They help assist us to convert food into energy and help bolster our immune systems, but what are the most important vitamins and minerals to help us feel our best?
You can’t see them, hear them or touch them but vitamins and minerals are essential to assist our metabolism, immunity and digestion. National not-for-profit government organisation Health Direct says our bodies have thousands of chemical reactions going on in each cell, every second of the day. The cells continually process the proteins, fats and carbohydrates from the foods you eat and vitamins and minerals are essential parts of those chemical reactions. “Without them, essential body functions couldn’t take place, but you only need very small amounts of them. For most people, you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need from a healthy diet.”
What you need and why
- Vitamin A (needed for eyesight, growth, immune system and defence against infections) is found in full cream dairy products, margarine, liver, meat, orange coloured fruits and vegetables
- Vitamin B1 (needed for processing carbs, healthy working of the heart, digestive and nervous systems and cholesterol control) is found in wholemeal bread, yeast extracts, oats, fish, pork, nuts and seeds
- Vitamin B2 (needed for processing foods, skin health and nervous and digestive systems) is found in poultry, meat, fish, peanuts, mushrooms, leafy green vegetables, enriched bread and breakfast cereals
- Vitamin B5 (needed for processing foods to energy) is found in a wide variety of foods
- Vitamin B6 (needed for making red blood cells, brain function, nerves and muscles) is found in meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and fruit
- Vitamin B12 (needed for new red blood cells, new nerve cells, processing fats and carbs) is found in meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs
- Folate (needed for new red blood cells, healthy nervous system and pregnancy) is found in liver, legumes, leafy vegetables, oranges, bread, seeds and breakfast cereals
- Vitamin C (is an antioxidant that helps metabolise protein, boost the immune system and absorb iron) is found in all fruits and vegetables especially capsicums, tomatoes, citrus fruits, kiwifruit, potatoes and mangoes
- Vitamin D (needed to metabolise calcium, healthy bones and teeth, many organs) is found in salmon, herrings and sardines, egg yolks, fortified milk and margarine
- Vitamin E (is an antioxidant that keeps the membranes around cells healthy) is found in polyunsaturated oils, wheat germ, wholegrain products, liver, egg yolks, nuts and seeds
- Vitamin K (needed for blood clotting) is found in members of the cabbage family, leafy green vegetables and milk
- Calcium (needed for strong bones, muscle and nerve function and blood clotting) is found in milk, cheese, yoghurt, salmon, Asian green vegetables and tofu
- Iodine (needed for thyroid gland function, brain function and normal growth) is found in seafood, bread and iodised table salt
- Iron (needed for red blood cell function, helps transport oxygen around the body) is found in liver, red meats, chicken, salmon, tinned tuna and baked beans
- Zinc (needed for wound healing, boosts immunity and tissue repair) is found in oysters, seafood, meat, brown rice, nuts, legumes and fortified breakfast cereals.
Vitamins for Vitality
Some involved in the fitness and wellness industry suggest children need vitamin and mineral supplements to be healthy. Others suggest that they are just an expensive waste of time.
So where does the truth lie?
Eating an array of healthy food is the best source of most vitamins and minerals. But in order for healthy growth, to see properly, to make bones, muscles and organs and to battle infections, children need 13 essential vitamins including A, B, C, D, E and K and minerals such as calcium, iron, iodine and zinc.
Parenting website Raising Children says the best way for your child to get enough vitamins and minerals is by eating a wide variety of foods from the five food groups, including vegetables, fruit, grain food, reduced-fat dairy food and meat, fish, chicken, eggs and peas.
Vitamin deficiencies occur when there’s a shortage of one or more vitamins and minerals in your child’s body.
According to Raising Children, the most common deficiencies in Australian children include:
- Vitamin D – where a deficiency can lead to rickets and bone disease
- Vitamin B12 – where a deficiency can lead to a form of anaemia.
The most common mineral deficiencies in Australian children are as follows:
- Calcium – where a shortage of calcium can lead to rickets, osteopenia and osteoporosis
- Iodine – not enough iodine can cause goitre and other conditions like intellectual disability
- Iron – the website says children are at higher risk of iron deficiency than adults, mainly because children need more iron when they go through growth spurts. Iron deficiencies can cause tiredness, lack of concentration and pale skin. Other risk factors include those who are vegans or vegetarians, those with coeliac disease or who have gastrointestinal blood loss. Adolescent girls are more at risk if they have frequent, prolonged or very heavy periods.
- Zinc – toddlers who have a limited diet for a long time could encounter a zinc deficiency which can slow down their growth.
For some children, a supplement is the only way to get the appropriate vitamins and minerals into their body but supplements aren’t risk-free.
If you’re concerned that your child’s diet could be leaving him or her low on some vitamins or minerals, or you are considering giving them supplements speak to your doctor or dietician for advice first.