If we want to lead healthy lives, not only for ourselves but for our families, we should have a basic understanding of the function and types of vitamins and minerals. We should be eating foods that contain these essential components.
The functions of Vitamins:
Control agents in cell metabolism Components of body-tissue-construction Prevent specific nutritional deficiency diseases
Vitamin metabolism:
The way in which our bodies digest, absorb, and transport vitamins depends on their solubility (fat soluble or water soluble)
Fat soluble vitamins:
Dependent upon dietary fat for absorption and transport. Can be stored into fatty compartments of the body for long periods of time. The ability to store fat soluble vitamins is also the reason why excess intake can result in toxicity over time.
Types of Fat Soluble vitamins:
Vitamin A Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K
Water soluble vitamins:
Absorbed easily and directly into the blood circulation from the GI tract. Blood is mostly water, the transport of water soluble vitamins does not require assistance of a carrier. Water soluble vitamins, with exception of vitamin B12, are not stored in the body in any appreciable amount.
Types of water soluble vitamins:
Vitamin C B1 (Thiamin) B2 (Riboflavin) B3 (Niacin) B6 (Pyridoxine) B9 (Folate) B12 (Cobalamin) Antithetic Acid Biotin
The functions of Minerals:
To build To activate To regulate To transmit To control
Mineral Metabolism:
The correct amount of minerals for body needs is usually controlled at either the point of absorption or the points of tissue uptake.
Digestion of minerals:
Unlike carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, minerals do not require a great deal of mechanical (chewing action) or chemical digestion (breakdown by stomach acid) before absorption.
Absorption of minerals:
The following general factors influence how much of a mineral actually is absorbed into the body from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Food form: minerals in animal foods are usually more readily absorbed than those in plant foods. Body need: if the body is deficient, more is absorbed than if the body has enough.
Tissue health: if the absorbing tissue surface is affected by disease, its absorptive capacity is greatly diminished.
Major Minerals:
Calcium Phosphorus Sodium Potassium Chloride Magnesium Sulfur
Trace Minerals:
Iron Iodine Zinc Selenium Copper Floride Manganese Chromium Molybdenum Aluminum Arsenic Boron Nickel Silicon Tin Vanadium
