Posted on December 11, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

It is a well known fact that vitamins and minerals are needed and that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables helps to add minerals and vitamins to your diet. But do we know why vitamins and minerals are important?

Your body requires essential minerals and vitamins for every process and function. These nutrients work to grow, repair, heal and maintain your body’s organs, cells, systems and skeleton. Vitamins and minerals are needed in varying amounts and some form key parts of structures such as red blood cells and bones. If the body is deficient of minerals and vitamins it can lead to illnesss,fatigue and disease. A balanced daily diet generally provides the essential nutrients your body needs to stay healthy

Your Metabolism
Metabolism burns ingested and stored food nutrients to produce energy that your body can use, through a number of complex processes. All the B vitamins, including vitamins B6 and B12, are important for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Minerals such as magnesium are also important in energy metabolism. Foods high in B vitamins and magnesium include spinach, broccoli, beans, oats, fish, poultry and eggs.

Keeping your Heart Healthy
Essential vitamins from your daily nutrition are also needed to prevent heart disease. Nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E as well as beta carotene have antioxidant properties that help reduce inflammation, helping reduce the risk of heart disease. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is rich in these vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamin B3 is used for lowering unhealthy cholesterol levels to improve cardiovascular health. However, high doses of this vitamin are needed and should only be taken under the supervision of your doctor.

Bone Health
Minerals and vitamins are vital for maintaining bone health and preventing bone diseases such as osteoporosis or brittle and weakened bones. The hard matrix of bones is composed of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Research published in the “British Journal of Nutrition” notes that vitamin D is needed to help your body absorb calcium from food and supplementing these two nutrients may help prevent bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. Vitamin K also plays a role in bone health to support the role of vitamin D and calcium.

Fertility
Reproductive health and fertility depend on the function of a number of organs, structures and hormones, as well as cell production. Minerals and vitamins are needed to help grow, repair and maintain these intricate systems and processes in both men and women. The mineral zinc is important for fertility health in men and improves sperm count and mobility. Zinc-rich foods include red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, pumpkin seeds and oysters. vitamins and minerals that are also needed for reproductive health are vitamin C, E and B12, beta carotene, folic acid and selenium.

As you can see above there are a list of foods that contain significant amount of vitamins and minerals by eating healthy sources of meat, fruit and vegetables you ensure your giving your body the miners and vitamins you need.