What are vitamins and minerals?
In short, they are nutrients your body needs to work properly. Neither vitamins nor minerals contain any calories; if a multivitamin has calories it is because sugar has been added. Vitamins differ from minerals in that they are organic, meaning they are produced by plants or animals. In fact, your body produces vitamins every day. The vitamins you must get in your diet are ones your body does not produce adequate amounts of.
Minerals, on the other hand, are inorganic, meaning they are elements that come from the soil and water, and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals (which is why you can get minerals through what you eat). However, both can be produced artificially, thanks to technology. This is why if your diet does not provide necessary vitamins or minerals in sufficient quantities, you can take a supplement.
Who should take supplements?
Contrary to popular opinion, supplements are not healthy for everyone. Although it’s important to your health to get enough of each vitamin or mineral, it can be detrimental to your health to get too much. It’s usually healthier to get them by eating a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low fat meats and dairy products, although there are some exceptions. People who probably need a supplement include:
- Pregnant women. You should, however, consult with your doctor and get your blood tested before beginning a prenatal vitamin and mineral program. Deficiencies can cause birth defects, but so can overdoses. However, since the pregnant woman is consuming minerals and vitamins for herself and her developing child, deficiencies are far more common than overdoses.
- Children. It’s often good for children to consume a multivitamin and mineral supplement no matter how healthy their diet is, because their developing bodies and brains need even more of some vitamins and some minerals than do those of fully grown adults.
- The elderly. As one grows older, the body slows down its production of some things, making it harder to get enough. Also, since the metabolism slows down with age, many elderly people do not consume enough calories to get enough vitamins or minerals in their diet.
- Anyone else with a very low calorie diet.
As many as a third of the people in the world suffer from stunted physical and intellectual growth because of a mineral or vitamin deficiency. Don’t become one of them if you can help it! If you’re not eating a healthy diet, begin now. Consult the food guide pyramid, and change your lifestyle so you can enjoy improved health and energy. If you suspect you need a multivitamin, don’t go into it blindly. Educate yourself on what each vitamin or mineral will do for you. Find out the recommended daily allowance (RDA), and remember that more is not always better. Try to get the RDA without going over, unless you are in a special situation for which your doctor recommends that you exceed the RDA.
Luckily for you, it’s not hard for most people to get the right amount of most
By Riannon Cutler