What are Vitamins and Minerals

What are Vitamins

If you are reading this, chances are you want maintain or improve you overall health and fitness. Vitamins are organic compounds that are vital for organisms to live.

Vitamins are vital to life by supporting your bodily functions as well as acting as catalysts for biochemical reactions. These functions include anti-aging, regulating metabolism, regulating cell & tissue growth, and supporting the immune system. In humans, there are 13 vitamins, and they are classified into two groups:

Water Soluble - These are dissolved easily in water. There are 9 water soluble vitamins, which consist of the 8 B-vitamins and vitamin C.

Fat Soluble - These are absorbed by fats through the intestinal tract. There are 4 fat soluble vitamins, which consist of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Because they are stored in fat, they are more likely to lead to toxicity issues if over consumed.

It's important to develop healthy habits, like consuming vitamins, to keep us feeling energized, young, and extend our life span. Many people consume vitamins either through food products or through supplements.

Currently, there is a debate in the scientific community as to whether it is good for the body to consume vitamins in supplement form, having said that, there really is no debate that consuming vitamins through healthy, whole foods is considered best. For now, it's always best to error on the side of caution and consume the majority of your vitamins through whole foods.

What are Minerals

Minerals are elements from the earth that are required by humans for nutrition to support bodily functions. Humans consume minerals either through food that is naturally present or through supplements. Unlike some vitamins, your body cannot manufacture minerals. They are stored and retrieved once your body needs them.

Minerals are important for our growth, repair, & functioning of cells & tissues, for the metabolic process, bone health, immune system support, heart health, cancer prevention, and sleeping. Minerals can be broken down into two categories:

Macro Minerals are minerals classified by scientists as the most important minerals because your body needs these to function. These include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, and sulfur.

Trace Minerals are minerals that are important for maintaining a healthy body. If the body is deficient with these minerals, it can particularly affect your metabolism. These minerals include boron, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, vanadium, and zinc.

Understand what are vitamins and minerals and how they work is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. I encourage you to click on the vitamin and mineral links above to understand the benefits of each and how it can affect your body.