Essential Vitamins and Minerals That your Body Needs

Minerals and vitamins are extremely important nutrients for us. These nutrients are also known as micronutrients since they are only needed in tiny amounts. Even required in trace amounts, they are involved in numerous biological processes.

Here is the list of 7 vital micronutrients that are crucial for our health in this article;

1. Vitamin A
2. Vitamin C
3. Vitamin D
4. Vitamin K
5. Vitamin E
6. Magnesium
7. Selenium

Vitamin A

Retinol is the chemical term for vitamin A. Our body gets vitamin A through Provitamin A – beta-carotene and preformed vitamin A (all-trans-retinol and its esters).

Retinal, which is necessary for vision, and retinoic acid, which plays a significant role in controlling the genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation, are produced by the oxidation of retinol inside our body.

Have you heard that eating carrots improves your ability to see in the dark? What a myth, huh? No, it’s not! It’s because carrots contain beta-carotene, which improves your dark light vision. So do many other foods having both preformed and provitamin A.

Highest dietary provitamin A concentrations are found in leafy green vegetables and orange and yellow vegetables, while preformed vitamin A concentrations are highest in liver, fish, eggs, and dairy products. It's one of the best vitamins to take as a supplement if your diet isn't enough.

Vitamin C

Another essential vitamin is Vitamin C or ascorbic acid. For their own needs, the majority of plants and animals generate ascorbic acid.

The absence of the gulonolactone oxidase enzyme prevents humans and apes from being able to produce ascorbic acid. As a result, supplies for ascorbic acid must primarily be obtained through fruits, vegetables, and supplements.

Vitis amin C necessary to produce neurotransmitters, collagen, immune cells, and carnitine. It helps the body to metabolize drugs efficiently.

Vitamin D

From womb to tomb, a healthy skeleton requires vitamin D for formation, growth, and function. The fundamental job of Vitamin D is to keep calcium levels in balance. It achieves this by enhancing the intestine’s capacity to absorb dietary calcium. It also promotes dental, m,uscular and neural health.

In addition to leading to osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults as well as rickets in children, vitamin D deficiency can also have several long-lasting consequences.

Vitamin K

vitamin K is another most important vitamin. The biosynthesis of proteins from the Gla-protein family tends to require vitamin K. Four blood coagulation factors necessary for blood clotting belong to this family. Osteocalcin, matrix Gla-protein, and Gas6 are other Gla-protein family members that have essential roles in preserving bone strength, preventing artery calcification, and controlling cell development, respectively.

Vitamin D is frequently taken for bone health. Vitamin K must be taken in addition to vitamin D to ensure that calcium absorbed by vitamin D reaches bones and not other body parts like arteries.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has been demonstrated to be beneficial against several ailments and diseases, which include cataracts, arthritis, cancer, and aging, all of which have been associated with oxidation.

Vitamin E may also prevent hyper platelet aggregation, which can result in atherosclerosis; it also aids in lowering the formation of prostaglandins like thromboxane, which induce platelet clotting.

According to research, the vitamin prevents the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a key precursor to atherosclerosis. Additionally, it shields cell components from free radicals’ destructive effects, which, if left unchecked, could lead to the development of cancer, cataracts, macular degeneration, and cognitive decline. This is the best vitamin to take daily.

Also Read: How Can the Right Dietary Supplements Help Prevent Aging?

Magnesium

Magnesium aids in digestion and absorption by assisting in the activation of enzymes. Further, magnesium aids in generating and then supplying energy to the human body. It supports the body’s ability to sustain healthy nerve and muscle function.

Selenium

For optimal human health, selenium, an essential trace mineral, is crucial. Selenium plays both structural and enzymatic activities as a subunit of selenoproteins. Its enzymatic functions include antioxidant activities and a catalytic role in the production of active thyroid hormones.

Source: https://www.turnernewzealand.com/blogs/news/7-essential-vitamins-and-minerals-your-body-needs

Hi, I am Rachel, a fitness enthusiast and writer by profession, find me on tumbler.