Vitamines, Minerals and Their Role in the Human Body

Two decisive factors influence human health: on the one hand, inherited characteristics (genes) and, on the other, lifestyle and the environment. There is nothing we can do for our genetic inheritance. On the other hand, there is a lot we can do for our health through our choice of lifestyles and lifestyle habits. We can reduce the risk of disease or we can influence the course of a disease that we already have. Furthermore, we all age slowly and with dignity. This is where diet and nutrition come into play, and with them come calories, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids

Nutrition has become such an integrated factor in health these days that medical schools have started to include nutrition courses for medical students, a topic that has so far remained in the field of nurses, dieticians and other health professions. ally. The old adage "you are what you eat" has been revised as inherently medical, to the point that large segments of American culture are not only aware of the values ​​of food, but also watch over it. With the help of the Internet, nutrition has become an important and popular study topic among professionals and lay people

Do you need vitamins and minerals?

You need thirteen different vitamins and at least ten minerals to survive. Vitamins and minerals are essential for your health, you must have them to stay alive and stay healthy. Vitamins and minerals are also needed to produce the thousands of enzymes, hormones and other chemical messengers that your body uses to grow, repair itself, generate energy, eliminate waste, defend them from infections and in general keep them running smoothly. You also need it to keep your bones strong, your eyes sharp and your brain alert. And most importantly, you need it to help protect you from cancer and heart disease

Vitamins

Definition of vitamins

A vitamin is an organic chemical compound (containing carbon) that your body must have in very small quantities for normal growth, metabolism (creating energy in cells) and health. You need vitamins to make enzymes and hormones. Important substances that your body uses to produce all the chemical reactions necessary to live. It is necessary to get vitamins from food or supplements. It cannot produce them in your body

Vitamins are a group of organic compounds which, in very small quantities, are essential for the normal functioning of the human body. Vitamins are made up of a mixed group of chemicals, designated as vitamins not because of their chemical characteristics but because of their function. They are organic components of the diet, essential for the well-being of the animal body and are ingested in small quantities. They have very different chemical and physiological functions and are widely distributed in natural food sources

Thirteen vitamins are recognized in human nutrition and can be conveniently classified into two groups based on their solubility: Fat-soluble vitamins are represented by vitamins A, D, E and K; Also included are the approximately 50 carotenoids that possess varying degrees of vitamin A activity and Water soluble vitamins include vitamin C and members of the vitamin B group, namely thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin , vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, folic acid and vitamin B12

Classification and nomenclature

Fat-soluble vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins A, D (Vitamin D), E and K are found in the liver and fatty tissues of the body where they are stored and used. Fat-soluble vitamins require the absorption of bile into the lymphatic system from the intestine. One of the fat soluble vitamins, vitamin E, is an important antioxidant that protects cell membranes and arterial walls

Water soluble vitamins
Vitamin C and all B vitamins are water soluble vitamins. These water-soluble vitamins circulate freely in the blood, in the aqueous fluids between the cells and in the fluids within the cells. The solubility of a vitamin influences its way of acting, storage and toxicity. Most water-soluble vitamins can move through the bloodstream without the need for transport carriers; in fact, only vitamin B12 needs a binding protein for transport in the bloodstream

Nutritional deficiency of vitamins:

The causes of nutritional vitamin deficiency are a combination of the following: inadequate intake, poor absorption, inadequate use, increased needs, increased excretion and increased destruction in the body. The ability to store vitamins in the body is another aspect to consider. Considered: humans can store thiamine for only two weeks, while vitamin B12 can be stored for several years

There is no clear and defined definition of the individual's vitamin needs, nor of the group's vitamin needs. This is partly due to the fact that different people have different requirements depending on the variations of, e.g. its activity and other components of the diet

Minerals

Definition of minerals

Minerals in nutrition fall into two categories. The main minerals (sometimes called macronutrients) are needed in larger quantities in the diet and are found in higher quantities in the body. Trace minerals are needed in small quantities in the diet and are found in small quantities in the body. The key to proper mineral nutrition is balance. Minerals should not be consumed in quantities that far exceed needs. Some minerals are toxic in excessive quantities. Some minerals, if taken in excess, induce a relative shortage of other minerals. For example, excess sodium causes calcium losses. The body needs each of the nutritional minerals. The shortage of only one mineral must be avoided

Trace minerals

The human body takes many of the other elements on the periodic table. Many of these minerals are known to be essential in the diet for life and health. Over time, it turns out that many of these minerals play important roles. Deficiencies in two of the most important trace minerals, iron and iodine, are responsible for the general disease. Some trace elements, such as lead and mercury, are most notable for their toxicity

The role of Vitamines and Minerals 

The development of new food products aims to maintain the greatest possible content of natural vitamins, to protect added vitamins and to minimize the appearance of unwanted decomposition products. Factors that play a role in the degradation of the vitamin during processing and storage include temperature, air or oxygen, light, moisture content, water activity, PH, degrading enzymes and metal trace elements, in particular iron and copper

Today, many people regularly check their blood for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially iron and vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Blood and urine tests exist for most vitamins and minerals, but some are complicated or uncomfortable, not to mention the costs. In general, there is no real reason to do this, unless you have a medical problem that affects the ability to absorb nutrients

Many nutrition-oriented health professionals think that their level of antioxidants in the blood is a better test of their levels of vitamins and minerals and their overall health. This is because you need vitamins and minerals to make antioxidant enzymes. If you have few enzymes, you also have few building blocks. If you are interested in antioxidant tests, talk to your doctor or nutritionist

• Minimum daily quantities of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients such as fiber are established by the National Independent Research Council and the Federal Food and Drug Agency (FDA)

• Many doctors, nutritionists and researchers believe that these quantities are too low

• You can safely take more RDA for almost all vitamins and minerals

• Each person's needs are different. Children, the elderly and vegetarians have special nutritional needs

• Almost everyone can benefit from taking multivitamins / minerals daily

• Choose high-quality supplements and take them regularly