9781422280522

Vitamins and Minerals

most basic things—like breathe; grow new skin, muscle, and bone; or digest food. They sustain our lives but remain a little mysterious: What are they, exactly, and how do we keep track of those strange one-letter names? What are the differences between vitamins and minerals? We hear about vitamin or mineral deficiency , but is it possible to overdo it and consume too much? W hat T hey A re and W here Y ou G et T hem Let’s start with the basics: vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients. They are sometimes called micronutrients , because the body only requires small amounts of them for its health, growth, and development. They are thus different from macronutrients (such as fats, carbohydrates, and proteins), which the body needs in large amounts.

We get most of our vitamins from food, but not all—the human body makes vitamin D when exposed to the sun.

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