Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that our body needs in small quantities. They are essential for our health, and although they do not supply energy like other elements —carbohydrates, fats and proteins—, they perform varied and specific functions.
Vitamins
and minerals are found in foods, so it is key to have a varied and
well-balanced diet that provides us with the necessary quantities.
However, sometimes it may be useful to take some supplements. For instance, elderly
people, people who do not have a well-balanced diet, people who follow strict
weight-loss diets, people who consume large quantities of alcohol or tobacco,
strict vegetarians, pregnant people... Nowadays, we can find on the market several
supplements that combine different vitamins and minerals that are
beneficial for health.
VITAMINS
Our bodies
require vitamins in small quantities, but deficiency may cause disease with
typical symptoms. Vitamins should be consumed through routine meals and foods since
our body does not synthesize most of them, or at least not in sufficient
quantities. It is advisable to have a varied and well-balanced diet, as there
is no food that contains all vitamins.
Vitamins
are divided into two groups according to their solubility.
- Lipid-soluble vitamins (A,
D, E and K) are absorbed in the small intestine and can be stored in the
cells. The reserves of these vitamins are important but may also be toxic
in large quantities.
- Water-soluble vitamins (B
and C) are absorbed together with water in the gastrointestinal tract and
are accumulated in small quantities. In cases where the intake is high,
the excess is eliminated through urine.
The content
of vitamins in foods may vary according to many factors, as vitamins are sensitive
to different external factors, such as temperature, light or humidity. Industrial
manufacturing, production or harvesting techniques may have a negative impact
on vitamins. Cooking techniques, such as peeling, washing, boiling or reheating
the vegetables, may reduce the quantity of vitamins.
- Vitamin A: it is necessary
to keep the skin, mucosa and vision in good condition.
- Vitamin D: it regulates the
levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bones.
- Vitamin E: it prevents the
processes related to the excess of free radicals.
- Vitamin K: it is involved
in blood clotting.
- B vitamins: they are beneficial
for the nervous system and the skin and activate the metabolism of nutrients
to obtain energy.
- B1, Thiamine, is necessary for
neuronal functioning.
- B2, Riboflavin, reinforces the
action of vitamin C.
- B3, Niacin, is involved in metabolic
development.
- B5, Pantothenic acid,
is involved in the synthesis of antistress hormones.
- B6, Pyridoxine, is involved in
the formation of vitamin B3 and melanin, and in the metabolism of amino
acids.
- B8, Biotin, is used in cases
of seborrhea and alopecia.
- B9, Folic Acid, is necessary for
the proper development of the nervous system of the fetus.
- B12, Cobalamin, is necessary for
the formation and maturation of red blood cells.
- Vitamin C: it is necessary
for collagen formation, the proper functioning of the immune system, and
healing.
MINERALS
Minerals are
divided into two groups according to the quantities in which they are found in
the body and the necessary quantities, but all are essential for life:
- Macroelements: sodium, potassium,
calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and chloride.
- Trace elements or microelements: iron,
iodine, fluoride, zinc, chromium, selenium, manganese, copper and
molybdenum.
Minerals
are not destroyed or altered because of heat, oxygen or acids, but they are because
of food boiling or washing. During pregnancy and breast-feeding and with age,
our mineral needs increase and our ability to absorb them is reduced. Generally,
if adults have a well-balanced diet, they do not present a deficiency of minerals.
However, minerals can also be toxic if they are consumed in excess.
- Calcium: It is the main
constituent of teeth and bones and is involved in blood clotting and in
muscle and nerve activities.
- Phosphorus: It is
necessary for bone remineralization and is found in fish, meat, whole
grains, etc.
- Magnesium: It is involved in
muscle contraction, in the transmission of the nervous impulse and in the
formation of bones.
- Iron: It is part of hemoglobin,
which is responsible for transporting oxygen to the tissues.
- Zinc: It helps in the
functioning of the immune and reproductive systems.
- Iodine: It is
necessary for the formation of thyroid hormones, which perform multiple
functions.
- Fluoride: It is key to
the structure of bones and teeth.
- Chromium: It is
necessary for the normal activity of insulin in the metabolism of carbohydrates
and lipids.
- Selenium: It is a strong
antioxidant.
- Potassium: It is involved in
nervous transmission and muscle contraction.
- Silicon: It is
necessary for the synthesis of collagen, which is an essential element in
the formation of bones, cartilage, tendons and connective tissue.
- Manganese: It is essential for
the metabolism of fats and the formation of the organic matrix of cartilage.
- Copper: It is
necessary for the utilization of iron in the formation of hemoglobin.
