Vitamins & Minerals: Food or Pills?

Vitamins & minerals are found in natural foods. They are essential to the normal functioning of our bodies and with a few exceptions, cannot be made by our bodies. See below for more details on the functions & sources of vitamins & minerals.

Many people ask us about taking a vitamin & mineral supplement. Here's our recommendation:

Almost everyone can get all the vitamins & minerals they need from food and it is not necessary to spend money on vitamin pills & other supplements. The key is to eat a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, seeds, dairy & lean protein. Your body is designed to process the nutrients in real food, not in manufactured pills.

Pills are not replacements for food. They cannot replace the protein, fats & carbohydrates that your body needs. You cannot stop eating food, take vitamin & mineral pills instead and expect to be healthy.

Some people say they take supplements "just in case," as a type of nutritional insurance. However, with that mindset, it's easy to slip into unhealthy eating habits because you think you'll get what you need from the pills. We would much rather have you be diligent about your food choices.

However, if your doctor tells you that you have a deficiency in a specific vitamin, you may need to take a supplement. Because vitamin B-12 is found mostly in animal products, vegans and some vegetarians may choose to take B-12 supplements. If you think you may have a vitamin deficiency, it's best to consult with your doctor.

You can also try out the AAY Online Nutrition Tracking Program to determine if you're getting all your nutrients. You input everything you eat, and the program will let you know which vitamins you're lacking & which you're getting too much of. It will also give you suggestions to help you improve nutrient intake.

More About Vitamins:

Vitamins have hundreds of different functions. Some examples of what they do are:

• energize and regulate our metabolism
• help form blood clots when we bleed
• promote cell growth
  

There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins.

A water-soluble vitamin is a vitamin that dissolves in water and cannot be stored in the body for a long period of time. Water-soluble vitamins travel through your body and the excess is excreted in your urine. These kinds of vitamins need to be replaced daily. Vitamins B and C are water-soluble vitamins.

A fat-soluble vitamin is a vitamin that can be stored in the liver and fat tissues of your body until your body needs them. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in your body for up to six months.

For lots of great information on all the vitamins, including which foods to find them in, their properties, functions & the daily requirements, check out the vitamin chart on this link.


More About Minerals:

There are two types of minerals, major minerals and micro minerals.

The major minerals are those elements that have a daily requirement of more than 100 mg. They include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and magnesium.

The micro minerals are also known as trace minerals and have a daily requirement of less than 100 mg. They include iron, iodine, fluorine, zinc, copper cobalt, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, nick, tin, silicon and vanadium.

Click here for details on functions & sources for a variety of minerals.