Your body requires a range of essential nutrients in order to function optimally, which are usually obtained through eating a diet rich in whole foods and nutritional supplements. But vitamins and minerals may also play a part in providing adequate nourishment.
Additional nutrients include macrominerals, trace minerals and water- or fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin consumption helps promote immune health, blood clotting and other processes, while minerals help ensure bone health, fluid balance and other processes run smoothly.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds that play essential roles in human biology, from growth and development, repair, healing and immune support, as well as replenishment. Small quantities are necessary to function optimally; vitamin sources include plant foods as well as animal products or dietary supplements.
The body stores fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K for later release into its bloodstream through carrier proteins. Liver and fatty tissues act as storage reservoirs for these vitamins until needed; then slowly release them as necessary into circulation.
Apart from water-soluble vitamins, all other vitamins are fat-soluble. B vitamins are among the best-known of these and can be found in meat, fish, poultry, milk, enriched grains and some fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A also known as Retinol plays an essential role in building bones while strengthening immunity systems as well as maintaining eye health; it’s commonly found in cod liver oil, butter carrots apricots and cantaloupe melons.
Minerals
Minerals are naturally-occurring inorganic solids with a defined chemical composition and ordered atomic structure that occur naturally in nature. These solids come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors – from table salt to quartz feldspar and coal are examples.
Minerals possess many physical characteristics besides their atomic structures, including color, streak, hardness, luster, diaphaneity diaphanous fracture specific gravity magnetism etc.
Minerals are vitally important to our bodies, and can help yours function at their best. There are two categories of essential minerals: those required in larger amounts (macrominerals) and those only in trace amounts (trace minerals). Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfur are examples of macrominerals; potassium, sodium, chlorine and sulfur make up trace minerals.
Minerals can be found in various food sources. While many minerals have no commercial value, others can be mined for industrial uses – forsterite is one such mineral and is mined as an iron source. Aluminum, on the other hand, has numerous applications from making pots and pans to cars and batteries!
Essential Fatty Acids
Humans can produce both saturated fatty acids and some monounsaturated ones, but we lack the delta (D) 12 and D15 desaturase enzymes necessary to form long chain polyunsaturates such as linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3), essential long chain phospholipid fatty acids used by our cells for growth, metabolism, brain development in infants, inflammation regulation, and prevention of coronary heart disease.
Linoleate and a-linolenic acid can be converted to omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, respectively, through conversion processes in the liver. An indicator of essential fatty acid deficiency is measured using plasma eicosatrienoic acid:arachidonic acid ratio (triene:tetraene index). Fatty acid measurements are often conducted on plasma or red blood cell extract lipid extract samples analyzed via capillary gas chromatography or electrophoresis analysis methods; these components usually circulate bound to albumin during circulation.
Amino Acids
Amino acids, commonly referred to as the building blocks of proteins, are essential nutrients that your body uses in numerous ways, including protein synthesis, calcium absorption and hormone production. You can find the essential amino acids you require in foods like meat, fish, eggs, soy products and black beans, but supplements should only be taken after consultation with a medical provider.
There are 20 amino acids, and nine of them are considered essential (or indispensable). These include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine threonine tryptophan and valine.
Your body has the capacity to produce 11 nonessential or dispensable amino acids on its own, including alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, proline and tyrosine. In times of illness or stress, however, additional nonessential amino acids such as arginine cysteine glutamine histidine lysine might also be required – sometimes known as conditional amino acids [1][1].
