Ever since I was little, my parents would push the importance of taking in all crucial vitamins. I especially found that when I was sick with something as common as a cold, they would tell me to drink orange juice to get the necessary vitamin c. As I got older I began to hear about important vitamins from doctors and even teachers. They stressed the importance of all different vitamins, as well as, other minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc. What I would like to know is, what do all these vitamins and minerals do and what can we do in order to assume them.

There are many essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need in order to stay healthy. Narrowing them down to the eleven most essential vitamins and minerals, they include, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, folic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, and chromium. Each vitamin has a different job once in the body. For example, vitamin A helps with healthy growth and development, especially when it comes to vision, immune system, and cell growth. A mineral, such as calcium, helps keep bones and teeth healthy, while also helping the heart, nerves, and blood clotting system.

In addition to having different functions for the body, all vitamins and minerals can be absorbed in different ways or by ingesting different foods.   Vitamin C, for example, is most commonly known for being found in oranges. It can also be found in fruits and vegetables such as, peppers, kiwis, strawberries, brussel sprouts, and cantaloupes. In contrast, vitamin D, can be absorbed outside from sunlight and can be consumed through eggs, fish, and mushrooms.

All of these vitamins are extremely important for total body health, but what happens if we are deficient of them? According to the Mayo Clinic, there are many different symptoms of vitamin deficiency anemia. Some include, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, pale or yellow skin, and irregular heartbeats. These symptoms may increase even more due to factors such as pregnancy, alcohol abuse, use of certain prescription medications, smoking, and chronic diseases.

Kathleen M. Fairfield and Robert H. Fletcher, decided to do a study, “to review the clinically important vitamins with regard to their biological effects, food sources, deficiency syndromes, potential for toxicity, and relationship to chronic disease.” This study had a large sample size, studying people of all different ages, genders, and even some with various diseases. All studies were also randomized, increasing validity of the data.   For each trial, the effects of nine different vitamins on the body were tested. The conclusion was that, “some groups of patients are at higher risk for vitamin deficiency and suboptimal vitamin status.” With their conclusion and data previously studied, they also concluded that vitamin deficiency can be linked to chronic diseases. Some examples include, coronary heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is clearly important to eat all different foods. With a variety of foods, come a variety of vitamins and minerals. It is up to us to know how much vitamins and minerals we need, or else our bodies can become weak and fatigue. Also, especially with flu season just around the corner, taking in necessary vitamins can help you body become stronger, helping your immune system fight off disease.