Benefits Of Vitamins Vary Depending On The Individual’s Diet

Any food containing caffeine such as coffee, tea, chocolate and some sodas can significantly reduce the absorption of vitamins and minerals and accelerate their excretion from the body.

So what exactly are the benefits of vitamins?

Vitamins are natural substances found in plants and animals. There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are quickly and easily absorbed by the body. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, they don’t have to be absorbed using bile acids (fluids used to digest fats). Your body doesn’t store large amounts of water-soluble vitamins. The water-soluble vitamins you don’t need are removed by your kidneys and come out in your urine.

Your body must use bile acids to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Once these vitamins are digested, your body stores them in body fat. When you need them, your body takes them out of storage to utilize them.

Minerals originate in the earth or in water. Plants and animals absorb them to get nutrients. The most important minerals are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur and chloride. They are considered to be important because adults need them in large amounts.

Trace minerals include chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. Your body needs these minerals in smaller amounts.

It would be hard to overdose on vitamins or minerals that you get from the foods you eat. But if you take supplements, you can easily take too much. This is even more of a risk if you take fat-soluble vitamins.

For some people, including those on restrictive diets, multivitamin-mineral supplements can provide vitamins and minerals that their diets often don’t. Older people and pregnant women have altered nutrient needs and may also benefit from a supplement.

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