Vitamins and minerals

 

Why do we need vitamins and minerals?

Vitamins and minerals are important nutrients that your body needs in small amounts. They help your body use other nutrients effectively. You can usually get enough of them from a balanced diet that has a lot of fruit and vegetables.

There are many kinds of vitamins and minerals, and they have different functions. They are found in different foods. Here are some examples:

Vitamins

 

Vitamin	Example	Benefits
Vitamin A	Carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes	Helps to fight infection. Also helps to keep eyes and skin healthy.
Vitamin B1	Bananas, oranges, nuts, bread	Helps to turn food into energy and to keep the nervous system healthy.
Vitamin B2	Milk, eggs, yogurt	Helps to break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Also plays a vital role in maintaining the body's energy supply.
Vitamin B12	Meat, poultry, fish	Helps make red blood cells.
Vitamin C	Citrus fruits (like oranges), strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage	Needed to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in bones.
Vitamin D	Oily fish, liver, egg yolks	Helps keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
Vitamin E	Vegetable oil (like sunflower oil and olive oil), nuts and seeds, fortified cereals	Helps to keep skin healthy and helps to strengthen the immune system.
Vitamin K	Leafy green vegetables, vegetable oil, cereals, broccoli	Helps to heal wounds.

 

 

Minerals

 

Mineral	Example	Benefits
Calcium	Milk, leafy green vegetables	Helps to strengthen bones and teeth. Maintains muscle health and helps to prevent blood clots.
Iodine	Fish, yoghurt	Helps to make some hormones.
Iron	Meat, poultry, fish, beans	Helps to make red blood cells.
Zinc	Red meat, beans, chickpeas	Helps to heal wounds.

 

How much do you need?

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts. They help your body use other nutrients effectively. The amount of vitamins and minerals you need depends on your age and sex. For example: A teenage boy needs more calcium than an adult man, 1.0 g versus 0.70 g per day. This is because the boy is still growing but the man is not. A teenage girl needs more iron than a teenage boy, 0.015 g versus 0.011 g per day. This is because girls lose iron when they have their periods (menstruation).

 

Summary:

 

• Vitamins and minerals are essential for the body to make use of other nutrients effectively.
• Some examples of vitamins are vitamin A, which is important for healthy vision, and vitamin K, which helps the blood clot properly.
• Nutritionists are professionals who specialize in food and diet. They can use their expertise to help people eat the right amounts of vitamins and minerals for their health.