Vitamins, minerals play vital role in keeping you healthy

VITAMINS and minerals are essential nutrients that play a vital role in keeping us healthy, as they perform hundreds of health beneficial functions in the body.

Most people should receive all the nutrients they need by having a varied and balanced diet. However, some people may need to take vitamin supplements.

There is a thin line between having enough of these healthy nutrients and having too much,which could end up harming you.

Eating a healthy balanced diet is for most people the best way to acquire the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

Every day, your body produces skin, muscle and bone. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote parts of the body. It also sends nerve signals moving along brain and body pathways.

It formulates chemical messengers that shuttle from one organ to another, issuing instructions that help sustain your life.

To perform all these functions, your body requires raw materials that include at least 30 vitamins, minerals and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in sufficient amounts. They are obtained from the food you eat.

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that help strengthen bones, heal wounds and boost your immune system. They also convert food into energy and repair cellular damage.

Every person needs a certain amount of essential vitamins. For instance, the body requires vitamin K for the blood to coagulate and vitamin D to absorb calcium. Some nutrients may also help support bodily functions, such as your skin’s integrity and the production of collagen, a protein that gives structure to skin, joints and bones.

While the best source of vitamins and minerals is the food we eat, it is not always easy to receive them in sufficient amounts unless we ensure we have a healthy, well balanced diet. This is not always easy, given the amount of processed and junk food that we often buy.

It may, therefore, be helpful to take vitamin supplements, if we suspect or have been told by a health professional that we appear to be lacking some vitamins.

Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, which is part of a healthy diet, should take care of your need for vitamins and minerals. Those who do not eat much fruit or vegetables may benefit from vitamin supplements, although these will never be as good a source as fruit and vegetables.

Some people take multi-vitamins, containing various vitamins, which can be a useful supplement to take, since it contains not one but several vitamins you can take together.

The skin produces vitamin D with direct sunlight exposure. In countries where there is not much sunlight during certain seasons of the year taking a vitamin D supplement during these periods may be advisable. Those who spend most of their time indoors could also benefit from a vitamin D supplement.

Iron supplements are often recommended for pregnant women. It may even be beneficial to take it if you are expecting to become pregnant.

Benefits

The body only needs small amounts of vitamins and minerals but these small amounts are essential to keep the body functioning properly.

Vitamins and minerals also promote healthy aging. Medicines may drain nutrients further.As you grow older and begin to experience vitamin deficiencies, taking various vitamins can help reset your nutrient levels.

Minerals and vitamins may also significantly reduce levels of anxiety and stress.

Taking vitamin B supplements may help improve brain function and reduce depression and anxiety, as B vitamins not only help convert food into energy but help keep your nervous system functioning properly.

Vitamins can boost your cardiovascular health. Nutrients such as magnesium, C0Q10 and B vitamins, all contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system.

A combination of vitamins and eating heart-healthy foods could be important for your heart health.

Your immune system benefits from vitamins and minerals. The most common vitamins associated with strengthening your immune system include vitamin C, which is known for being a strong antioxidant, and vitamins E and D.

Vitamins E, C, A and selenium are beneficial for improving eyesight. Spending much of your time looking at television, computer and phones screens is likely to cause your eyesight to suffer.

A good way to try to beat eyesight degeneration is to take precautions that could include taking vitamin E, C and A supplements regularly. Eating foods that are good for your eyesight or eye health is even better.

The same vitamins promote healthy hair and skin. If you are struggling with your skin, whether you suffer from eczema, dry skin or acne, taking vitamin E, A and C supplements are likely to help lessen these problems.

If you are dealing with split ends or thinning hair, vitamins B3 and C are the best choices for fuller hair.

Calcium is vital for healthy bones but vitamin D is required for calcium to do its job.

Conclusion

We all need small amounts of vitamins and minerals for our overall health and well-being. The best source of these is a wellbalanced diet that includes fruit and vegetables.

However, there are vitamin supplements that can help overcome vitamin deficiencies. If you think you may have a vitamin deficiency, find it difficult to have a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables or blood tests suggest some deficiencies, discuss with your doctor whether it would be advisable to take a multi-vitamin supplement or a particular vitamin supplement.

Remember the body only requires small amounts of these nutrients.

Having higher doses of vitamin supplements than needed could be harmful.

Allow yourself, therefore, to be guided by your doctor on whether you need vitamin supplements, which ones you should take and how much you should take, as well as the period for which you should take them.

The information in this article is provided as a public service by the cimas iGo wellness programme, which is designed to promote good health. it is provided for general information only and should not be construed as medical advice. readers should consult their doctor or clinic on any matter related to their health or the treatment of any health problem. — igo@cimas.co.zw or whatsapp 0772 161 829 or phone 024-2773 0663