Most people should get all the nutrients they need by having a varied and balanced diet, although some people may need to take extra supplements.
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and minerals are nutrients your body needs in small amounts to work properly and stay healthy.
Vitamins And Minerals
are essential substances that our bodies need to develop and function normally. The known vitamins include A, C, D, E, and K, and the B vitamins: thiamin (B 1 ), riboflavin (B 2 ), niacin (B 3 ), pantothenic acid (B 5 ), pyridoxal (B 6 ), cobalamin (B 12 ), biotin, and folate/folic acid.
A number of minerals are essential for health: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, sulfur, cobalt, copper, fluoride, manganese, and selenium. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015–2020 recommends that people should aim to meet their nutrient requirements through a healthy eating pattern that includes nutrient-dense forms of foods. Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplements
Multivitamins/multiminerals (MVMs) are the most frequently used dietary supplements, with close to half of American adults taking them.
Mvms cannot take the place of eating a variety of foods that are important to a healthy diet. Foods provide more than vitamins and minerals. However, some people who don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from food alone, or who have certain medical conditions, might benefit from taking one or more of these nutrients found in single-nutrient supplements or in MVMs.
Are You Getting What You Need?
Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients because they perform hundreds of roles in the body. Eating a healthy diet remains the best way to get sufficient amounts of the vitamins and minerals you need.
Vitamin A
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SOURCES:
CDC: “Plan Ahead: Folic Acid Can Help Prevent Certain Birth Defects.”.
Cleveland Clinic: “Anemia and Iron-Rich Foods.”. Harvard Health Publications: “Listing of Vitamins.”. Livescience.com: “Facts About Calcium.”.
Nih Office of Dietary Supplements: “Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets.”. “Vitamins and Minerals: What You Should Know About Essential Nutrients,” Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource Special Report, July 2009. World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: “Vitamin and Mineral Requirements in Human Nutrition, Second Edition”
World’s Healthiest Foods.