'Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that the body needs to work properly.They boost the immune system, promote normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs. Although you get vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat every day, some foods have more vitamins and minerals than others. For example, you’ve probably heard that carrots are good for your eyes. It’s true! Carrots are full of substances called carotenoids that your body converts into vitamin A, which helps prevent eye problems. Vitamins fall into two categories: fat soluble and water soluble. The fatsoluble vitamins - A, D, E, and K - dissolve in fat and can be stored in your body. The water-soluble vitamins - C and the B-complex vitamins (such as vitamins B6, B12, niacin, riboflavin, and folate) - need to dissolve in water before your body can absorb them. Because of this, your body can’t store these vitamins. Any vitamin C or B that your body doesn’t use as it passes through your system is lost (mostly when you urinate). So you need a fresh supply of these vitamins every day.
Whereas vitamins are organic substances (made by plants or animals), minerals are inorganic elements that come from the soil and water and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals. Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium, to grow and stay healthy. Other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you only need very small amounts of them each day.
Now, let’s look more closely at vitamins from A to K:
too, from the brightest yellow to the darkest purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in
healthy skin.
Which foods are rich in Vitamin A?
· milk fortified with vitamin A
· liver
· Fruits and vegetables
· dark green leafy vegetables.
Deficiency diseases: Night blindness,anemia.
Which foods are rich in Vitamin B?
· whole grains, such as wheat and oats
· fish and seafood
· poultry and meats
· eggs
· dairy products, like milk and yogurt
· leafy green vegetables
· beans and peas.
Deficiency disease: Beriberi.
Which foods are rich in Vitamin C?
· citrus fruits, like oranges, lemon
· strawberries
· tomatoes
· broccoli
· cabbage
· sweet red peppers.
Deficiency disease: Scurvy.
Which foods are rich in Vitamin D?
· milk fortified with vitamin D
· fish
· egg yolks
· liver
· fortified cereal.
Deficiency disease: Rickets.
Which foods are rich in Vitamin E?
· whole grains, such as wheat and oats
· wheat germ
· leafy green vegetables
· sardines
· egg yolks
· nuts and seeds.
Deficiency disease: Nerve abnormalities.
Which foods are rich in Vitamin K?
· leafy green vegetables
· dairy products, like milk and yogurt
· broccoli
· soybeans
Deficiency diseases: Osteoporosis,
blood cloting difficulty.
Calcium: Calcium is important for making our bones and teeth strong and for maintaining healthy gums. Milk, milk products, fish, seafood and green leafy vegetables are good sources of calcium.
Iron: The main function of iron in our body is to form hemoglobin - the red pigment in RBCs (red blood cells) that carries oxygen. Lack of iron causes anemia which results in low hemoglobin levels in blood. Good sources of iron are spinach, beans, eggs and dried fruits.
Magnesium: Magnesium is required for proper relaxation and contraction of muscles and for proper functioning of certain enzymes. Fatigue, irritability, insomnia and poor memory are associated with insufficient amount of magnesium in one’s diet. Magnesium is found in dark green vegetables, legumes, apples, bananas, milk products and meat.
Phosphorus: Along with calcium, phosphorus is an important constituent of bones and teeth. Lack of
phosphorous results in painful bones, fatigue and numbness. Milk, fish, eggs, apples and carrots are
good sources of phosphorus.
Potassium: Potassium regulates nerve impulses, heartbeat and blood pressure. Deficiency of potassium causes muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat and fatigue. Potassium is found in fish, meat, whole grain cereals, fruits and vegetables. It is evident from this that fruits and vegetables are ideal sources of vitamins and minerals. However, in today’s fast paced life, we are becoming increasingly dependent on processed food that lack some or the other vitamin or mineral. But we must understand that a balanced diet along with proper exercise and rest is the only way we can prepare ourselves to live our mechanical and stressful lives in a healthy way.
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Whereas vitamins are organic substances (made by plants or animals), minerals are inorganic elements that come from the soil and water and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals. Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium, to grow and stay healthy. Other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you only need very small amounts of them each day.
