Vitamins and minerals are the two substances known as micronutrients. They come from macronutrients –proteins-carbohydrates and fats. We get these essential nutrients from various foods. These foods include fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. We also get them from dairy foods and meats. As a matter of fact, these are the basic food groups that comprise our diet.

There has been a misconception about vitamins and minerals. Some believe you can obtain all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs solely through diet. However, you’ll need to obtain all your vitamins and nutrients with the help of supplements. With this in mind, below is a table to list the vitamins and minerals. Moreover it explains the functions and sources of each.

Vitamins And Minerals: The Vitamins

Vitamin	What the vitamin does	Significant food sources
B1 (thiamin)	Supports energy metabolism and nerve function	spinach, green peas, tomato juice, watermelon, sunflower seeds, lean ham, lean pork chops, soy milk
B2 (riboflavin)	Supports energy metabolism, normal vision and skin health	spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, eggs, milk, liver, oysters, clams
B3 (niacin)	Supports energy metabolism, and skin health. Also the nervous system and digestive system	spinach, potatoes, tomato juice, lean ground beef, chicken breast, tuna (canned in water), liver, shrimp
Biotin	Energy metabolism and fat synthesis. Also amino acid metabolism and glycogen synthesis	widespread in foods
Pantothenic Acid	Supports energy metabolism	widespread in foods
B6 (pyridoxine)	Amino acid and fatty acid metabolism. Also red blood cell production	bananas, watermelon, tomato juice, broccoli, spinach, acorn squash, potatoes, white rice, chicken breast
Folate	Supports DNA synthesis and new cell formation	tomato juice, green beans, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, okra, black-eyed peas, lentils, navy, pinto and garbanzo beans
B12	Used in new cell synthesis. It helps break down fatty acids and amino acids. It also supports nerve cell maintenance	meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs
C (ascorbic acid)	Collagen synthesis and amino acid metabolism. It helps iron absorption, immunity, antioxidant	spinach, broccoli, red bell peppers, snow peas, tomato juice, kiwi, mango, orange, grapefruit juice, strawberries
A (retinol)	Supports vision, skin, bone and tooth growth. Also immunity and reproduction	mango, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, tomato juice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beef liver
D	Promotes bone mineralization	self-synthesis via sunlight, fortified milk, egg yolk, liver, fatty fish
E	Antioxidant, regulation of oxidation reactions, supports cell membrane stabilization	polyunsaturated plant oils (soybean, corn and canola oils), wheat germ, sunflower seeds, tofu, avocado, sweet potatoes, shrimp, cod
K	Synthesis of blood-clotting proteins, regulates blood calcium	Brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, liver

Vitamins And Minerals: The Minerals

Mineral	What the mineral does	Significant food sources
Sodium	Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance. Also supports muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmissions	salt, soy sauce, bread, milk, meats
Chloride	Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance. Also aids in digestion	salt, soy sauce, milk, eggs, meats
Potassium	Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance. Supports cell integrity, and muscle contractions. Also supports nerve impulse transmission	potatoes, acorn squash, artichoke, spinach, broccoli, carrots, green beans, tomato juice, avocado, grapefruit juice, watermelon, banana, strawberries, cod, milk
Calcium	Formation of bones and teeth. Also supports blood clotting	milk, yogurt, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, tofu, sardines, green beans, spinach, broccoli
Phosphorus	Formation of cells, bones and teeth. It maintains acid-base balance	all animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk)
Magnesium	Supports bone mineralization, protein building, and muscular contraction. Also nerve impulse transmission, immunity.	spinach, broccoli, artichokes, green beans, tomato juice, navy beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, sunflower seeds, tofu, cashews, halibut
Iron	Part of the protein hemoglobin (carries oxygen throughout body’s cells)	artichoke, parsley, spinach, broccoli, green beans, tomato juice, tofu, clams, shrimp, beef liver
Zinc	A part of many enzymes. Also involved in production of genetic material and proteins. It transports vitamin A. It speeds wound healing, sperm production and the normal development of the fetus	spinach, broccoli, green peas, green beans, tomato juice, lentils, oysters, shrimp, crab, turkey (dark meat), lean ham, lean ground beef, lean sirloin steak, plain yogurt, Swiss cheese, tofu, ricotta cheese
Selenium	Antioxidant. Also works with vitamin E to protect body from oxidation	seafood, meats and grains
Iodine	Component of thyroid hormones. In addition, it helps regulate growth, development and metabolic rate	salt, seafood, bread, milk, cheese
Copper	Necessary for the absorption and utilization of iron. Also supports formation of hemoglobin and several enzymes	meats, water
Manganese	Facilitates many cell processes	widespread in foods
Fluoride	Involved in the formation of bones and teeth. Also helps to make teeth resistant to decay	fluoridated drinking water, tea, seafood
Chromium	Associated with insulin. Additionally, it’s required for the release of energy from glucose	vegetable oils, liver, brewer’s yeast, whole grains, cheese, nuts
Molybdenum	Facilitates many cell processes	legumes, organ meats

