Vitamins Minerals

"Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential for normal physiologic processes in the body. Before their detailed chemical structures were known, vitamins were named by being given a letter. They are generally still referred to by that letter as well as by their chemical name, for example, vitamin C or ascorbic acid. Vitamins are categorized as either water-soluble or fat-soluble based on how they are dissolved in the body. Water-soluble vitamins are dissolved in water and absorbed during digestion. Excess water-soluble vitamins are excreted through urine. Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the digestive process with the help of fats, or lipids. Excess fat-soluble vitamins can build up in the body and become toxic. Vitamin supplements can be dangerous, particularly with fat-soluble vitamins, because people can overdose. A balanced diet includes all of the vitamins and minerals a person needs daily. There are nine water-soluble vitamins: vitamin C and eight B vitamins. There are four fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E, and K. Minerals are essential, non-caloric nutrients that are in all of our food and are essential for normal physiologic processes in the body. Minerals are micronutrients, which means humans only need to eat them in small quantities. Minerals assist body functions that range from bone strength to regulating the heartbeat. When plants take up water through their roots, dissolved minerals from the soil are absorbed by the plant. When people eat plants, they are likely ingesting minerals found in the plant. Animals are able to concentrate minerals in their tissues, so meats and other foods derived from animals often contain a higher concentration of minerals. There are two categories of minerals: major minerals and trace minerals. The classification of a mineral as major or trace depends on how much of the mineral the body needs. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Trace minerals include iron, fluoride, zinc, copper, iodine, manganese, chloride, and selenium."