Vitamins
& Minerals Guide *
This page features
the structure and function of important vitamins
and minerals.
*
Vitamins
The need for a properly balanced diet to main good
health continues throughout your entire life! A well-balanced diet
includes foods that contain vitamins, which are essential and vital
for good health. However, many Americans just do not eat a well-balanced
diet. In addition, with today's fast foods and the processing of them,
you can be robbed of the vitamins you think you are getting from foods
you eat. If you're concerned about your diet and the healthful vitamins
you may not be getting, then you should consider vitamin supplements
to safeguard your health. Think of vitamin tablet or capsule as nutritional
insurance to a healthful life.
Vitamin A:
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning that it requires fats
or oils for your body to absorb it. Excess amounts are usually stored
in the liver. Vitamin A is needed for healthy hair, skin and bones.
Vitamin A works together with vitamins D, B, E, zinc, phosphorus
and calcium. Vitamin A is an essential vitamin that the body needs
to stay healthy.
Vitamin B-1
(Thiamine): Vitamin B-1 is water soluble (needs water for absorption).
It turns carbohydrates into energy and is known to be beneficial
to the nervous system and positive mental attitude.B-1 aids digestion
and promotes growth. Cooking vegetables, drinking alcohol, intaking
caffeine, and even atacids can destroy this essential vitamin.
Vitamin B-2
(Riboflavin): This easily absorbed water soluble vitamin is
needed for tissue repair and healthy skin, and turns fats, proteins
and carbohydrates into usable energy. It also helps the body use
oxygen and aids in the formation of healthy antibodies and red blood
cells. Also essential.
Nicain/Niacinamide:
Water soluble Niacin works to convert fats, proteins and carbohydrates
into energy. It's important to the brain's functions, and in promoting
healthy skin, nervous and digestive systems. Essential to human
nutrition.
Vitamin B-6:
Also known as Pyridoxine, this water soluble vitamin is needed to
help keep teeth, gums, blood cells and our nervous stysem funtioning
helthily. B-6 plays an important role in converting fats, proteins
and carbohydrates into usable energy for your body. B-6 is an essential
B-Vtiamin that the human body needs to stay in a healthy state.
It can help protect the body in helping to form antibodies. B-6
also plays a role in the body's potassium and sodium balance.
Biotin:
Water soluble Biotin helps keep your skin and circulatory system
in a healthful state. It is also needed to break down fats
and proteins. Biotin plays a role in maintaing healthy hair. It's
essential to human nutrition and helps other B-Vitamins work better.
Your skin depends on Biotin to stay healthy.
Vitamin B-12:
Vitamin B-12 also known as the "red vitamin", helps play a role
in building rich blood and in the development of your body's red
blood cell growth. B-12 also helps your nervous system function
properly. B-12 works to convert fat, protein, and carbohydrates
into energy. This essential vitamin to human nutrition is said to
play a role in concentration, balance and memory.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C, "the protector vitamin" is essential in protecting cells
and fighting tissue damage. It is important in helping your body
resist infection. It also helps in healing, and is needed
for healthy teeth and gums.
Vitamin D:
This fat soluble vitamin is also known as the "sunshine vitamin".
It helps maintain strong bones and teeth by increasing the absorption
of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D is actually acquired from the
sun or through the diet. This vitamin works as a partner with Vtiamin
A. Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Children need
it for proper growth. It also works with Vitamin C. The body's nervous
system, heart and blood depend on the "sunshine vitamin".
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E heps promote healthy circulation, promotes red blood cells
and is beleived to act as a protector against environmental pollutants.
There are two forms of vtiamin E known as Natural E (d-alpha) and
man-made E (called dl-alpha) Although man-made Vitamin E is less
expensive to create, the natural form of the vitamin appears to
remain in the body longer. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin which
means the body can store it. This vitamin is essential to our health.
It protects red blood cells and is important to the skin, our reproductive
organs and muscles. Birth control, mineral oil, alcohol, air pollution
and chlorinated drinking water can possibly deplete Vitamin E in
the body.
Folic Acid:
Folic acid is important in red blood cell formation and aids in
the convertin goproteins into energy. It is necessary for the growth
and division of body cells. It is considered essential.
Inositol:
Inositol is a B-Factor in the B-Vitamin family. Inositol aids in
fat breakdown and offers nourishment to brain cells and metabolizes
fats and cholesterol.
Vitamin K:
This fat soluble vitamin is essential for the proper clotting
of blood. Vitmain K is found in yogurt, alfalfa, egg yolk and leafy
green vegetables. It is essential for the formation of the blood
clotting substance in our blood so internal bleeding and hemorrhages
can be controlled naturally.
PABA (Para-Aminobenzoic
Acid): Water soluble PABA is important in the breakdwon of protein.
It has important sunscreening properties and helps keep the skin
healthy and smooth. PABA is a factor in helping to form folic acid.
PABA is used in sun protection lotions to help reduce and protect
you from sunburn.
Pantothenic
Acid: This essential B-Vitamin converts fats, carbohydrates
and proteins into usable energy. Our body's adrenal glands and digestive
system depend on it. It also helps in cell building and maintaining
normal growth. It is believed to be a factor in helping the body
fight physical stress.
Minerals
Did you know that just about all the
minerals found in nature are found in our bodies? That's why it's
important to make sure we get a constant supply. Minerals are vital
to human life. Without them, the body could not function in a healthful
state. Minerals are inorganic substances that hte body cannot make.
