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Essential Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that are required for healthy living. They play a crucial role in maintaining health and preventing disease.

Minerals are found in meat, Fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, grains, dairy products, eggs, and other plant-based foods.

Vitamins are organic compounds that are needed in small amounts to keep the body functioning correctly. They are found in meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy products, eggs, and other plant-based food.

Both vitamins and minerals are vital to a healthy lifestyle. However, some specific vitamins and minerals are more critical than others.

What vitamins and minerals are essential for life?

The following is a list of some of the most common vitamins and minerals:

1) Vitamin A: This vitamin helps maintain good vision by helping your eyes produce red blood cells. It also plays a crucial role in bone growth and tissue repair.

2) Thiamin: This B complex vitamin promotes normal digestion and metabolism. It can help prevent heart problems, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and nerve damage.

3) Riboflavin: This vitamin is involved with energy production and cell reproduction. It may help treat depression and improve skin conditions.

4) Niacin or Nicotinic Acid: This nutrient is necessary for proper muscle function. It’s often used to treat pellagra, which causes diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and weakness.

5) Pantothenic acid: This vitamin aids in building strong bones and teeth. It may improve mental performance and aid sleep.

6) Folic acid: This vitamin supports brain development and prevents congenital disabilities. It also has anti-cancer properties.

7) Vitamin C: This antioxidant mineral strengthens connective tissues and protects against infections. It also enhances immunity.

8) Iron: This trace element is critical for oxygen transport throughout the body. The iron content of breast milk protects from infection during infancy.

9) Calcium: This mineral is present in many different parts of the human body, including muscles, bones, nerves, and teeth. It is also part of the compound adenosine triphosphate, which powers our bodies’ cellular processes.

10) Potassium: This electrolyte maintains fluid balance within the body. It also acts as one of the essential cations responsible for electrical activity in all animal cells.

11) Magnesium: This mineral is crucial for over 300 biochemical reactions within the body. It is integral to protein synthesis and DNA replication.

12) Phosphorus: This mineral serves several functions in the body. In addition to being a component of ATP, it is also a structural constituent of nucleic acids, phospholipids, and enzymes.

13) Sodium: This ion is essential for regulating water balance and controlling muscular contraction.

14) Zinc: This metal is necessary for immune system regulation. It also contributes to wound healing and tooth enamel formation.

15) Copper: This mineral works together with zinc to promote collagen formation. It also participates in various enzymatic activities.

16) Selenium: This mineral is involved in thyroid hormone metabolism and fatty acid oxidation. It also helps protect against cancerous tumors.

17) Manganese: This mineral is essential for carbohydrate utilization and fat breakdown. It also assists in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.

18) Chromium: This mineral is involved with glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. It also improves lipid proles and increases HDL cholesterol.

19) Iodine: This mineral is necessary for thyroid gland function.

20) Chloride: This mineral plays a vital role in maintaining blood volume and pressure.

21) Fluoride: This mineral reduces dental decay by strengthening tooth enamel.

22) Molybdenum: This mineral regulates nitrogen excretion and detoxication pathways.

23) Vanadium: This mineral stimulates bone growth and repair.

24) Boron: This mineral is needed for healthy hair, nails, and skin.

25) Coenzyme Q 10: This nutrient is vital for mitochondrial health.

26) Lutein/Zeaxanthin: These antioxidants support macular degeneration prevention and eye health. They’re found primarily in dark leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale.

27) Retinyl Palmitate: This form of retinoic acid is beneficial for vision maintenance.

28) Alpha Lipoic Acid: This powerful antioxidant boosts circulation and helps maintain redox status.

29) Glucosamine Sulfate: A natural joint supplement that relieves pain and inflammation.

30) Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Essential fats provide structure to your brain and nervous system.

Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Selection of food rich in antioxidants and vitamins and mineral sources, vegan food on white wooden background. Healthy balanced dieting concept, ingredients for cooking.

What foods have essential vitamins and minerals?

Vitamin C: The most abundant vitamin on earth, this antioxidant supports immunity, tissue growth, heart health, and proper digestion. Green veggies like broccoli are excellent sources.

