Foods high in potassium include: Hwalthy and apricots mushrooms and spinach nuts and seeds. Your experience matters. Share your story. Can watching sports be bad for your health?

Healthy vitamin choices -

Every day, your body produces skin, muscle, and bone. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote outposts, and it sends nerve signals skipping along thousands of miles of brain and body pathways.

It also formulates chemical messengers that shuttle from one organ to another, issuing the instructions that help sustain your life. But to do all this, your body requires some raw materials. These include at least 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in sufficient amounts.

Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients—because acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help shore up bones, heal wounds, and bolster your immune system. They also convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage. But trying to keep track of what all these vitamins and minerals do can be confusing.

Read enough articles on the topic, and your eyes may swim with the alphabet-soup references to these nutrients, which are known mainly be their initials such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K—to name just a few.

Vitamins and minerals are often called micronutrients because your body needs only tiny amounts of them. Yet failing to get even those small quantities virtually guarantees disease. Here are a few examples of diseases that can result from vitamin deficiencies:.

Just as a lack of key micronutrients can cause substantial harm to your body, getting sufficient quantities can provide a substantial benefit. Some examples of these benefits:. Although they are all considered micronutrients, vitamins and minerals differ in basic ways. Vitamins are organic and can be broken down by heat, air, or acid.

Minerals are inorganic and hold on to their chemical structure. So why does this matter? It means the minerals in soil and water easily find their way into your body through the plants, fish, animals, and fluids you consume.

Many micronutrients interact. Vitamin D enables your body to pluck calcium from food sources passing through your digestive tract rather than harvesting it from your bones. Vitamin C helps you absorb iron. And even a minor overload of the mineral manganese can worsen iron deficiency.

BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours. Water-soluble vitamins are packed into the watery portions of the foods you eat.

They are absorbed directly into the bloodstream as food is broken down during digestion or as a supplement dissolves. Because much of your body consists of water, many of the water-soluble vitamins circulate easily in your body. Your kidneys continuously regulate levels of water-soluble vitamins, shunting excesses out of the body in your urine.

Although water-soluble vitamins have many tasks in the body, one of the most important is helping to free the energy found in the food you eat. Others help keep tissues healthy. Here are some examples of how different vitamins help you maintain health:. Contrary to popular belief, some water-soluble vitamins can stay in the body for long periods of time.

And even folic acid and vitamin C stores can last more than a couple of days. Just be aware that there is a small risk that consuming large amounts of some of these micronutrients through supplements may be quite harmful.

For example, very high doses of B6—many times the recommended amount of 1. Rather than slipping easily into the bloodstream like most water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins gain entry to the blood via lymph channels in the intestinal wall see illustration.

Many fat-soluble vitamins travel through the body only under escort by proteins that act as carriers. Fatty foods and oils are reservoirs for the four fat-soluble vitamins.

Within your body, fat tissues and the liver act as the main holding pens for these vitamins and release them as needed. To some extent, you can think of these vitamins as time-release micronutrients.

Your body squirrels away the excess and doles it out gradually to meet your needs. Together this vitamin quartet helps keep your eyes, skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system in good repair.

Here are some of the other essential roles these vitamins play:. Because fat-soluble vitamins are stored in your body for long periods, toxic levels can build up. This is most likely to happen if you take supplements.

The body needs, and stores, fairly large amounts of the major minerals. Major minerals travel through the body in various ways. Potassium, for example, is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, where it circulates freely and is excreted by the kidneys, much like a water-soluble vitamin.

Overview - Vitamins and minerals Contents Overview Vitamin A B vitamins and folic acid Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Calcium Iodine Iron Others. What this guide covers This guide has information about: vitamin A B vitamins and folic acid vitamin C vitamin D vitamin E vitamin K calcium iodine iron other vitamins and minerals — including beta-carotene, copper, potassium and zinc Use these links to find out what these nutrients do, how much of them you need, how to ensure you get enough, and what the risks are if you take too much.

Units There are 3 types of units used to measure amounts of minerals and vitamins: Milligrams — a milligram is 1 thousandth of a gram and is usually spelt out as mg Micrograms — a microgram is 1 millionth of a gram and is usually spelt out as μg or mcg.

International Units, which are sometimes used to measure vitamins A, D and E — and usually spelt out as IU. A GP may also recommend supplements if you need them for a medical condition. For example, you may be prescribed iron supplements to treat iron deficiency anaemia.

Effervescent vitamin supplements or effervescent painkillers can contain up to 1g of salt per tablet. Consider changing to a non-effervescent tablet, particularly if you have been advised to reduce your salt intake.

Find out about salt in your diet. Page last reviewed: 9 October Next review due: 9 October Home Common health questions Food and diet Back to Food and diet. Do I need vitamin supplements? Folic acid supplement in pregnancy If you're pregnant, trying for a baby or could get pregnant, it's recommended that you take a microgram folic acid supplement every day until you're 12 weeks pregnant.

Vitamin D supplement From around late March or early April until the end of September, most people can get all the vitamin D they need through sunlight on their skin and from eating a balanced diet.

