From helping the body turn food into fuel, to fortifying bones and eyesight, vitamins & minerals are health superstars for sure. While the average diet usually includes adequate amounts of the essential nutrients without issue, it doesn’t hurt to be a little more aware of the vitamins & minerals that keep us living and smiling. But first, let’s iron out some key terms in our guide to vitamins and minerals.
GETTING STARTED
Vitamins: Organic substances required for normal cell function, growth, and development. There are 13 essential vitamins. (More on that below)
Fat-Soluble Vitamins: Fat-soluble vitamins are those that bind to fat in the stomach and are then stored in the body for later use. We are less likely to become deficient in these vitamins (A, D, E, and K), but more likely to build up to toxic levels, usually due to extreme overconsumption or overzealous supplement use. (Or maybe just an unhealthy obsession with kale chips…)
Water-Soluble Vitamins: The rest of the vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they can be absorbed directly by cells. When in excess, these vitamins are flushed out of our system with each bathroom break. The water-soluble vitamins — biotin, vitamin C, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and the four B complex vitamins — need to be restored more frequently, but the body can tolerate higher doses.
Minerals: Minerals are inorganic substances (meaning they contain no carbon), and all hold on place on the good ol’ periodic table (flashback to 6th grade chemistry class!). They’re also necessary for normal body function and development. There are two groups of minerals: macrominerals (which the body needs in large doses) and trace minerals (only a pinch required).
RDA: Recommended Dietary Allowances, or RDAs, represent the average daily dietary intake of each vitamin & mineral a person needs to stay healthy and steer clear of deficiencies. The values, which are all backed by scientific data, are broken down by age and gender.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
EMILY MILAM
My longstanding passion for health has ushered me down an exciting (albeit lengthy!) career path in medicine. As a medical student in New York City,…
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