Understanding Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are the body's sparkplugs. If our diet is deficient in these micountrient ill health is likely to be the result. Whilst vitamins and minerals dont provide any meaningful energy themselves, they do allow the body to 'unlock' energy from macrountrients (carbohyrate,fat and protein) and they also act as biological catalyst in the myriad of reactions that occur in body. A diet lacking in vitamins and minerals results in sluggish or even a complete absence of life-sustaning reactions. For example it is common knowledge that vitamin C can help ward off a cold. This is because this vitamin plays a key role in immune system function. Ironically, many people only worry about their vitamin C intake when they actually get a cold, by witch time is to late!

Types of Vitamins

we get vitamins from plant foods or from animals that have eaten plant foods. We also synthesise a small amount in our digestive tracts, Vitamins are organic compounds that can be classed as water or fat soluble.

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins A,D,E and K are trainsported and utilised in the presence of fat and subsequently, do not have to be eaten every day as they can be stored in the body. Because we can build up high levels of these micronutrients it is possble albeit unlickly, to reach toxic levels if we were to consume a large amount. This phenomenon was exploited by tanning supplements , when back in the early eighites, you could buy tanning tablets that contained mega-doses of beta carotene. Beta carotene is converted in the body into vitamin A and an excess turns the skin bright orange. Add a bit of sun to your orange skin and you develope an excellent tan in next-to-no-time- or at least that was the idea. The reality was you looked like you'd been 'Tangoed' and that included the soles of your feet!

Water Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins B and C are soluble in water. This means that you need to comsume them on a daily basis as your body is unable to store them in any meaningful amounts. Any excess is eliminated in urine which is why high doses of vitamin C can turn it bright green! Too much vitamin B and C are seldom toxic as your body simply flushes away the surplus but that doesn't mean you should go overboard. Too much vitamin C can increase the acidity levels in your digestive system and cause an upset stomach.

Minerals

Minerals are inorganic compunds that are present in the earth. Plant absorb the minerals and the we eat the plants. Minerals are vital for numerous bodily process, including regulating fluid balance, muscle contractions, bone formation and nerve for health and wellbeing. For example, a lack of developing osteoporosis whereas a lack of iron will negatively affect your ability to transport oxygen in your blood.

How Much is Enough?

The nutritional information lable on pre-package food often list vitamin and mineral content. Food manufacturers often boast that their ptoducts contain 100 pecent of for example, your RDA of vitamin C. But what dose RDA actully mean and is 100 percent actually worth boasting about? When it comw to vitamin and mineral consumption, there are a wide number of opinions as to how much you actually need. While one authority may recommend fractions of a grame another will recommend multiple grams. It seems no one can really agree as to what quantity of vitamins and minerals you need to consume for health and wellbeing. Subsequently, there are a number of dietary reference values (DRVs) for vitamin and mineral consumption.

RDA- Recommended daily allowance;

RDA is the absolute minimum amount of vitamins and minerals required. This dose not guarentee good heath but simply survival. This very low figure! RDA is so low that many foods manufacturers can boast their products contain upward of 100 percent of your RDA. 100 percent of a small number is still a small number . Most people would benefit from exeeding their vitamin and mineral RDA.

EAR- Estimated Average Requirements;

EAR caters for around 50 percent of the population. It's a bigger amount then RDA but some groups will still be deficient if they only meet these targets. The elderly, children, nursing mothers, hard training sportsmen and sportswomen and fitness trainers and those convalescing from illness need more vitamins and minerals then the EAR suggested figures

RIN- Reference Nutritional Intake;

RIN caters for around 70 percent of the population but some groups such as hard training sportsmen and sportswomen and fitness trainers would still be deficent even if they achieved the RNI intake guidlines. Because this is a significantly higher figure then RDA it is very unlikely you will see many food manufactures boasting about 100 percent RNI scores.

Getting what you need

consider the standard advice to eat five portions of fruit or vegetables as your RDA a very low target. if you want to achive RNI levels of vitamins and mineral consumption you will probably have to double the standard five-a-day advice. For some people, this level of fruit and vegetable intake is prohibitive and subsequently, many of us rely on vitamin and mineral supplements. There is nothing wrong with this per se but it is important to remember that even the most well-disigned and expertly manufactured vitamin and mineral supplement will be missing many of the nutrients that are essential to life which are only found in 'real' food. In addition to vitamins and minerals, there are literally thousands of other healthful compounds in food including phytochemicals, pro-vitamins, enzymes and antioxidents that are rarely, if ever included in vitamin and mineral supplement. An over reliance on suppplements means that you could be missing out an entire spectrum of essentail nutrients. Whilst a vitamin and mineral supplements can provide a useful nutritonal safety net the should not be considered as a viable alternative to a healthy balance diet.

Vitamins and their selected uses

A. Protects cells from free radical damage, prevents Alzheimer's disease.

D. Activates carrier proteins which transport calcium,essential for bone formation.

E. Protects cells against free radical damage, protects skin from UV radiation damage.

K. Essential in formation of platelets for clotting of blood

B. Needed for utilisation of energy from carbohydrate, maintains healthy mucous membranes.

C. Essential for healthy immune system, aids in healing process.