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Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals form the micronutrients in the diet. They are a vital part of our diet if we want to maintain our health, however, how much is too much and do we need to take extra vitamins in the form of supplement pills?

Vitamins

Vitamins are required by the body in small amounts for growth, health and physical well-being. Many vitamins form parts of enzyme systems which are involved in the production of enzyme systems which produce energy for physical performance. Other vitamins are involved in the functioning of the immune system, the hormonal system and the nervous system.

Fat soluble vitamins

Fat soluble vitamins can only be absorbed, transported and utilised in the presence of fat. Therefore a diet which is low in fat will results in a deficiency in the fat soluble vitamins.

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin	Purposes	Sources
Vitamin A	Stimulates gastric juices for protein digestion Plays vital role in bone building Helps produce rich blood Helps in RNA production Protects against pollution and degenerative damage	Butter from grass fed cows Pastured whole eggs Liver Seafood Cod liver oil
Vitamin D	Needed for calcium and phosphorus absorption Helps form strong bones and teeth Appears to protect against cancer and multiple sclerosis	Butter from grass fed cows Pastured whole eggs Liver Seafood Cod liver oil
Vitamin E	Aids blood circulation Helps with tissue repair and healing Slows ageing process Powerful antioxidant Together with certain trace minerals protects against cancer and Coronary Heart Disease	Unrefined vegetable oils Butter Organ meats Whole grains Dark green leafy vegetables Raw nuts and seeds
Vitamin K	Important role in blood clotting Aids bone formation	Liver Pastured whole eggs Butter from grass fed cows Whole grains Dark green leafy vegetables

Water soluble vitamins

Water soluble vitamins are absorbed, transported and utilised within water. They are absorbed along the length of the digestive tract. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body in sufficient quanities and therefore, they must be included daily within our diet to avoid any deficiency.

Water Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin	Purposes	Sources
Vitamin B Complex	Work to promote healthy nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver & muscle tone Prevents fatigue Vital role in metabolism Helps produce cholesterol Helps maintain iron levels in blood Maintains fertility and normal growth	Whole unrefined grains Fresh fruit Fresh vegetables Raw nuts Legumes Seafood Organ meats
Vitamin C	Tissue growth and repair Strength of capillary walls Lactation Adrenal gland function Vital for formation of collagen Helps in healing of wounds Powerful antioxidant	Fresh fruit Fresh vegetables Some organ meats

Minerals

Minerals, although they do not provide energy themselves, are necessary for the structure and for the normal regulation of our metabolic, hormonal and nervous interactions within our bodies. They can allow us to utilise the energy found within our diet more t more efficiently. Minerals are originally extracted from the earth by plants which allows us to ingest them. Animals which eat plant material will also contain these minerals.

The Seven Macrominerals

Mineral	Purposes	Sources
Calcium	Bone growth Muscular contraction Regulates acid-alkali balance	Dairy products Fish with soft bones - salmon Green leafy vegetables
Chloride	Regulates acid-alkali balance Regulates fluid balance Aids protein/carbohydrate ingestion	Natural unprocessed sea salt Coconut flesh
Magnesium	Nerve transmission Bone formation Metabolism of carbohydrates Absorption of other minerals Tooth enamel	Natural unprocessed sea salt Fish Dairy produce Nuts
Phosphorus	Bone growth Kidney function Cell growth	Animal produce Whole grain Nuts and legumes
Potassium	Fluid balance Cellular chemistry	Natural unprocessed sea salt Nuts Vegetables
Sodium	Water balance Cellular fluid distribution Nerve stimulation	Natural unprocessed sea salt Meat broths Zucchini
Sulphur	Protects from infection Helps form cartilage and skin Protects against radiation and pollution	Cruciferous vegetables Eggs Dairy products

There are other minerals required for a healthy functioning body, but we do not need them in great amounts. They are referred to as trace minerals and can be found in a variety of different, natural, unprocessed foods, especially sea salt.

