Are vitamins and minerals essential? Does our body need them to survive? Do we generally take them for granted? The answer is yes. Vitamins and minerals are essential for normal physiological function, such as growth, development, production and maintenances. There are two forms of vitamins; fat soluble and water soluble vitamins.
Vitamins that are stored in the fatty tissue in the body are called fat soluble. These vitamins (A, D, E and K) are absorbed from digestive tract along with lipid contents However, excessive intakes of fat soluble can build up and may be harmful.
Vitamin A has many benefits, such as bone growth, improving night vision and maintains skin and mucous membrane supple and smooth. Animal products such as milk, egg yolk and beta-carotene from fruit and yellow vegetables is a source of vitamin A. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals. There are two chemicals called retinol and carotenoids that provide vitamin A. Firstly, Retinol that are performed vitamin A, where the body can use it straight away. Carotenoids are precursors that changes into retinol. The recommended daily intake (RDA) is about 700-900µg. However, too much could cause paling of skin or too less can cause poor night vision.
For our body to absorb and use of calcium and phosphorus in the gut vitamin D is needed. This will help to form and maintain strong bones. There are a few forms of vitamin D like cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is produced in our body when the skin is exposed to sunlight and the ultraviolet rays would react with steroid chemicals. Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) is produced in plants when exposed to sunlight. Deficiency of vitamin D can lead to weakness and softening of skeletal, but excess amount can calcium deposits in tissue, therefore the RDA is 5-15µg.
Vitamin E has many benefits like keeping a healthy reproductive system. It is also an antioxidant that protects the body against free radicals. Vitamin E is from tocopherols and tocotrieonol in vegetable oil, but tocopherols are more essential as they have two sterling characteristic. ….. Anemia can cause due to deficiency and blurred vision can occur when there is excess of vitamin E. The RDA is 15mg.
Vitamin K is found in dark green vegetables, such as cabbage and spinach. Our body use vitamin K to make certain protein like prothrom that are normally found in the blood plasma. It helps with blood clotting when there is a cut, so we don't bleed to death, so that why we should less of vitamin K in our diet. As well as Vitamin D vitamin K is also for healthy bones. The RDA is about 90-120µg. Excess amount can lead to jaundice that is a yellowish discoloration of the skin or may lead to thrombophlebitis, which is a swelling in the veins that is caused by a blood clot. Deficiency can cause the blood to not clot and will continue bleeding.
Water soluble vitamins aren't stored in the body, but are normally excreted in the urine, therefore it would need to be replaced regularly. The table below shows 11 water soluble vitamins.
Water soluble vitamin
Benefits
Where are they found
Daily recommended intake
Excess intake
Deficiency intake
C (ascorbic acid)
Wound healing, Antioxidant,
Citrus fruits, vegetables
75-90mg
Kidney stones
scurvy
Biotin
Essential for metabolic functions .e.g. cell growth
Meat, vegetables
30µg
Not clear enough
Scaly skin,
B1 (thiamine)
Acts as coenzyme
meats, whole grains, nuts, seeds
1.1-1.2mg
hypotension
Poor appetite, problems with cardiovascular
B2 (riboflavin)
Coenzyme, it digest protein and carbohydrates
Meat, fish
1.1-1.3mg
Inflamed mucous membranes
Niacin (nicotinic)
Essential for proper growth, involved in enzyme reaction
Bread, meat
14-16mg
Damage liver tissue, cause death due to very high dose
Inflamed skin,
B5 (pantothenic)
Metabolise fats and carbohdrates
Beans, whole grain cereals, meat
5mg
Slow growth
B6 (pyridoxine)
Metabolises protein and fat, removing excess of homocysteine
Chicken, meat, fish
1.3-1.7mg
Damage to nerves in leg and arm
Anaemia
B12 (cobalamin)
Metabolism of nucleic acid
Milk, meat, fish
2.4µg
polycythemia
Causes Pernicious anemia
Folate
Metabolises protein, for growth and wound healing
Dark green vegetable and fruit
400µg
Anaemia
Mineral are inorganic elements that are found in nonliving thing like rock, soil and water. We are required to have both major and trace amount of minerals. Some of the functions of minerals include bone growth, transporting oxygen and metabolism. The table below shows the major and trace of minerals.
