Dietary vitamin and mineral supplements in wooden bowls

You know that vitamin C helps the body recover from colds, and that calcium helps to build strong bones, but what about the many other essential vitamins and minerals the body needs? It’s always reassuring to see a box of cereal list the vitamins and minerals it contains, but to effectively process that information, we also need to know what those nutrients do. To keep you clued up at the supermarket, Bargain Chemist has put together a complete guide to the vitamins and minerals essential to good health. Learn more below.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins can be defined as “substances that are needed for normal cell function, growth, and development.” They play a key role in the processing of energy in cells as well as performing everyday bodily functions such as cell production and growth. While vitamins are essential for good health, they aren’t needed in large quantities. This means people who eat a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat should be meeting their recommended daily intake of vitamins, and shouldn’t need to supplement with tablets or capsules.

Water-soluble vitamins versus fat-soluble vitamins

There are two kinds of essential vitamins in food: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins.

Water-soluble vitamins

These vitamins—which are also known as co-enzymes—play a key role in the breakdown of food and creation of energy. Water-soluble vitamins aren’t stored in the body and are instead excreted by the kidneys. According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), water-soluble vitamins are primarily found in fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and grains. These vitamins include B vitamins, vitamin C, and folate.

Fat-soluble vitamins

These vitamins are less abundant than their water-soluble counterparts, but they do offer more bang for their buck. This is because fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in a person’s fat cells to be broken down later. The flipside of this is that eating too many foods containing these vitamins can create toxicity in the body, something which can be fatal in extreme cases.

Vitamins in food

 Thirteen vitamins are essential to the human body. According to Health Navigator NZ, these include:

  • Vitamin A (Retinol):This fat-soluble vitamin has a significant impact on the visual pigments in the eye. Vitamin A is found in oily fish, full-fat dairy products, leafy green vegetables, and orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.
  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine):B1 collaborates with other B vitamins to make energy. This is primarily done in the brain, muscles, liver, and kidneys. B1 can be found in fish, meat, fortified breakfast cereals, pulses, and nuts, among other foods.
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin):This water-soluble vitamin works with other B vitamins to assist with carbohydrate and protein used in the body’s cells. It also helps with the absorption of important minerals iron, zinc, and calcium. B2 is found in foods such as eggs, green vegetables, and dairy products.
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacin):Cells need B3 to repair themselves and transfer energy. The B vitamin can be found in a wide selection of foods including wholegrain cereals, eggs, beans, pork, and beef.
  • Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid):This vitamin plays a key role in the metabolising of carbohydrates and fats. It is readily found in a variety of foods including—but not limited to—potatoes, egg yolks, whole grains, chicken, and beef.
  • Vitamin B6:B6 regulates “mental function and mood” and is found in many foods.
  • Vitamin B7 (Biotin):B7 helps the body metabolise fat. It is found in plenty of foods but is particularly present in egg yolk and liver.
  • Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin):This vitamin is found in all animal foods and plays an important role in the manufacturing of DNA, and “healthy blood and brain function.” The prevalence of vitamin B12 in animal products means it’s easy for those on vegetarian and vegan diets to become deficient in it. Plant-based milk products are commonly fortified with B12. Alternatively, someone on a plant-based diet may wish to speak with their doctor about getting a shot of B12 or taking a regular Vitamin B12 supplement, an efficient means of reversing a vitamin B12 deficiency.
  • Vitamin C:This powerhouse vitamin helps the body with numerous tasks including the all-important infection resistance. Vitamin C is commonly found in dark green leafy vegetables, oranges, kiwifruit, potatoes, and strawberries.
  • Vitamin D:Vitamin D increases the absorption of phosphorus and calcium into the bones and is fat-soluble. It’s extremely difficult for a person to get enough vitamin D from their diet alone. All people need to compensate for this by ensuring they get enough sunlight.
  • Vitamin E:This vitamin works together with the mineral selenium and can be found in both seafood and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
  • Vitamin K:K is crucial for effective blood clotting. It’s commonly found in dark leafy greens, vegetable oils, wholegrain cereals, and green tea. It’s worth noting that anyone taking blood thinners should consult a doctor before adding more vitamin K to their diet.
  • Folate (Folic acid and B9):The most common vitamin recommended for women during pregnancy is folate. This is because it helps the body produce new cells and plays a key role in the growth of a foetus’s neural tube. This is especially important during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, as it can “help prevent birth defects of the baby’s back and spine”, such as spina bifida.

 

Should you consider multivitamins? 

There are thousands of multivitamins on the market, all of them claiming to target an ailment or dietary need. As mentioned above, people eating a diet rich in natural foods shouldn’t be deficient in anything. A poor diet can lead to deficiencies, as can underlying health issues. If this is the case, taking a daily multivitamin may be a great option to fill any voids in your diet.

If you do decide to purchase supplements, it’s extremely important that you follow the instructions listed on the packaging of your supplement-of-choice to ensure you’re taking it correctly. Those suffering from pre-existing conditions should consult their doctor before adding a multivitamin to their diet, to ensure they won’t be overdosing on any vitamins.

