Vitamins & Minerals in a Nutshell
- Natania M
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
What are vitamins?
Vitamins are organic molecules that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolic function.
There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins are dissolved in fats, while water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water.
What are minerals?
Minerals are a chemical element. They are naturally occurring inorganic compounds found in soil and water.
Why do we need them?
Vitamins and minerals are essential to human health.
There are 13 vitamins and 13 minerals, all of which are needed regularly and in small amounts for various vital bodily functions. Deficiencies in these can contribute to fatigue, gut problems, muscle weakness and physiological functions, amongst other things.
What are the different types of vitamins? What ones do we produce naturally?
The fat-soluble vitamins are:
Vitamin A | Vitamin D | Vitamin E | Vitamin K
Water-soluble vitamins are:
Vitamin B1 | Vitamin B2 | Vitamin B3 | Vitamin B5 | Vitamin B6 | Vitamin B7 | Vitamin B9
Vitamin B12 | Vitamin C
Our 13 essential minerals are:
Magnesium | Potassium | Zinc | Iron | Calcium | Selenium | Idoine | Sodium | Phosphorus | Chloride | Copper | Manganese | Sulphur
Generally speaking, our body synthesizes vitamins and minerals from food. However, we get Vitamin D from the sun. Due to various factors like genetics, gut bacteria, and other health issues, sometimes, we need to get outside help and buy vitamins from pharmacies to make sure our body has all it needs. This is where being able to read and understand vitamin labels becomes extremely important.
How can I tell if I’m low in a certain type of vitamin?
Certain signs can make it obvious: brittle hair, skin issues, gut issues, unexplained fatigue.
If you’re uncertain, a blood test will be able to help. But you have to specifically ask for it from your GP and ask for a ‘Full Blood Count including Vitamins and Minerals test’. If your GP asks you what ones, you can refer to this list here. But they should be able to write them all down themselves. If they refuse, find a new GP.
What is bioavailability?
Bioavailability is the extent to which nutrients can be absorbed and utilized by the body. Bioavailability is a crucial factor to be aware of. Focusing on bioavailable ingredients ensures that you get the best results from your supplementation. 1
When purchasing vitamins and minerals from a pharmacy, its important to check out the types of vitamins and also watch out for the word ‘natural’ which isn’t regulated.
There are studies done on what is the most bioavailable form of different vitamins for most humans. However, what is bioavailable for one person, may not be for another. For example, the MTHFR gene mutation (40% of the population have this) can lead to kidney problems if the wrong vitamin B is taken.
If you want to learn more about it, this site is a good source of further information: Cheat Sheet: The Most Bioavailable Forms Of Vitamins and Minerals To L - Abundant Earth Labs
In Conclusion:
In conclusion, vitamins and minerals are essential to keeping our bodies functioning well and its important to know which ones we are lacking in as an individual and which forms are best suited for our bodies. For further reading, please see any links in the article or below! Happy learning!
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