guide to vitamins and minerals

Vitamins are organic substance necessary for maintaining daily life activities. They are vital when it comes to proper functioning of human body. Vitamins are not just for energy production as people in conservative circles still would like to think). Vitamins are not produced in adequate amount in our body so we should therefore take vitamins through diet or supplements. Vitamins (and other vital nutrients) can be taken in the form of supplements but this cannot replace the normal diet.

You will find a brief overview and the functions of vitamins or vitamin groups and details about its main function.

Functions of vitamins in general

Here are some vital functions that vitamins carry out in our body.

* Have anti-oxidant-operation
* Maintains and strengthen our immune system
* Develop an anti-stress effect
* Have a ‘chelating’ (detoxifying) effect
* Improve memory and optimizes the learning process
* helps in repairing of damaged structures of the nucleus (DNA)
* Strengthen and maintain the proper functioning of cell walls
* Promote the production of growth hormones
* Play an important role in oxygen uses by cells
* Assist in the production of proteins
* Helps in heart protection
* Assist in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism
* Prevents premature aging (excluding the group of anti-oxidants)
* Are essential for converting food energy into bio-energy

Functions of individual vitamins

Vitamin A
* Keeps the skin and mucous membranes healthy
* Helps in maintaining healthy bones and teeth
* Improves vision
* Strengthens the immune system
* Improves blood cell counts
* Promotes and regulates cell division and cell growth

Beta carotene (pro-vitamin A)
* Keeps the skin and mucous membranes healthy
* Helps in maintaining healthy bones and teeth
* Improves vision
* Strengthens the immune system
* Improves blood cell counts
* Promotes and regulates cell division and cell growth
* powerful anti-oxidant

Vitamin B1
* Important for converting food energy into bio-energy (production of insulin)
* Important for the proper functioning of the nervous system
* Helps in cardiac-regulation
* Stimulates the production of red blood cells

Vitamin B2
* Important for converting food energy into bio-energy
* Important co-factor for the enzymatic antioxidant system (glutathione formation)
* Maintains the structure and functioning of muscles, bones, skin, eyes and red blood cells

Vitamin B3
* Important for converting food energy into bio-energy
* Essential component of energy-supplying molecules
* Important for the production of various hormones
* Co-factor in many enzyme conversion processes
* Plays a vital role in cholesterol metabolism
* Improves circulation in small capillaries
* Maintains nervous system
* Keeps the digestive tract healthy

Vitamin B5
* Essential for proper adrenal gland function
* Important for converting food energy into bio-energy
* Helps in the breakdown of fats and cholesterol
* Important for proper functioning of brains, nervous and immune system

Vitamin B6
* Important for cholesterol metabolism
* As co-enzyme which involves in many transformation processes of amino acids into hormones, enzymes etc.
* Important for proper functioning of the immune system
* Important for the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids
* Involved with the regulation of water balance
* Involved in cell division process
* Involved in the production of red blood cells
* Important for converting food energy into bio-energy
* Has a beneficial effect on pregnancy, nausea and diabetes

Vitamin B12
* Necessary for metabolism.
* Improves the metabolism of methionine (helps in the prevention of vein problems)
* Is required for cell division process
* Improves protein metabolism
* Important for the production of hemoglobin
* Promotes the circulation of blood
* Important for converting food energy into bio-energy
* Promotes the conversion of carotene into vitamin A
* Improve the quantity and quality of sperm

PABA
* Contributes to the maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails
* Improves the health of intestinal tract and bowel movement
* Acts as a filter against UV radiation in skin
* Involved with the functioning of immune cells (folic acid)
* Essential for cell division process (important during pregnancy)
* Promotes breastfeeding
* Involved with the metabolism of proteins and fats
* Required for production of red blood cells
* Stimulates the formation of gastric acid
* Improves the liver functioning
* Important for proper functioning of the immune system

Biotin
* Important for the metabolism of proteins and fats
* Keeps hair and nails healthy
* Important for the intestinal flora

Choline
* Significant emulsifier (keeps fats including cholesterol in the form of solution in the blood)
* Essential for the production of acetylcholine (hormone for memory and concentration function)
* Important for proper functioning of the nervous system
* Essential for the production of lecithin
* Important for the proper functioning of liver and kidney

Inositol
* One of the raw materials for the production of brain cells
* Important for hair growth
* Improves stress-management function
* Stimulates the bowel movement
* Needed for growth and development of bone marrow and intestinal cells
* Important for the liver

Vitamin C
* Main anti-oxidant in aqueous parts of the body
* Essential for building collagen
* Very important for the immune system. It increases the activity of white blood cells. In addition, it also fights some viruses directly like common cold virus.
* Essential for the production of adrenaline and other hormones
* Inhibits the formation of nitrosamines
* Important for iron storage and transport
* Involved in calcium metabolism
* DIURETIC, which is beneficial for blood pressure
* Has a detoxifying effect
* Stimulates the conversion of cholesterol into bile acid.
* Reduces damage caused by aspirin.

