The most important vitamins and minerals our body needs
Certain vitamins and minerals are essential for our good health, as they ensure that our bodies function as nature intended. However, as important as they are, our bodies can't make most of them on their own, and must rely on supplements and foods for optimal intake.
Vitamins are found naturally in most foods we eat, and they are also available in supplement form. There are 13 different vitamins that perform crucial jobs such as fighting off disease and infection, increasing metabolism, controlling growth, and flushing toxins from the body. To our bodies, vitamins are like building blocks; our systems put these components together to make the hormones and enzymes that control heart rate, glucose levels and other bodily reactions.
The recommended daily intake of these vitamins depends on the person's age and health. For instance, pregnant women need different levels of certain vitamins in order to protect the unborn child from birth defects. Adult men's requirements differ from those of adult women, children, teenagers and the elderly.
It may take some time to notice a difference, but a vitamin deficiency can lead to health issues. Few of us eat a truly balanced diet; high fat, processed and restaurant foods make up the bulk of the average diet. Because it's impossible to see what's going on inside us, it's hard to understand the harmful effects of a bad diet.
What kind of problems can come from a vitamin deficiency? Not enough Vitamin D, and the bones start to get weak and brittle. Insufficient Vitamin D can lead to the premature demise of red blood cells, and a lack of vitamin C can cause weakness, tiredness and bleeding gums. The most severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to death.
If you don't get enough vitamins from your food (and most of us don't!) a vitamin and mineral supplement is a good way to fill the gap. The only real way to know if you are getting enough vitamins is to go to your doctor and request a blood test, but if you just don't feel like yourself, a vitamin deficiency may be to blame.
There are differences even among vitamins; they can be classed as either fat or water soluble. The type is largely irrelevant, and has a lot to do with how it is processed by the body. No matter how you get your vitamins and minerals, avoiding a deficiency will keep you in better health.