Both vitamins and minerals are essential in the diet in small quantities. Learn about the two main vitamin groups and the major mineral elements. This free course, Nutrition: vitamins and minerals, looks at the two main groups of vitamins: the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K; and the water-soluble vitamins, the B group and vitamin C. It also examines the major mineral elements, and the importance of fluid balance in the body.
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Learn about the two main vitamin groups and the major mineral elements. This free course, Nutrition: vitamins and minerals, looks at the two main groups of vitamins: the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K; and the water-soluble vitamins, the B group and vitamin C. It also examines the major mineral elements, and the importance of fluid balance in the body.
Vitamins And Minerals
A number of minerals are essential for health: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, sulfur, cobalt, copper, fluoride, manganese, and selenium.
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.
Many foods also have fiber and other substances that can provide health benefits. 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?
Vitamin A
Cleveland Clinic: “Anemia and Iron-Rich Foods.”.
Council for Responsible Nutrition: “Vitamin and Mineral Recommendations.”. Mayo Clinic: “Goiter.”. 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.