Although vitamins and minerals are required by your body in a very small amount, failing to acquire them can result in serious complications as vitamins and minerals are the chemical compounds that are responsible for most bodily functions. Not only that, but not taking enough amount of these nutrients can be the cause of a number of diseases in your body. To avoid that, vitamin supplements are recommended to fulfil the need. You dietician may recommend supplements by companies like Nature Made, Vitafusion, Gummies Garden, Olly and other brands. These multivitamins are available in the form of chewable gummies, powders, liquids and even capsules. 

What are Vitamins?

Organic substances present in natural foods are required by our body in minute amounts known as vitamins. These naturally occurring compounds perform hundreds of roles in the body, from cell growth to immune system function. Thirteen vitamins up till now have been recognized. The vitamins that are used by our body are of two kinds; Water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins.

Fat-soluble

Vitamins E, D, K and A are all known as fat-soluble vitamins. As the name says, fat-soluble vitamins are those that are easily soluble in fat. Fatty tissues and the liver store these types of vitamins in them. Also, fat-soluble vitamins can be reserved by your body for days and, at times, even months.

Water-soluble

Vitamins easily dissolved in water are known as water-soluble vitamins. Vitamin C and vitamin B further contains

• Riboflavin
• Pantothenic acid
• Vitamin B6
• Niacin
• Thiamin
• Folic acid
• Biotin
• Vitamin B12

 As water-soluble vitamins do not stick out for long, they need to be ingested regularly and frequently, unlike fat-soluble vitamins.

Sources of vitamins

There is a wide variety of foods that are rich in vitamins. The best sources of vitamins include

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Meat
• Fish
• Nut
• Citrus fruits
• Leafy vegetables
• Broccoli
• Potatoes
• Milk
• Eggs

The role of vitamins in the body

The proper functioning of a body’s metabolism depends on its intake of vitamins. That’s why a balanced diet is said to be essential as it provides the body with the required vitamins. Protection, energy regulation and growth are the three main functions carried out by vitamins. Other bodily functions include immunity, digestion and metabolism processes. 

What are minerals?

Minerals are basically elements found in food that carry out some of the life-supporting functions in your body. If you don’t take an adequate amount of minerals that are essential, then you might suffer from various mineral deficiencies. So, it is wise to obtain minerals from your diet to avoid nutritional disorders. There are two main types of minerals found in the human body. Trace minerals and macro-minerals.

Macro-minerals

Your body requires macro-minerals in great quantities as these nutrients are responsible for the proper functioning of cells. In addition to that, the brain, heart, bone, and muscle functioning is dependent on macro minerals too. These include

• Magnesium
• Sulphur
• Chlorine
• Phosphorus
• Sodium
• Calcium
• Potassium

Trace minerals

Your body only needs little amounts of trace minerals to function properly. These minerals are mostly responsible for carrying out body processes such as metabolism and growth. The trace minerals consist of

• Iodine
• Zinc
• Fluorine
• Copper
• Molybdenum
• Manganese
• Chromium
• Selenium
• Iron

Sources of minerals

A healthy and balanced diet contains all the essential nutrients for your body. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy diet as food is the main source of vitamins and minerals. The main sources of some micro minerals and trace minerals are

• Cereals
• Nuts
• Pulses
• Milk
• Yoghurt
• green vegetables like broccoli and spinach
• Eggs
• Liver
• Bananas
• Barley
• brown rice
• Cheese
• fish 

The role of minerals in your body

Minerals, along with vitamins, help ensure that you maintain good health and are safe from a number of diseases. Not only that, but minerals also act as coenzymes and aid your body in carrying out many of the biochemical functions. These functions include the production of energy, healing and growth etc. Some other roles played by vitamins in your body include the maintenance of strong bones, transmission of nerve impulses and production of hormones. Thus, in order to manage a healthy lifestyle, minerals are one of the essential requirements of your body.

Multivitamin supplements

Sometimes, your diet cannot supply you with some of the basic vitamins and minerals. In other cases, some health problems can be the cause of the shortage of vitamins and minerals in your body. In order to compensate for this loss, multivitamin supplements should be taken with the consultation of your nutritionist.  These supplements come in various forms, shapes and sizes. For example, capsules, gummies, liquids etc., are some of the most common forms of multivitamin supplements. It is mostly recommended that you take these supplements only once or twice a day. Furthermore, research shows that multivitamin supplements help to improve your memory and may also be helpful in the prevention of eye blindness.