Green tea for sun protection to Food and diet. Most people do not need to Carbohydrate loading and digestion Healthy vitamin choices supplements and can get all the vitamins and minerals vtiamin need by eating vjtamin healthy, choicss diet. Vitamins and minerals, such as ironcalcium and vitamin Care essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to work properly. Many people choose to take supplements but taking too much or taking them for too long could be harmful. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends certain supplements for some groups of people who are at risk of deficiency. Our wellness advice is expert-vetted. If you buy through our Green tea for sun protection, Heatlhy may get a Healtyh. Reviews ethics statement. Get all the nutrients you need with these foods. It's normal to turn to supplements in an attempt to supply your body with nutrients you think might be missing from your diet.

Healthy vitamin choices -

FOLIC ACID vitamin B 9 , folate, folacin. Vital for new cell creationHelps prevent brain and spine birth defects when taken early in pregnancy; should be taken regularly by all women of child-bearing age since women may not know they are pregnant in the first weeks of pregnancy.

Can lower levels of homocysteine and may reduce heart disease risk May reduce risk for colon cancer.

Offsets breast cancer risk among women who consume alcohol. Fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, okra, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, legumes like black-eyed peas and chickpeas, orange juice, tomato juice.

Occasionally, folic acid masks a B 12 deficiency, which can lead to severe neurological complications. That's not a reason to avoid folic acid; just be sure to get enough B Activates proteins and calcium essential to blood clotting.

May help prevent hip fractures. Cabbage, liver, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli, sprouts, kale, collards, and other green vegetables. Intestinal bacteria make a form of vitamin K that accounts for half your requirements.

If you take an anticoagulant, keep your vitamin K intake consistent. DID YOU KNOW? Builds and protects bones and teeth. Helps with muscle contractions and relaxation, blood clotting, and nerve impulse transmission.

Plays a role in hormone secretion and enzyme activation. Helps maintain healthy blood pressure. Yogurt, cheese, milk, tofu, sardines, salmon, fortified juices, leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli and kale but not spinach or Swiss chard, which have binders that lessen absorption.

Diets very high in calcium may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Balances fluids in the body. A component of stomach acid, essential to digestion.

Salt sodium chloride , soy sauce, processed foods. New recommendations DRIs for chloride are under development by the Institute of Medicine. Enhances the activity of insulin, helps maintain normal blood glucose levels, and is needed to free energy from glucose.

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, potatoes, some cereals, nuts, cheese. Unrefined foods such as brewer's yeast, nuts, and cheeses are the best sources of chromium, but brewer's yeast can sometimes cause bloating and nausea, so you may choose to get chromium from other food sources.

Plays an important role in iron metabolism and immune system. Helps make red blood cells. Liver, shellfish, nuts, seeds, whole-grain products, beans, prunes, cocoa, black pepper.

More than half of the copper in foods is absorbed. Encourages strong bone formation. Keeps dental cavities from starting or worsening. Water that is fluoridated, toothpaste with fluoride, marine fish, teas. Harmful to children in excessive amounts.

Part of thyroid hormone, which helps set body temperature and influences nerve and muscle function, reproduction, and growth. Prevents goiter and a congenital thyroid disorder. Iodized salt, processed foods, seafood.

To prevent iodine deficiencies, some countries add iodine to salt, bread, or drinking water. Helps hemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle cells ferry oxygen throughout the body.

Needed for chemical reactions in the body and for making amino acids, collagen, neurotransmitters, and hormones. Red meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, green vegetables, fortified bread and grain products.

Many women of childbearing age don't get enough iron. Women who do not menstruate probably need the same amount of iron as men. Because iron is harder to absorb from plants, experts suggest vegetarians get twice the recommended amount assuming the source is food.

Needed for many chemical reactions in the body Works with calcium in muscle contraction, blood clotting, and regulation of blood pressure. Helps build bones and teeth. Green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, legumes, cashews, sunflower seeds and other seeds, halibut, whole-wheat bread, milk.

The majority of magnesium in the body is found in bones. If your blood levels are low, your body may tap into these reserves to correct the problem.

Helps form bones. Helps metabolize amino acids, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. Fish, nuts, legumes, whole grains, tea. If you take supplements or have manganese in your drinking water, be careful not to exceed the upper limit.

Those with liver damage or whose diets supply abundant manganese should be especially vigilant. Part of several enzymes, one of which helps ward off a form of severe neurological damage in infants that can lead to early death.

Legumes, nuts, grain products, milk. Helps build and protect bones and teeth. Part of DNA and RNA. Part of phospholipids, which carry lipids in blood and help shuttle nutrients into and out of cells.

Wide variety of foods, including milk and dairy products, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, liver, green peas, broccoli, potatoes, almonds. Certain drugs bind with phosphorus, making it unavailable and causing bone loss, weakness, and pain.

Helps maintain steady heartbeat and send nerve impulses. Needed for muscle contractions. A diet rich in potassium seems to lower blood pressure. Getting enough potassium from your diet may benefit bones.

Meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes. Food sources do not cause toxicity, but high-dose supplements might. Overview - Vitamins and minerals Contents Overview Vitamin A B vitamins and folic acid Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Calcium Iodine Iron Others.

