Vitamins and minerals might not always get the love they deserve, but the truth is they keep you healthy and functional and protect you from countless diseases.
Vitamins are organic substances that come from plants and animals. They’re often called “essential” because there are only a few, such as vitamin D, that the body can synthesize on its own. That means it’s essential that we get them from food.
Minerals, on the other hand, are inorganic elements that come from rocks, soil, or water. You get them indirectly from plant foods that have taken them up from the soil or from animals that have eaten certain plants.
Both vitamins and minerals come in two forms. Vitamins can be water-soluble, which means that the body expels what it doesn’t absorb, and fat-soluble, which means that leftover amounts are stored in fat cells.
Vitamin C, as well as the B-complex vitamins (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 12), are water-soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K.
Minerals are classified as either major or trace. Majors aren’t necessarily more important than a trace. It just means that you need more of them. Calcium is an example of a major mineral, whereas copper is a trace mineral.
It can be challenging to follow all of the daily recommended amounts outlined in the federal health guidelines. Instead, it’s easier to follow this one piece of advice: Eat a good variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, dairy, and meat.
If you’re deficient in a particular nutrient or a doctor recommends increasing your intake of one or another, supplements may be useful.
Otherwise, your diet should be able to take care of everything you need to remain functional and healthy.