Bioflavonoids (including flavones, flavonolen, anthocyanidinen, etc.)
* Enhance many functions of Vitamin C
* Enhance vitamin C metabolism
* Strengthen the anti-oxidant system, often at specific location

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
* Essential for creation and maintenance of bones and teeth
* Has a regulating effect on heart rhythm and nervous system
* Involved with the maintenance of blood viscosity

Vitamin E
* Main anti-oxidant in fatty tissue (including cell walls)
* Prevents the formation of unwanted blood clots
* Improves circulation
* Promotes cellular respiration
* Inhibits scar formation

Vitamin K1 (Phytonadione)
* Required for the production of substances involved in the clotting process
* Important for proper liver function
* Involved with the production of bone cells
* Involved in regulating the menstrual cycle

Minerals
Functions of minerals and trace elements in general:-
Regarding the functions of minerals and trace elements there are three distinct groups that we should discuss.

* As a material for formation of bones and teeth (eg calcium, phosphorus, magnesium)
* As co-enzyme factor (in many enzymes, including anti-oxidant enzymes)
* As controller for balance, quantity and composition of body fluids

Functions of individual minerals and trace elements

Calcium
* Has a beneficial effect on blood pressure
* Helps in the blood clotting process
* Essential for building bones and teeth
* Plays a vital role in the transmission of nerve impulses
* Helps the heart function
* Involved in regulating the acid / base balance

Iodine
* Essential for thyroid function
* Optimizes the absorption of carbohydrates
* Stimulates the formation of HDL-cholesterol

Magnesium
* Plays an important role in cholesterol metabolism
* Helps in the formation of DNA
* Involved in the production of hormones
* Has a positive effect on the prostate
* Helps in building bones and teeth
* Has a relaxing effect on physical stress
* Involved with regulating the acid / base balance
* Plays a vital role in the transmission of nerve impulses

Potassium
* helps in the regulation of blood sugar level
* Contributes to a normal heart rhythm
* Essential for regulating the moisture
* Has a beneficial effect on the nervous system
* Involved in regulating the acid / base balance

Selenium
* Important component of the anti-oxidant system
* Has a beneficial effect on blood pressure
* Strengthens the immune system
* Helps in reproductive system for male
* Plays an important role in the formation of co-enzyme Q1O (a substance that is essential for the conversion of food energy into bio-energy)
* Important for the removal of toxic metals from the body

Manganese
* Important component of the anti-oxidant system
* Regulates blood sugar level
* Important component for the formation of bones and cartilage
* Involved with the formation of fatty acid
* Has a share in the formation of hormones
* Plays a role in energy production

Chromium
* Plays an important role in the formation of fatty acids and HDL-cholesterol
* Involved in carbohydrate metabolism
* Regulates the uptake of insulin by cells.

Iron
* Helps in protein metabolism
* Plays an important role in energy production
* Necessary for the production of hemoglobin
* Component of the anti-oxidant system

Copper
* Important for protein metabolism
* Plays a role in energy production
* Necessary for the production of hemoglobin
* Important for the absorption of iron
* Component of the anti-oxidant system

Strontium
* Plays an important role in botmineralisering

Boron
* Helps and regulates blood clotting
* Involved in the uptake of calcium
* Strengthen the functioning of the cell membrane

Molybdenum
* Important for the copper metabolism
* Required for the formation of nucleic acid
* Works against dental caries
* Improves iron metabolism

Vanadium
* Plays an important role in the formation of bone and cartilage cells
* Involved in cholesterol metabolism
* Involved in production and maintenance of teeth

Lithium
* Promotes the stability of cell membranes
* Stimulates the formation of control substances (prostaglandins, etc.)

Rubidium
* Has a beneficial effect on the biorhythm
* Helps in cell differentiation
* Involved with the transportation of minerals

Germanium
* Stimulates the immune system (especially the defense system against viruses)
* Improves the oxygenation of the cells
* Exhibits strong anti-oxidant effect
* Removes heavy metals from our body
* Protects against carbon monoxide poisoning
* Only connection-germanium sesquioxide (Ge-Oxy 132 is also called) is safe to use

Zinc
* Important for the immune system
* Important component of the anti-oxidant system
* Important for the synthesis of DNA
* Involved in the production of various hormones, including insulin
* Involved in carbohydrate metabolism
* Important for energy production
* Indispensable for the functioning of the prostate
* Important for the proper functioning of smell and taste senses
* Helps the healing process

The following minerals also have some useful functioning in our body. They are rarely added to food, because the basal diet is usually enough these minerals.

Chlorine
* Helps in maintaining the acid-base balance
* Involved in regulation of osmotic balance
* Activates the liver detoxification process except aeronautical
* Involved with the distribution of hormones
* Regulates proper functioning of joints and tendons
* Helps the lungs in excretion of carbon dioxide

Phosphorus
* Important with the healthy functioning of bones and teeth
* Involved in transmission of nerve impulses
* Involved in processes related to cell division and reproduction

Sodium
* Essential for regulating the moisture
* Involved with the regulation of acid / base level
* Involved in muscle contraction
* Stimulates gastric acid production.