A Crash Course On
Vitamins & Minerals
There are thirteen
vitamins and eighteen minerals that are essential to good health
and life. Despite the fact that only small amounts of each
vitamin are needed, vitamins are essential to all of the body's
biochemical processes. They are required to convert food into
energy and to help the body manufacture hormones, blood cells,
and nervous system chemicals.
Vitamins are obtained entirely from food,
except for Vitamins D, B5 and B7, which come in part from
other sources. Pantothenic acid (B5) and vitamin D can be
produced by the absorption of sunlight through the skin. Ten
minutes of exposure to the bright midday sun produces at
least half of what adults require each day. The remainder
must be consumed from fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna,
and from dairy products. Some of the needed biotin (B7) and
pantothenic acid is produced by normal intestinal bacteria,
while remaining amounts are easily obtained from food.
Minerals are closely related to vitamins. They originate in
soil and water and are found in all plants and animals. The
major (or macro) minerals, those needed in relatively large
quantities by the body, include calcium, phosphorus, and
magnesium. Trace (or micro) minerals are needed in very
small amounts. Iron, fluoride, selenium, and zinc are among
the eighteen essential trace minerals. Vitamins and minerals
work hand in hand, influencing how well the body absorbs
both.
Vitamins and minerals have been studied for decades, and a
great deal is known about the sources and roles of each, as
well as about what happens when the body takes in too much
or too little of a particular substance. Researchers and
scientists continue the study in this area, working to gain
more knowledge about the effects of vitamins and minerals on
health and physiological functioning, or learning that a bit
more or less of a nutrient can produce better results than
had been assumed. This is why the Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA) are reviewed regularly by the Food and
Nutrition Board of the National Research Council of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Vitamin supplements are purchased by up to 80% of U.S.
households. Despite such widespread use, serious debate
continues about the value of vitamin pills and other dietary
supplements for the general public.
Scientific studies indicate that the required nutrients
should come from an average balanced diet, and that only
certain groups of people need to take supplements. This
group include pregnant women, young children, alcoholics,
those with diseases that inhibit absorption of nutrients,
post menopausal women trying to prevent osteoporosis, and
people whose diets do not provide the necessary nutrients.
Recent studies, however, show that less than 1/3 of adults
eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and many older
people consume fewer calories than required to meet their
daily nutrient requirements. In addition to vitamin
supplements sold to compensate for less than ideal eating
habits, supplements are promoted as insurance against
inadequate intake of essential nutrients, including
proteins. Other supplements focus on people's special needs,
such as to improve athletic performance or to lose weight.
Many products in the market today claim that they can reduce
or cure problems such as depression, sleep disorders,
cancer, indigestion, arthritis, and obesity. Still others
promise to achieve anti-aging effects, rejuvenation, energy,
and the elimination of toxins from the body. Literally
hundreds of dietary supplements, nutritional aids, and
similar products are widely promoted and generally available
to the public. However, their promises are rarely
substantiated in fact.
A dietary supplement act passed in 1994 removed dietary and
nutritional supplements from Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) review. Therefore, supplements are not regulated. They
are not evaluated for safety or purity, nor are they studied
to see whether they live up to promoters' claims. Many ads
for special supplements do not list ingredients, so the
buyer does not know what is contained in the capsules that
promise results such as improved memory or greater stamina.
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