods you eat. Vitamins are typically classified into two types: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Excess water-soluble vitamins are excreted in the urine, but excess fat-soluble vitamins accumulate in your fatty tissues. You need to replenish water-soluble vitamins daily, but because fat-soluble vitamins are stored by the body, their daily consumption is not necessary.

Minerals

Like vitamins, minerals facilitate growth, development and physiological functioning, but they cannot serve as fuel for the body. Dietary minerals are elements that are found in the earth's crust. They are necessary for numerous functions, including the regulation of body fluids, the transmission of nerve impulses and the production of energy. You obtain dietary minerals by eating plants, which absorb minerals from the soil in which they grow, and by eating herbivorous animals, which absorb minerals from the plants they eat. Some dietary minerals are needed in tiny, trace amounts, such as the metals copper and zinc. They are decidedly not edible in large quantities. Macro-minerals are needed in larger qualities. This group includes the electrolytes calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and sodium. They help regulate water balance and electrical activity in the body.

Essential Nutrients

Essential nutrients that the body needs for normal functioning come in six classes. In addition to vitamins and minerals are proteins, carbohydrates, fats and water. Proteins, which are necessary to build muscle, are most plentiful in animal products. Carbohydrates, the body's main fuel source, come from grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Fats have many functions, including facilitating hormone production. Water is necessary for temperature regulation and transportation of wastes and nutrients. The body cannot survive without all six classes of essential nutrients.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Many commercial vitamin and mineral supplements are available as an adjunct to your diet. They are not meant to replace food, but they can be a valuable adjunct to your diet by helping to fill any nutritional gaps that might arise from sub-optimal eating. Megadoses are not necessary, and in some cases, they can be toxic. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement, plus an extra vitamin D pill to help lower the risk of breast and colon cancer. Use vitamin and mineral supplements under the supervision of a qualified health care professional.