Minerals often work in partnership with vitamins in helping vitamins
get to where they are needed faster. Vitamins also do the same for
minerals. Even though minerals make up a small part of the body's
actual weight, they are essential to life. Minerals are important
for protecting our cells and in helping to keep bones, teeth and
skin in a healthy state. Minerals also play important roles in blood
pressure, heart regulation, wound health, and muscle functions.
Alcohol, smoking, the cooking of vegetables, meats, etc. and processed
food can rob the body of minerals...it then must get them from the
foods you eat or from mineral supplements.
Calcium: This mineral is vital to our health as 99% of all
calcium in our bodies is found in our bones. A lack of it can lead
to loss of height and teeth, back pain, and weak, porous bones that
can crack or break. The simple fact is that if the body does not
get the calcium it needs, it can begin to draw away vital calcium
already stored in the bones. The result can be that bones become
brittle, weak and can break easily. As the body matures, the demand
for calcium increases...making calcium particularly vital. It's
not only important for bones to get proper amounts of calcium, but
all vital funtions depend
on it. Stress, lack of exercise, antiobiotics, aspirin, mineral
oil, excess intake of fats, and other factors can leave you short
on calcium.
Copper: An important trace mineral that is stored in the
liver, copper is a vital component of enzymes needed to break down
proteins for rebuilding body tissue. It is required to convert the
body's iron into hemoglobin and is essential for the utilization
of Vitamin C. Our brain nerves and connective tissues depend on
copper.
Chromium: Chroimium plays a role in the break down of simple
sugar in the body. Chromium helps in the production of insulin,
plus it can help to control blood sugar levels and possibly cholesterol
levels. Chromium is important to enzymes and hormones in the body.
Iodine: Two thirds of the body's iodine is in the thyroid
gland. Since iodine influences the thyroid and the thyroid controls
metabolism, iodine plays an important role in mental reaction, energy
and weight gain.
Iron: Iron is an essential mineral and is required for life.
It is necessary for the production of hemoglobin (red blood corpuscles),
myoglobin (red pigment in muscles) and certain enzymes. Only
8% of the iron that is received by the body is absorbed and actually
enters the bloodstream. Iron helps in body growth, preventing fatigue
and helps to safeguard the body from disease. Iron is especially
important to women, for in one month women lose almost twice as
much iron as men. Iron is one of the major dietary deficiencies
of American women today. Iron is a helper mineral...meang it helps
B-Vitamins be utilized better by the body.
Magnesium: Magnesium is a mineral that has the ability to
relax nerves and muscles. Known as the "anti-stress" mineral, it
also plays a role in helping to calm nerves. Magnesium is important
in converting blood sugar into energy. This vital mineral is also
necessary so our bodies can utilize Vitamin C, calicum, phoshorus,
sodium and potassium in a more effective manner. Magnesium helps
to keep teeth healthy and is a helper in bringing temporary relief
from indigestion.
Manganese: Manganese helps to nourish the body's nervous
systerm, brain and regulate muscles in the body. It is found in
virtually all body tissues. This mineral works as an activator in
helping to stimulate enzymes that can convert protein, fats and
carbohydrates into usable energy. Teamed with Vitamin B-1 and Choline
it can help the body with digestion. It is important to both the
male and female reproductive systems.
Phosphorus: Not only is phosphorus involved in virtually
all physiological chemical reactions, it is also present in every
cell in the body. It is also necessary for normal bone and tooth
sturcture, important for heart regularity and essential for normal
kidney functions, Vitamin D and calcium are vital to helping phosphorus
work properly Without phosphorus, the vital B-Vitamins, Niacin,
cannot be absorbed.
Potassium: It is a vital mineral, in that 98% of the potassium
in the body is actually found inside individual cell walls. Potassium,
along with sodium, helps regulate the water balance within the body
and transporting nutrients in the bloodstream into cells. Postassium
also plays an important role in helping to send messages through
our nervous system. By sending oxygen to the brain, it can also
help in clear thinking. Everyday this mineral is flushed from the
body and must be replenished. Our heart and other muscles in the
body depend on psotassium to function in a healthful state. Excessive
sugar, diuretics, laxatives, execessive salt, alcohol and stress
can deplete the body of this vital mineral.
Selenium: Selenium works closely with Vitamin E as an antioxidant
or protector of body cells. Selenium can help fight premature aging
and hardening of the tissues through oxidation. Selenium is important
in helping to keep tissues flexible with elasticity.
Sodium: Sodium is vital to normal body growth. This mineral
is important in helping nerves and muscles function properly. It's
main purpose it to help "pump" fluids and nutrients in and out of
the
cells and cell membranes. Too much sodium can contribute to high
blood pressure.
Sulfur: Sulfur is vital for healthy hair, skin and nails.
It also plays an important role in helping to maintain a proper
oxygen balance so the brain can function properly. Sulfur acts as
a helper to B-Vitamins and helps the liver in the secretion of bile.
Zinc: This essential mineral is needed by everyone. It acts
like a vital spark in helping to keep the body in a healthy state.
This mineral performs many fucntions in the body. It is important
in RNA/DNA formation, in conveting proteins into energy, to the
male prostate gland and in working with calcium in bone formation.
Zinc is found in every cell in the body. It is believed to play
an important role in mental functions, the healing process, blood
stability and in keeping a proper alkaline balance in the body.
Organs that depend on this vital mineral are the heart, brain and
the productive organs. Processed foods, stress, diuretics, alcohol
and other factors can deplete the body of Zinc.
Boron: Boron is thought to be a factor in helping to keep
calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in our body and bones. Boron is
a "helper" mineral that helps the body maximize its use of these
minerals.
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