Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals

They are essential in many functions, they are needed for the body to use carbohydrates, lipids and proteins as an energy source. They are also part of fundamental processes such as hormonal regulation, blood coagulation and nervous system regulation, among other functions.

We find vitamins and minerals distributed in a wide variety of foods, but especially in vegetables and fruits that is why it is so important to consume them daily.

Vegetables and fruits also provide phytonutrients (antioxidants), which have many health benefits such as: preventing cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, preventing cell damage by radiation or free radicals, etc.

Vegetables 

Some common vegetables in our diet are: eggplant, paprika, onion, garlic, leek, chives, parsley, coriander, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, chard, cress, endive, spinach, lettuce, artichoke, zucchini, cucumber, turnip, radish, beets, carrots, sprouts, asparagus, etc. 

The number of vitamins and minerals are not distributed evenly among vegetables, so it is necessary to eat a wide variety of them to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients. Vegetables provide different vitamins and minerals depending on their color, dark greens such as broccoli, spinach and chard, provide different vitamins and minerals than oranges and reds like carrots and tomatoes. Choosing a wide variety in each meal ensures an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals. 

Loss of vitamins from vegetables 

During the cooking and preparation of vegetables some vitamins that are sensitive to heat and others during soaking are lost, so it is important to eat raw salads more often than cooked salads (at least 4 times per week). 

There are some vegetables that shouldn’t be consumed raw because they have substances that can be harmful to our body if they are not cooked, such as eggplant, artichoke and others. So, try to eat them in preparations that allow you to preserve the skin or peel, steamed, sauteed, roasted or baked; this way you minimize the loss of vitamins, minerals and the vegetable fiber is preserved. The time required to saute, roast or boil a vegetable is approximately 3 minutes. 

Fruits

Fruits constitute a group of essential foods for our health, provide carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (phytonutrients). Like vegetables, the amount of minerals and vitamins in fruits are not evenly distributed, so it is necessary to eat a wide variety of them to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients.

Whole fruit vs Fruit juices

Whole fruits, whether sliced, chopped or whole, are always a better choice than fruit juices and smoothies because they have more sugar and more calories per serving than whole fruits, they also do not contain fiber as it is destroyed during the smoothie / shake.

Prepare in juice / smoothie those fruits that normally do not eat whole as lemon, tamarind, blackberry, grapefruit, soursop, among others. If you are going to drink a juice / smoothie, prepare it yourself, so you can control the amount of added sugar (maximum 1 tablespoon of sugar per glass).

Vitamins

Our body needs the following vitamins for its development and maintenance.

Vitamin	Needed for	Sources
Thiamine (B1)	Use of carbohydrates by the body, digestion, appetite and the normal functioning of the nervous system	Pork, offal and dairy. Whole grains, legumes, oilseeds
Riboflavin (B2)	Normal growth and formation of certain enzymes	Meat, offal, poultry, fish, liver, eggs and dairy. Enriched cereals and green vegetables.
Niacin (B3)	Use of carbohydrates and fats by the body, functions of the nervous system and digestive system, production of sex hormones and healthy skin	Meats, fish, poultry, offal and dairy. Whole grains, legumes and green vegetables.
Pyridoxine (B6)	Use of amino acids in the body and production of hemoglobin	Meat, fish, chicken.Enriched cereals, potatoes, vegetables and non-citrus fruits.
Cobalamin (B12)	Functions of the nervous system, development of blood cells, production of genetic material in the cells, use of carbohydrates and folic acid in food	Meat, poultry, pork, fish, offal, (eggs and dairy products in smaller quantities).
Pantothenic Acid(vitamin B complex)	Production of certain hormones, use of fats and carbohydrates by the body, use of vitamins, growth and function of the nervous system	Liver and eggs. Cereals.
Biotin (vitamin B complex)	Break down the fatty acids present in carbohydrates	Eggs and dairy. Cereals, vegetables and fruits
Folic Acid (B9)	Important metabolic processes, growth, cell reproduction and production of blood cells.	Liver and eggs Green vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains and oilseeds.
Vitamin C (Ascorbate)	Growth, formation and health of the skin and mucous membranes, immune system	Fresh fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin A (Retinol)	Essential for functioning of sight, for growth, for the reproductive system, immune system, protects the skin and mucous membranes, hair, nails	Fish, liver, egg yolk and dairy.Vegetables and citrus fruits.
Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)	It plays an essential role in the assimilation and fixation of calcium and phosphorus in the bone, essential for the growth and health of pregnant women.	It is synthesized in the skin. Cod liver oil, fatty fish, liver, eggs, fortified milk.
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)	Necessary for the development of blood cells, for normal cell structure, for normal brain function and the maintenance of some enzymes.	EggsVegetable oils (wheat germ, soy, corn), wheat germ, oilseeds, legumes and vegetables.
Vitamin K	Indispensable for blood clotting	Liver, egg yolk and dairy. Vegetables, vegetable oils (soy, olive), cereals and legumes.

Minerals

Our body needs the following minerals for its development and maintenance.

Minerals	Function
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen	Living organisms are essentially made up of them, they are part of the cells and most of the molecules found in the body (proteins, carbohydrates and fats).
Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium	Necessary for bone metabolism.
Sodium, potassium and chloride	Are the main electrolytes of the body
Sulfur	It is mainly used by amino acids (proteins).
Iron	Part of hemoglobin, carries oxygen in the blood.
Zinc	Necessary for growth, protein synthesis, energy metabolism, regulation of various metabolic processes.
Copper	Necessary for growth, protein synthesis, energy production, cell protection, hormone production and iron metabolism, among others.
Iodine	Is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones and for nervous system.
Other minerals necessary for our body are: cobalt, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, vanadium, nickel, silicon and fluoride.

Written by:

Roxana Sanchez

Dietitian - Nutritionist

Posted on September 2019

References

Hernandez, A. G. (2010). Nutrition Treaty Volume I Physiological and Biochemical Bases of Nutrition. Madrid: Pan-American Medical Editorial.

Hernandez, A. G. (2010). Nutrition Treaty Volume II Composition and Nutritional Quality of Foods. Madrid: Pan-American Medical Editorial. 

National Institute of Nutrition. (2012). Energy and Nutrient Reference Values ​​for the Venezuelan Population. Caracas: Corn People. 

Mahan, K, Scott-Stump, S, & Raymond, J. (2013). Krause Diet Therapy. Barcelona: Elsevier.

Yeon Lim, M, Benyon, S, & O'Neale Roach, J. (2013). The essential in metabolism and nutrition. Barcelona: Elsavier.