Vitamins and minerals as well as their composition and function

Vitamins are basically organic compounds that do not primarily serve as an energy source, but perform a variety of other functions in the human organism. Since many vitamins cannot be synthesized by the body, they have to be taken in via diet or as food supplements and are therefore also referred to as essential substances . A distinction is made between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins . The vitamins , which are identified by their names with different letters, only occur in living nature and must therefore be formed by plants , bacteria and animals . Well-known representatives from the group of vitamins are, for example, vitamins A , B2 , B6 and B12 as well as vitamins C , D , E and K. Vitamin D is a member of the vitamin group that can be formed by the human organism itself - for example, through the action of UV rays on the skin. Minerals (or also called minerals ) also belong to the inorganic nutrients . This class of substances occurs in human as well as in animal and plant organisms . In contrast to vitamins, minerals are less sensitive to heat, cold or light. Like vitamins, minerals are also required for various bodily functions such as calcium to build bones . Minerals are dissolved in liquids or in trace form. Well-known representatives of this class of substances are, for example, magnesium , calcium , potassium as well as iron , copper and phosphorus . Since vitamins and minerals are essential for the diverse functions of the human organism, they must be taken in in sufficient form through the diet. Conversely, if there are deficiencies here, you may experience health problems. It is therefore advisable to supplement vitamins and minerals with high-quality food supplements .