Vitamins are organic compounds that the body needs in very small amounts for a variety of biological processes, the word vitamin indicates that it may be essential to life (from the Latin word “vita”, meaning for life). Vitamins are involved in many processes including mental and nerve function and metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins for energy, growth and repair. There are thirteen known vitamins, which can be divided into two categories, fat-soluble and water-soluble. The four vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble and tend to accumulate or are stored in the fat tissues of the body and the liver. The eight B-complex vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble, and any excess is excreted in the urine. Pro-vitamins or vitamin precursors are similar in structure to specific vitamins and can be converted to the vitamin by a few metabolic reactions, for example, beta carotene can be converted in the body to vitamin A.

Minerals are inorganic elements that originate in the Earth and cannot be made in the body, many of these are therefore considered as essential nutrients and need to be obtained from dietary sources. Most of the minerals in the human diet come directly from plants and water, or indirectly from animal foods. Minerals are involved in the regulation and maintenance of many physiological functions in the body, and are vital components of enzyme systems that are involved in every biochemical and metabolic reaction in the body. Major minerals are needed in the body in larger amounts than trace minerals and include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur. The main trace minerals are boron, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, vanadium and zinc.

Nutrient Deficiencies may be widespread in the general population and studies indicate that many of us, even with great effort, fall short of taking in the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Many people don’t eat a variety of healthy foods, and even those who do eat well are often not receiving sufficient nutrients from food due to many reasons, such as depleted mineral levels in the soil, long storage time of fruit and vegetables, poor digestion, etc. It is for these reasons that nutritionists often recommend to supplement with a good quality multivitamin and mineral formulation to support the needs of a modern lifestyle.