Info about Vitamins
You know what vitamins and minerals you need?
Vitamin and mineral needs vary depending on age, gender and other characteristics of each individual. There are 13 vitamins and 16 minerals that your body needs. These essential vitamins and minerals keep millions of cell healthy and encourages development and the reproduction.
They are also called micronutrients because the body needs small amounts of each. And, if the body fails to achieve this minimum required, health declines and can be easily attacked by various existing conditions.
Elimination from diet: fruits and vegetables - the main sources of vitamin C - a fresh period of several months can cause bleeding gums and scurvy. Even in developed countries happen to be cases of blindness due to vitamin A deficiency in the diet.
Therefore, the constant presence of micronutrients in sufficient quantities will only strengthen your health. For example, a significant intake of iron, helps proteins in the blood and muscles to release oxygen so vital to every cell.
Folic acid is a powerful agent with protective against birth defects, heart disease and some cancers. And a combination of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and phosphorus protects your bones for possible fractures.
Many of these micronutrients interact between them. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium directly from the diet. Vitamin C helps iron absorption.
• The difference between vitamins and minerals
Vitamins can be destroyed by heat, air and acid. Instead, the minerals are chemical elements that do not support changes. Thus, the minerals in soil and water quickly find their way to your body through plants, fish, animals and liquids they consume. Vitamins are much harder to assimilate from food or other sources, as they lose nutritional value by cooking.
• Vitamins and minerals benefits
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) reduces blood homocysteine levels, which will cause an improvement in cognitive function, increases the number of blood cells, positively influence the immune system.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) reduce homocysteine levels, and reduce the number of blood cells, protects the nervous system and encourages normal development.
Vitamin D (calciferol) maintain normal levels of calcium and phosphorus needed to strengthen bones.
Folic acid: it is vital to producing new cells, prevents birth defects, lowers homocysteine levels, reduce the risk of cancer of the colon and breast (in women who consume alcohol).
The recommended dosage according to age: adult males (400 mcg), adult women (400 mcg).
Iron: helps oxygen flow to cells, protect the body from toxic substances.
The recommended dosage according to age: 31-50 years (men: 8 mg and women: 18 mg) over 51 years (men: 8 mg and women: 8 mg).
Potassium: balancing the fluid in the body, maintains normal heart rhythm, is necessary for muscle contraction, lowers blood pressure.