vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat. Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just like you should. When it comes to vitamins, each one has a special role to play. For example: Vitamin D in milk helps your bones.Vitamin A in carrots helps you see at night. Vitamin C in oranges helps your body heal if you get a cut.Bvitamins in leafy green vegetables help your body make protein and energy.

Tips for healthy living:

Five servings of different fruit and vegetables daily will ensure you get plenty of vitamins and minerals. Foods lose vitamins and minerals when they are cooked so it's best to steam or poach fish and vegetables. Grilling or baking meat is better than frying. Choose fresh foods over processed and eat as soon as possible.If you're worried about produce going off, tinned fruit and veg still contain vitamins and count towards your five a day. Frozen vegetables can contain more vitamins than fresh vegetables that have been stored a long time – just be sure not to overcook them.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Obtaining the ‘right’ vitamin and mineral intake can be tricky. The U.S. Food and Nutrition Board has set guidelines for vitamin and mineral intake called the United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDA). These values have been set for vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K and others. Unfortunately these intake values have been set extremely low. They were not set for 'optimum health'. The USRDA vitamin and mineral guidelines were structured more for supplementing major deficiencies.

Do I need to take vitamin and mineral pills?

The best way to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs is from the food you eat. Most people don’t need to take additional vitamin and mineral supplements. You should never take extra vitamins and minerals without talking to your doctor first. However, your doctor may suggest taking extra vitamins or minerals if you have certain health problems. You also may need more vitamins and minerals at certain times in your life, such as the following: If you are a woman and are trying to get pregnant, your doctor will likely suggest you take a pill that contains folic acid. Women who don't get enough folic acid during pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with neural tube defects (serious problems of the brain or spinal cord). It's important to take folic acid before becoming pregnant because these problems develop very early in pregnancy.

What Do Vitamins and Minerals Do?

Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system, support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs. For example, you've probably heard that carrots are good for your eyes. It's true! Carrots are full of substances called carotenoids that your body converts into vitamin A, which helps prevent eye problems. Another vitamin, vitamin K, helps blood to clot (so cuts and scrapes stop bleeding quickly). You'll find vitamin K in green leafy vegetable, broccoli, soybeans, and oatmeal. And to have strong bones, you need to eat foods such as milk, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables, which are rich in the mineral calcium.