Trace Minerals

copper	aluminium
manganese	selenium
iodine	zinc
boron	cobalt
fluoride	chromium
iron

Free Radicals

Free radicals can be defined as:

"an entity with one or several unpaired electrons in the outer electron orbit of an atom or molecule" Karlsson, 1997

If this definition sounds confusing to you then don't worry, you'll not be the only one. Basically, atoms contain small particles called electrons and protons. Atoms generally contain an equal number of electrons and protons in order to remain stable. During a chemical reaction, the balance of electrons and protons may be altered leaving the atom with an unpaired electron. The atom is unstable and must achieve stability. The unbalanced atom or "free radical" has now become highly reactive and will quickly seek out any spare electron. If it cannot find one then it will steal an electron from an intact molecule. This stealing of electrons causes damage to the molecule it has stole from. This can cause a chain reaction which can continue for several days.

Free radicals are produced in the body in many different ways. The most significant contributor is oxygen. Most energy within the body is produced via aerobic processes, requiring the break down of food alongside oxygen. About 95% of energy is created through controlled oxidation, however, the remaining 5% of energy production results in the formation of free radicals which are all capable of causing damage within the body. Free radicals causes a variety of diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and the ageing process itself.

With oxygen being the biggest free radical there is (it is ironic that we depend on oxygen to live yet it is also oxygen that is slowly killing us with free radical damage) it is important that we try to limit substances that will contribute to free radical damage e.g. smoking.

So, with all this damage going on within our bodies, what can be done about it?

Antioxidants

Defence mechanisms, called antioxidants, have been evolved by our body in order to limit free radical damage. There are also antioxidants which can be obtained from our diet. People with porr diets, lacking nutrients, will be at greater risk, as the body requires nutrients such as vitmains A, C, E and the minerals zinc, selenium, copper and manganese for its antioxidant enzymes.

Antioxidants are substances which slow oxidation by neutralising free radicals because they have the ability to receive and donate electrons. Research suggests that regular exercisers have a much greater level of natural antioxidant enzymes to protect them against free radical damage.

Sources of Antioxidant Nutrients

Nutrient	Sources
Vitmain C	citrus fruits, green vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes
Vitmain E	unrefined vegetable oils, egg yolks, whole grains, almonds, nuts, green leafy vegetables
Zinc	oysters, ginger root, lamb, nuts, grains, eggs, peas
Selenium	grains, meats, fish, brazil nuts, tuna, shellfish, dairy

Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation

Consuming vitmain and mineral supplements can lead to imbalances and deficiencies. Many vitmains and minerals interact with each other, competing for absorbtion within the body. For example, iron, zinc and calcium share the same transport system, therefore if you were to take a large dose of iron you could be limiting your uptake of zinc and calcium.

Synthetic vs natural

Minerals in food almost always exist in complexes with other substances and nutrients. Minerals in supplements are usually present in engineered complexes. Some mineral supplements are extracted from foods whilst others are combined in a laboratory. Calcium is the most commonly taken supplement but it is found in many forms, yet only one of those forms is a natural food extract, calcium hydroxyapatite. Other forms of calcium supplementation may be combined with different substances which have a negative effect on the bioavailability of the nutrient.

Taking vitmain and mineral supplements is not a full proof way of obtaining your nutrient requirements. Many supplements are lacking many of the natural types of nutrients e.g. all of the B, D, E and K vitmains. There are 17 different B vitamins yet it is common to find vitmain B-complex supplements that ony contain 8-12 of the different types of B vitamins.

In a nutshell, I would recommend that you get all of your vitamins and minerals from your diet by eating a variety of food rather than relying on supplementation. Some people already get all of their vitmain and minera requirements anyways and so the extra they spend on supplmentation is literally just wasted money (some excess nutrients are excreted in the urine).

Summary

You can easily obtain all of your vitmin and mineral requiements by eating a variety of foods (tip - try and make your diet involve a variety of food colours).

Food Recommendations

Avoid	Advise
limiting food choices	eat a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables
"fresh" produce from overseas (picked unripe, lower nutrients)	eat high quality animal produce
fortified foods - lack of quality	eat seasonal, local produce (freshest)
process fruit and vegetables	eat raw fruit where possible
cooking at high temperatures	eat raw or lightly cooked vegetables
cheap or standard vitamin or mineral supplements	broaden tastes by trying new foods

Try to develop good eating habits. This may mean a change in your eating behaviour.