Major amounts of minerals
Minerals
Why we need them
Sources
Deficiency of minerals
Excess amount of minerals
Recommended daily intake (RDA or AI)
Calcium
Maintaining normal muscle and nerve cells function, strong bones
Milk
Weak bones, stunted growth
May cause damage to kidney
1000-1200mg
Sodium
For normal membrane function, maintains water balance
Fruits, vegetables, meat
too much sweating
too much water or fluid loss, high blood pressure
1.5g
Chloride
Anion in body fluid
Sea salt, table salt
Lower blood pressure, loss of potassium in urine
Hypertension, raise blood pressure
2.3g
Magnesium
Part of enzymes, for nerve cell function
green leafy vegetables, nuts
Weakness of muscle and bone, irregular heartbeat
Diarrhoea in short period of time
310-400mg
Phosphorous
Strong bones and teeth
fish, bread,
Weak muscle and bones, damage to nerve
Reduce amount of calcium in body,
700mg
Potassium
Strong bones
Fruit like bananas, vegetables, nuts
Hypokalemia
Hyperkalemia
4.7g
Trace amount of minerals:
Minerals
Why we need them
Sources
Deficiency of minerals
Excess amount of minerals
Recommended daily intake (RDA or AI)
copper
Antioxidant, defend the body, protects nerve tissue
Meat, nuts, beans
Anaemia, impaired immune system
Cause damage to liver and kidneys
900µg
Iron
Constituent of haemoglobin and myoglobin
Meat, eggs
Anaemia
constipation, vomiting, can be fatal
8-18mg
Zinc
Normal growth, wound healing, makes enzymes and hormones
Meat products , oysters
Weaken immune system, slow wound healing
Reduces iron and copper absorption, anaemia
8-11mg
Manganese
Component for enzyme, metabolise carbohydrates make fats
Whole grain, nuts, fruits,
unknown
Damage to nerve
1.8 - 2.3mg
Cobalt
Forms part of vitamin B12.
fish, nuts, green leafy vegetables
Same deficiency of vitamin B12
Could affect the heart, damage to nerve and kidney
0.0001mg
Selenium
Antioxidant
Fruits, vegetables
Muscle pain
causes selenosis
55µg
chromium
Cofactor for metabolise of glucose
Meat, vegetables
May cause impaired glucose tolerance
The effect aren't clear
20-35µg
However, there are more minerals that haven't been mentioned above in the table as they may form a part of other substances. For example, sulphur is an essential nutrient, but isn't mentioned above as sulphur is part of a protein and is also found in fats and body fluid, therefore a normal person would have reasonable amount.
Since our human body can't produce nutrients naturally or normally produce the amounts needed we have to take in a range of vitamin and minerals in part of our diet in order to have and maintain a healthy body.
Prebiotics and Probiotics
A Probiotic product is a yogurt called Activia. In this yogurt the species is called Bifidus ActiRegularis. The company clams that the product helps to improve slower digestive transit. The product activia contains two bacterial cultures that are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The company says that these two bactera will to help digest lactose and will benefit other people with lactose intolerance. The product also contains vitamins and minerals and source of calcium as this will helps to build and maintain strong bones
A prebiotic product is weetabix oatibix bites with apple and sultana. It contains 6% of Prebiotic Oligofructose. The product clam that it can improve friendly bacteria in our gut that will maintain a health digestive system healthy. Furthermore, the company says that the product contains essential nutrients your body need to stay health and contains energy that will last until lunchtime. The essential nutrient in this product is vitamins (Thiamin, Niacin, Folic Acid and Riboflavin) and mineral that is iron. The company also says that the taste of the product is “mouth-wateringpieces of appleflavoured fruity piecesand juicy sultanas'' that draw the reader attention.