Now, let’s look more closely at vitamins from A to K:
Vitamin A
This vitamin plays a really big part in eyesight. It’s great for night vision. Vitamin A helps you see in colour,too, from the brightest yellow to the darkest purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in
healthy skin.
Which foods are rich in Vitamin A?
· milk fortified with vitamin A
· liver
· Fruits and vegetables
· dark green leafy vegetables.
Deficiency diseases: Night blindness,anemia.
The B Vitamins
There’s more than one B vitamin. Here’s the list: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid.The B vitamins are important in metabolic activity — this means that they help make energy and set itfree when your body needs it. So the next time you’re running to third base, thank those B vitamins. Thisgroup of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Everypart of your body needs oxygen to work properly, so these B vitamins have a really important job.Which foods are rich in Vitamin B?
· whole grains, such as wheat and oats
· fish and seafood
· poultry and meats
· eggs
· dairy products, like milk and yogurt
· leafy green vegetables
· beans and peas.
Deficiency disease: Beriberi.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums and muscles in good shape. C is also helpful if you get a cut or wound because it helps you heal. This vitamin also helps your body resist infection. This means that even though you can’t always avoid getting sick, Vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected with an illness.Which foods are rich in Vitamin C?
· citrus fruits, like oranges, lemon
· strawberries
· tomatoes
· broccoli
· cabbage
· sweet red peppers.
Deficiency disease: Scurvy.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the vitamin you need for strong bones! It’s also great for forming strong teeth. Vitamin D even lends a hand to an important mineral - it helps your body absorb the amount of calcium it needs. The sun is the greatest natural source of vitamin D.Which foods are rich in Vitamin D?
· milk fortified with vitamin D
· fish
· egg yolks
· liver
· fortified cereal.
Deficiency disease: Rickets.
Vitamin E
Everybody needs E. This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your body’s tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells.Which foods are rich in Vitamin E?
· whole grains, such as wheat and oats
· wheat germ
· leafy green vegetables
· sardines
· egg yolks
· nuts and seeds.
Deficiency disease: Nerve abnormalities.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is the clotmaster! Remember the last time you got a cut? Your blood did something special called clotting. This is when certain cells in your blood act like glue and stick together at the surface of the cut to help stop the bleeding. Which foods are rich in Vitamin K?
· leafy green vegetables
· dairy products, like milk and yogurt
· broccoli
· soybeans
Deficiency diseases: Osteoporosis,
blood cloting difficulty.
Minerals
Like vitamins, minerals are also required in small amounts and play an important role in ensuring proper functioning of the body. However, unlike vitamins, minerals are inorganic compounds. The different types of minerals and their roles are as follows:Calcium: Calcium is important for making our bones and teeth strong and for maintaining healthy gums. Milk, milk products, fish, seafood and green leafy vegetables are good sources of calcium.
Iron: The main function of iron in our body is to form hemoglobin - the red pigment in RBCs (red blood cells) that carries oxygen. Lack of iron causes anemia which results in low hemoglobin levels in blood. Good sources of iron are spinach, beans, eggs and dried fruits.
Magnesium: Magnesium is required for proper relaxation and contraction of muscles and for proper functioning of certain enzymes. Fatigue, irritability, insomnia and poor memory are associated with insufficient amount of magnesium in one’s diet. Magnesium is found in dark green vegetables, legumes, apples, bananas, milk products and meat.
Phosphorus: Along with calcium, phosphorus is an important constituent of bones and teeth. Lack of
phosphorous results in painful bones, fatigue and numbness. Milk, fish, eggs, apples and carrots are
good sources of phosphorus.
Potassium: Potassium regulates nerve impulses, heartbeat and blood pressure. Deficiency of potassium causes muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat and fatigue. Potassium is found in fish, meat, whole grain cereals, fruits and vegetables. It is evident from this that fruits and vegetables are ideal sources of vitamins and minerals. However, in today’s fast paced life, we are becoming increasingly dependent on processed food that lack some or the other vitamin or mineral. But we must understand that a balanced diet along with proper exercise and rest is the only way we can prepare ourselves to live our mechanical and stressful lives in a healthy way.
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