The importance of vitamins and minerals for the proper functioning of the body.

The importance of vitamins and minerals for the proper functioning of the body.

Vitamins and minerals have an important role in helping a person’s body work better and more efficient. Although one gets vitamins and minerals from the foods one eats every day, certain foods have more vitamins and minerals than others.

Vitamins and minerals have a very important role as they boost the immune system; support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs function properly.

Vitamins fall into two categories: fat soluble and water soluble.

The fat soluble vitamins- A, D, E and K dissolve in fat and can be stored in your body. The water soluble vitamins C and the B-complex vitamins (such as vitamins B6, B12, niacin, B1, B2, and folate) – need to dissolve in water before the body can absorb them. Because of this, the body can’t store these vitamins. Any excess of vitamin C or B that the body doesn’t use as it passes through the system is lost through the urination process, so a new supply of these vitamins is needed every day.

Vitamins are organic substances made by plants or animals whilst minerals are inorganic elements that come from the soil and water and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals.

The body requires important minerals such as calcium to grow and keep healthy. Minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because the body needs only a small amount of these minerals each day.

One of the most common scenarios, one might have heard is that carrots are of a benefit to the eyes and are full of substances called carotenoids that the body converts into vitamin A which helps reduce significantly eye problems