Vitamins are chemical compounds which are vital for the human body. They play a part in growth, recovery and repair, and good body functioning. Furthermore, vitamins are important for maintaining of a good health and for the immune system. The human body cannot make (enough) vitamins, making us dependent on foods which provide the necessary vitamins.
The term vitamin is derived from the words vital and amine, because vitamins are required for life and were originally thought to be amines. Although not all vitamins are amines, they are organic compounds required by humans in small amounts from the diet. An organic compound is considered a vitamin if a lack of that compound in the diet results in overt symptoms of deficiency.
There are 13 different vitamins, 4 fat-soluble vitamins and 9 water-soluble vitamins. The water-soluble vitamins are:
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B8
- Vitamin B11
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
These vitamins are found in the liquids in food. The body has difficulties to store these water-soluble vitamins; an excess will leave the body via the urine. The fat-soluble vitamins are primarily found in the fatty substances in food and are stored in the body tissues. The fat-soluble vitamins are:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
Vitamins and minerals have many similarities. In the human body, both are crucial for different processes. However, there is a chemical difference between vitamins and minerals. The most important one is that vitamins originate from the living nature (and can be produced by plants or animals), while minerals re elements that originate in the earth and cannot be made by living organisms. Plants obtain minerals from the soil, and most of the minerals in our diets come directly from plants or indirectly from animal sources. Minerals may also be present in the water we drink, but this varies with geographic locale. Minerals from plant sources may also vary from place to place, because soil mineral content varies geographically.
Besides vitamins and minerals, also micro-nutrients exist. Often, these fall within the scope of minerals. The difference between minerals and micro-nutrients is the amount of the nutrient that the body needs. The body needs more of a mineral than of a micro-nutrient. Most important minerals are:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Phosphorus
Vital micro-nutrients are:
- Iodine
- Iron
- Chromium
- Copper
- Zinc
- Manganese
- Selenium
- Molybdenum
Vitamins, Health and More is developed to provide you with information about vitamins, minerals and other health issues. We do our best to give detailed, correct and up-to-date information. However, we are not doctors and therefore we cannot supply any medical advise. Please, bear in mind that our articles are for information purposes only.
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