What Exactly Is the Difference Between Vitamins and Minerals?

Do you wonder why it’s important to choose a nutritional supplement that contains vitamins and minerals?

You’ve heard that both vitamins and minerals are needed for good health and human survival. But what is the difference between vitamins and minerals? And why should you care?

Knowing the role of vitamins and minerals in the body will help you choose the right supplement. Due to the sheer number of supplements available today, this kind of knowledge is important, so you aren’t buying supplements you don’t need.

Check out this guide to learn more.

Vitamins

A vitamin is an “organic” compound. Organic compounds are often broken down by elements like air and earth. There are 13 vitamins, all needed for humans to thrive.

There are two basic categories of vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body’s fatty tissue. The four fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K.

The other nine are Water-soluble vitamins and are not stored in the body. Rather, your body keeps a small part of these vitamins for its use, and the rest is disposed of via urination. Because of this, these 9 vitamins have to be taken or eaten regularly to keep you healthy.

Minerals

Minerals are NOT organic; in that they maintain their structure regardless of their environment. There are many types of minerals, but your body only requires a few of them for good health. The major minerals are:

• Calcium
• Potassium
• Phosphorous
• Sodium
• Chloride
• Magnesium
• Sulfur

There are also trace minerals, such as iodine, iron, and zinc that are not needed in large quantities for human beings.

What Is the Biggest Difference Between Vitamins and Minerals?

Since vitamins can break down, they are easily lost through the body’s various systems, and can also lose potency through improper storage, or even in cooking. In contrast, minerals that occur in plants or animals stay intact when you consume them.

Getting your needed vitamins and minerals from food is the first and best way to nourish your body. But, given the typical American diet and lifestyle, this may be tricky. That’s why a daily supplement of vitamins and certain minerals is an excellent way to give your body the right amount of nutrients it needs.

Finding the Best Supplement for You

To choose the best supplements, see if what you are eating provides the RDI, or recommended daily intake of each of the 13 vitamins you need, and if not, look for supplements that will make up the deficit.

For example, we get Vitamin D from food and from exposure to sunlight. But if you don’t get in the sun often, or have a strict vegan diet, or a milk allergy, you could be deficient in this important vitamin.

Taking a supplement such as Vitamin D Tablets from Vitabiotics will help you keep your Vitamin D levels up, which in turn enhances your immune system, among other health benefits.

Taking Control of Your Nutritional Health

Because of the difference between vitamins and minerals, it’s possible you don’t need to take a lot of extra supplements.

Keep a food diary to determine what you are eating and use that information to make supplement decisions. Knowing what your body truly needs is a good way to be proactive in caring for yourself now and in the future.

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