Thiamin: This vitamin aids the entire body’s energy production process. Low levels can lead to fatigue, irritability, insomnia, depression, or even diabetes. Good food choices include whole grains, fish, beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, milk products, and meat.

Riboflavin: An enzyme cofactor, riboflavin promotes nail and hair growth, keeps eyes clear and bright, and protects against cataracts and other diseases associated with aging.

Niacin: Also known as niacinamide, this substance combats free radical damage and prevents cardiovascular disease. Found naturally in meats, poultry, seafood, legumes, dairy, soybeans, bananas, and carrots.

Pyridoxal 5-Phosphate: One of the most common forms of vitamin B6, pyridoxal phosphate, makes serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters linked to mood. Foods rich in this vitamin include liver, kidney, shrimp, turkey, tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, brown rice, oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, yogurt, and pizza crusts.

Folate: As a water-soluble B Vitamin, folate is critical for cell division. Folate deficiency has been connected to congenital disabilities, neurological disorders, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, heart attacks, strokes, and more. Recommended daily intake ranges from 400 mcg – 1 mg depending upon age and gender.

Biotin: Another water-soluble B vitamin, biotin, is required for nerve transmission, normal metabolism, and cellular integrity. Deficiency may cause dermatitis, diarrhea, dry mouth, poor muscle tone, loss of appetite, weakness, impaired immune response, and tiredness. Rich foods contain high amounts, including egg yolks, peanuts, citrus fruits, avocado, brewer’s yeast, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip greens, garlic, beef, and pork salmon, wheat germ, and cheese.

Choline: A nonessential amino acid, choline acts as a precursor to acetylcholine, which transmits messages between nerves and muscles. Inadequate dietary intake has been related to cognitive impairment, memory problems, dementia, attention deficit disorder, migraines, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and suicide. High-quality animal protein contains moderate quantities, while plant proteins tend to below. Sources include liver, leeks, cucumbers, spinach, walnuts, mushrooms, avocados, and peanut butter.

Cyanocobalamin: Required by the brain, bone marrow, skin cells, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, and thyroid gland to produce hormones, vitamin D helps regulate calcium absorption and blood clotting. It also works synergistically with folic acid to fight breast and colon cancers. Good sources of vegetables include oysters, fatty fish such as mackerel and salmon, raw cow’s milk, fortified cereals, and some bread made without added sugar. Fortified margarine is another option.

Calcium: Calcium is an essential nutrient for strong bones, teeth, muscles, nerves, and glands. Adequate dietary supplies help prevent osteoporosis, gallstones, atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Milk, cheese, orange juice, tofu, green leafy vegetables, sardines, clams, kale, collards, bok choy, broccoli, figs, prunes, apricots, lima beans, halibut, cod, crab, lobster, scallops, shellfish, kelp noodles, and blackstrap molasses are all excellent sources.

Iron: Iron plays many roles in your body, but it needs to get into your bloodstream to not become fatigued during exercise. Men should consume 18mg/day; women 12 mg/day.

Potassium: Potassium is necessary for fluid balance, muscle contraction, nerve function, hormonal regulation, enzyme activation, and healthy red blood cells. Low potassium levels can lead to fatigue, lethargy, headaches, confusion, irritability, constipation, blurred vision, decreased hearing ability, depression, anxiety, and hallucinations. Some people who take diuretics or laxatives regularly need to increase their potassium intake. Good food choices include bananas, dried fruit, celery, carrots, lettuce, oranges, Swiss chard, cantaloupe melon, pumpkin, kiwi fruit, strawberries, parsley, chickpeas, soybeans, zucchini, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean meats like lamb, venison, buffalo, rabbit, duck, quail, goose, game birds, and tuna.

Magnesium: Magnesium is needed for hundreds of enzymatic reactions in our bodies. The average American diet provides only half the recommended amount of magnesium each day. Symptoms of magnesium deficiencies include cramping, numbness, spasms, insomnia, tremors, seizures, cardiovascular issues, stress incontinence, and digestive distress.

These are some of the standard vitamins and minerals you intake to stay healthy!

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