Vitamins vs Minerals – what’s the difference?
August 1, 2019
We hear them used a lot together — Vitamins and Minerals, and although they are both considered micronutrients they differ in basic ways.
Feeling tired for no reason, having low energy, looking pale and always getting sick can all be signs of certain micronutrient deficiencies. Not getting enough vitamins and minerals can have long-term impacts on our health, highlights dietitian and sports nutritionist, Robbie Clark.
“When micronutrients are not consumed in adequate quantities, a variety of undesirable symptoms may develop,” Clark explains. “These can include problems with digestion, skin problems, stunted or defective bone growth, mood and mental health problems, and even dementia,” he says.
So what’s the difference between the two and how to they impact our health and well-being?
VITAMINS
Vitamins are organic compounds that participate in various metabolic functions. They help your body function the way it’s supposed to and help you resist infections, keep your nerves healthy, and help your body get energy from food or your blood to clot properly.
Proper balance and adequate levels of vitamins is important for a range of complex processes in our body.
MINERALS
Just like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions — from building strong bones to transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a normal heartbeat.
“Each one plays a role in hundreds of body functions. It may take just a very small quantity of a particular mineral, but having too much or too little can upset a delicate balance in the body,” says Dr. Bruce Bistrian.
Unfortunately, our bodies don’t manufacture essential minerals, instead we rely our diet to get what we need. The minerals come from rocks, soil, and water, and they’re absorbed as the plants grow or by animals that eat the plants.
Don’t feel like you’re getting all your minerals? Talk to the team about our Natural Mineral Drink, a simple yet effective way to include more plant derived phytonutrients into your diet. Natural Mineral Drinks naturally occurring minerals have properties that assist in the balanced absorption of dietary trace minerals, plus an abundance of naturally occurring minerals in every serve. BOOM.