Vitamins And Minerals – The Decline Of Nutritious Foods

Many years ago, it was possible to obtain the vitamins and nutrients your body needs solely through food. But, there’s been a decline of vitamins and nutrients in our modern day foods. Now, it is almost impossible to consume your daily needs and still stay under 2000 calories. Don’t get me wrong. Eating fruits and vegetables are very important. I am not saying to just take supplements to get your nutritional needs. Therefore, I am saying that you need to use them together for the highest benefit.

The level of nutrients and vitamins in our foods have decreased dramatically. You would have to eat between 10-12 modern day apples to compare to one apple 60 years ago. In fact, this is because today’s agriculture doesn’t allow the soil to enrich itself. Instead it depends on chemical fertilizers. Indeed, they don’t replace the variety of nutrients that humans and plants need. Furthermore, the long shipping and storage time between harvest and selling reduces nutrient content. In fact, all of this affects the vitamins and minerals found in foods.

Decreasing Nutrients

The mineral content of milk and meats has also fallen significantly in the past 60 years. That’s according to a new analysis of the chemical composition of everyday food. For instance, the levels of iron recorded in the average rump steak have dropped by 55%. Magnesium fell by 7%. Looking at 15 different meat items, the analysis found that the iron content had fallen on average by 47%.

The iron content of milk had dropped by more than 60%. It’s more than 50% for cream and eight different cheeses. Not to mention, milk appears to have lost 2% of its calcium. In addition, it’s also lost 21% of its magnesium too. Furthermore, most cheeses showed a fall in magnesium and calcium levels. According to the analysis, cheddar provides 9% less calcium today, 38% less magnesium and 47% less iron. Further, this is while parmesan shows the steepest drop in nutrients. Also, magnesium levels down by 70%. Finally, iron has gone down compared with its content in the years up to 1940.

Vitamin And Mineral Research

The research was conducted by David Thomas. He’s a chiropractor and nutritionist who prescribes and sells mineral supplements. Additionally, he published an earlier historical analysis of the nutrient content of fruit and vegetables in 2000. Moreover, this showed a similar decline in those foods. Finally, he attributes the loss of nutrients to intensive farming and industrial production. (Guardian Feb.2, 2006)

Supplements Can Help

Modern day agriculture is not going to change. Therefore, that means we have to. First, the answers are to use supplements along with your food intake. Second, supplements can make a big difference. A multi vitamin/mineral supplement may not be flashy. Yet it’s foundational nutrition. Above all, it helps you achieve a state of health that’s conducive to gains. For instance, an underlying health condition will derail progress. However, the right multi can help overcome this. Therefore, supplements can help!

Finally, don’t forget to add one to your program! Not to mention, you can find them right here at illpumpyouup.com!

By: Kristy Donathan Bryant