Working Through the Vitamin and Mineral Maze

While we realize that certain nutrients are essential to good health and that it may be a good idea to take a daily supplement, deciding exactly which vitamins and minerals to take-and in what quantity-can seem complicated. Here are some guidelines that should be helpful in making a choice.

What nutrients do

Vitamins help the body turn the food we eat into energy and tissue. Altogether, there are 13 vitamins: vitamin A; the vitamin B complex (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B₆, folic acid, vitamin B₁₂ and biotin) and vitamins C, D, E, and K.

Minerals are essential for the growth and maintenance of our various body structures, and they also help to maintain the digestive juices and the fluids found in and around the cells. Those we need in large amounts to maintain good health include calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. Other minerals that we need in smaller amounts (iron, copper, fluorine, iodine, selenium, zinc, chromium, cobalt, manganese and molybdenum) are usually referred to as "trace elements."

As a first step in supplying what your body needs for good health, begin by eating a varied, balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruit and vegetables every day. Also, vitamins are divided into two categories- fat soluble (found in the fats and oils contained in food and stored as body fat) and water soluble, which dissolve in water and mix easily in the bloodstream. In addition, some vitamins are antioxidants-chemicals that prevent damage to cells and may help protect against cancer, heart disease and the aging process.

Remember to read food and energy drink labels, because you may be taking in more of some nutrients than you need without realizing it. To avoid this situation, note that a nutritionist can evaluate your diet, perhaps by asking that you keep a "food diary" for a certain length of time and then making appropriate recommendations based on that information. Certain on-line programs provide this service as well.

When nutrients are lacking in our diet