5 Vitamins and Minerals That Are Great For You
Eating a varied diet with plenty of fruit and veg is really important for you, as they contain so many different vitamins and minerals that are essential to help your body function properly and to keep you feeling amazing. So, we’re going to introduce the main vitamins and minerals that you should be consuming to keep you healthy, as well as really simple ways to consume more of them, whether that be through supplements or your diets!
Vitamin A
The first important vitamin is vitamin A, which is important to help your eyes to function properly, as well as the immune system and reproductive system. Not only this, but it helps the major organs to function properly, including the heart, lungs and kidneys.
Vitamin A can be found in meat, poultry, fish and dairy predominantly, although it can also be foud in leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, red peppers, melon and mango. So, adding these foods to your diet can really help to boost your intake of vitamin A and to keep your body healthy.
Vitamin C
Another really important vitamin that you should be prioritising is vitamin C. This makes sure that your body can grow, develop and repair body tissues effectively, as well as forming collagen, assisting with the absorption of iron, helping the immune system to function properly, heal wounds and help to maintain cartilage, bones and teeth. So, you can probably tell that this is very important!
Sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits like oranges, kiwi, lemon and grapefruit, bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables and white potatoes. Having a glass of orange juice every morning is a great way to start your day!
Iron
Next up we have iron, a mineral that is vital for growth and development, as the body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein used by red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs all aroun the body. This provides oxygen for the muscles, and the body also needs iron to make some hormones.
Foods rich in iron include red meat, pork and poultry, seafood and then some beans, leafy green vegetables, dried fruits and iron fortified cereals. It can be difficult to consume enough iron, so you may need to supplement your diet with iron supplements.
Calcium
Calcium is another essential mineral that is associated with healthy bones and teeth, as well as helping to prevent blood clotting, muscle contractions and healthy rhymes and nerve functions.
There is a lot of calcium in milk, cheese and other dairy foods, so incorporating more of this in your diet can help you keep you healthy and strong.
Vitamin B
In terms of overall health and wellbeing, vitamin B is essential. It is one of the main building blocks for a healthy body, having a direct impact on your energy, brain function, metabolism and they can also help to prevent infection and promote cell health.
There are all kinds of vitamin B, which are most commonly found in milk, cheese, eggs, liver, kidney, meat, fish and shellfish. For people who are vegan, it can be quite difficult to consume enough vitamin B as it naturally doesn’t occur very much in vegetables. So, taking vitamins with B12 can help to make sure you are consuming enough of this essential component in any diet.