What this guide covers This guide has information about: vitamin A B vitamins and folic acid vitamin C vitamin D vitamin E vitamin K calcium iodine iron other vitamins and minerals — including beta-carotene, copper, potassium and zinc Use these links to find out what these nutrients do, how much of them you need, how to ensure you get enough, and what the risks are if you take too much.

Units There are 3 types of units used to measure amounts of minerals and vitamins: Milligrams — a milligram is 1 thousandth of a gram and is usually spelt out as mg Micrograms — a microgram is 1 millionth of a gram and is usually spelt out as μg or mcg. International Units, which are sometimes used to measure vitamins A, D and E — and usually spelt out as IU.

It is better to get calcium from foods than from calcium supplements. Good sources of calcium include dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese and some plant-based foods with added calcium for example, soymilk, tofu and breakfast cereals.

Iodine is essential to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control your metabolic rate the rate your body uses energy when it is resting. They also help your brain and body grow and develop.

We only need a very small amount of iodine in our diet. Iodine is found naturally in foods such as:. Iodine can also be found in iodised salt. All bought breads except organic in Australia are fortified with iodised salt. You are likely to be getting enough iodine through your diet.

However, if you are deficient and need to take a supplement, be guided by your doctor. Too much iodine can be harmful, especially if you have an underlying thyroid disorder. Iron is an important mineral that is involved in various bodily functions, including the transport of oxygen in the blood the provision of energy to cells.

It also vital to help our immune system function effectively to fight infection. Iron deficiency is common and can affect adults and children.

Around one in 8 people do not consume enough iron to meet their needs. Some factors such as certain foods and drinks can affect how much iron your body absorbs. Also, some groups are more at risk of iron deficiency, such as babies and young children, teenage girls, women with heavy periods , vegans and vegetarians and people with chronic conditions.

Zinc is an important mineral involved in various bodily functions — growth and development as well as immune function. Zinc is highest in protein-rich foods but may also be found in some plant foods. Dietary sources include:. Magnesium is important due to its many functions in the body — including maintaining bone health and using glucose for energy.

Potassium is important for the nerves, muscles and heart to work properly. It also helps lower blood pressure. Our bodies are designed for a high-potassium diet, not a high-salt diet.

Food processing tends to lower the potassium levels in many foods while increasing the sodium content. It is much better to eat unprocessed foods — such as fruit, vegetables and lean meats, eggs, fish and other healthy, everyday foods. Be guided by your doctor, some people with kidney disease , or who are taking some medications, need to be careful not to get too much potassium in their diet.

A small amount of sodium is important for good health as it helps to maintain the correct volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the body. Most of us are consuming far more sodium than we need. In fact, many Australians are consuming almost double the amount required.

Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure hypertension and other health conditions. Salt is the main source of sodium in our diet. It is a chemical compound electrolyte made up of sodium and chloride. Many foods — wholegrains, meat and dairy products — naturally contain small amounts of sodium, while highly processed foods usually contain large amounts.

The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be locked away in the liver and body fat, and stored for a long time. The water-soluble vitamins, including B-complex and vitamin C, are mostly only stored for a shorter period. A vitamin deficiency takes weeks or months before it will affect your health.

For instance, it would take months of no vitamin C before you developed scurvy. Vitamin and mineral supplements may be recommended in certain circumstances to correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies — such as folate for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

Others who may be at risk of a vitamin or mineral deficiency include:. Remember, supplements are a short-term measure and should only be taken on advice from your doctor or a dietitian. An occasional lapse in good eating will not harm you, if your usual diet consists of a wide variety of fresh foods.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Learn all about alcohol - includes standard drink size, health risks and effects, how to keep track of your drinking, binge drinking, how long it takes to leave the body, tips to lower intake.

The Alexander technique stresses that movement should be economical and needs only the minimum amount of energy and effort. A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects all genders of all ages.

Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body's cells, and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation. Antipsychotic medications work by altering brain chemistry to help reduce psychotic symptoms like hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking.

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On this page. About vitamins and minerals Types of vitamins and their functions Vitamin A Vitamin B Vitamin C Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Types of minerals and their functions Calcium Iodine Iron Zinc Magnesium Potassium Sodium Vitamin and mineral deficiencies and supplements Where to get help.

About vitamins and minerals Vitamins and minerals are organic compounds that our bodies use in very small amounts for a variety of metabolic processes.

New vitaamin shows little risk of infection Heatlhy prostate biopsies. Discrimination at work is linked to high Healthy vitamin choices pressure. Icy choives and toes: Poor Healghy or Raynaud's phenomenon? The list Antifungal ointments for fungal skin infections vitamins and Healthy vitamin choices below can give you an understanding of how particular different types of vitamins and minerals work in your body, how much of each nutrient you need every dayand what types of food to eat to ensure that you are getting an adequate supply. The recommendations in this vitamins chart are based largely on guidelines from the Institute of Medicine. Recommended amounts of different types of vitamins may be expressed in milligrams mgmicrograms mcgor international units IUdepending on the nutrient. Unless specified, values represent those for adults ages 19 and older.