Popular multivitamins in NZ that can be purchased from pharmacies include: 

  • Pregnancy multivitamins:Pregnancy multis (AKA prenatal multivitamins) such as Elevit with Iodine contain specific vitamins and minerals that benefit mums-to-be. These commonly include folic acid, zinc, and vitamins C, B6, and B12.
  • Women’s multivitamins:Products such as Centrum for Women often contain increased levels of B vitamins and folic acid, and essential minerals iron and calcium, to support bone, hair, and nail health. This is in addition to many other vitamins and minerals that may benefit the immune system and energy levels.
  • Men’s multivitamins:Multivitamins targeted at men may have increased levels of B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium. This rings particularly true with Centrum for Men, which claims to provide additional support for energy, immunity and heart health.
  • Immunity multivitamins:This kind of multivitamin commonly contains all the immunity heavy hitters, such as vitamin C, echinacea and zinc. These kinds of multis can be purchased as chewable tablets, powders, or dissolvable tablets, as is seen with Red Seal’s Vitafizz Immunity tablets.
  • Seniors multivitamins: Supplements targeted at elderly people generally aim to increase the body’s natural defence systems and support overall health. Two such products are Thompson’s 3rd Age Senior Multi Tablets and Centrum’s “50+” range, both of which target functions that weaken with age.
  • Kids multivitamins:Multivitamins can be a great solution for fussy eaters who may not yet be eating a diverse range of healthy foods (and subsequently not be meeting their daily dietary requirements). Parents of picky eaters will be pleased to know these supplements commonly come in the form of a gummy lolly, and usually contain vitamins and minerals such as calcium, B vitamins, vitamin C, and iodine.
  • Teenage multivitamins:Teen multis for both males and females can be purchased from most pharmacies and supplement stores. They often contain vitamins and minerals that claim to ease stress, balance mood, and support the busy lifestyles many teenagers lead. Both Blackmores and GO Healthy offer multivitamins specifically designed for teens.

 

What are minerals?

In the broadest sense of the word, minerals can be defined as “an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes”. Some examples include sulphur, calcite, and quartz. However, when people talk about the minerals found in food, they’re often referring to calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium, sulphur, and potassium, among others.

 The NHS says minerals found in food are important for three main reasons:

  1. They turn food into energy.
  2. They aid in the growth of strong bones and teeth.
  3. They control the fluid inside and outside of cells.

 

Minerals found in food

  • Potassium:This mineral—which is found in foods such as banana, apricots, oranges, cooked spinach, and cooked broccoli—is one of the most abundant minerals in the body. Once inside the body, potassium plays a key role in regulating muscle contractions, sending nerve signals and regulating body fluid. The latter of these is particularly important given the fact up to 60 per cent of the human body is water.
  • Calcium: If teachers and nutrition experts have ever sounded like broken records—harping on about the importance of calcium—it’s only because they were right. This super mineral sits at the top of the mineral hierarchy as the most abundant mineral in the human body. It helps the body clot blood (when needed) and helps with muscle contraction. In addition to this, a whopping 99 per cent of the calcium in the body is used in our bones and teeth. Calcium is primarily found in dairy products, leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and kale) and soya beans, among other foods.
  • Iron: Anyone who’s ever suffered from an iron deficiency will understand the importance of this vital mineral. Health Navigator New Zealand says iron is essential for the way it helps “red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body and for proteins in your muscles.” It also assists the body when fighting infections and is vital for a child’s growth and intellectual development”. Women and preschool-aged children are the most at risk of iron-deficiency, which if left untreated may lead to iron-deficiency anaemia—a condition that can leave people feeling low-energy, struggling to concentrate, moody and struggling to carry out lofty physical tasks.
  • Sodium: Much like potassium, sodium is an electrolyte that the body uses to “maintain fluid and blood volume in the body”. Sodium deficiencies are rare because modern Western diets are generally high in sodium (something which can be detrimental to people’s health). They’re rare because most processed and restaurant-bought foods contain more sodium than unprocessed foods that are prepared at home. While having too much sodium is closely related to high blood pressure, it has been shown that increasing potassium can help lower it again. It’s also worth noting that table salt (sodium chloride) is different from dietary sodium (One gram of salt is the same as 390 milligrams of dietary sodium).
  • Magnesium:According to Harvard Medical School, magnesium plays a part in “more than 300” chemical reactions in the body. To name just a few: it helps muscles to contract, keeps the immune system strong, and helps the body maintain a strong heartbeat. It’s also essential to nerves, which use it around the body to send and receive. If a person is eating a diet rich in natural foods, there shouldn’t be a need to supplement with magnesium. However, those who suffer from digestive diseases or ongoing diarrhoea may be at increased risk of a deficiency. If you think this could be the case for you, seek the advice of a medical professional before purchasing any over-the-counter supplements.
  • Sulphur: If the word “sulphur” immediately takes your mind to thoughts of Rotorua or the Hanmer Springs thermal pools, you can be forgiven. You may also be surprised to learn that the mineral is found in many naturally occurring foods. Sulphur helps the body run effectively by making protein, building and repairing DNA, and maintaining connective tissues, among other vital roles. It can be found in a variety of foods including—but not limited to—meat, poultry, dried fruit, eggs, dairy, and seafood.
  • Silicon: This mineral—which is commonly found in plant foods—has been found to benefit bone health and help, in turn, lower a person’s risk of developing osteoporosis. Red wine, cereal products, green beans, and root vegetables are just some of the many foods that silicon shows up in as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
  • Phosphorus: Dietary phosphorus benefits the nervous system, muscle contraction, heart health, bone health, muscle recovery, and kidney function. Most people won’t be affected in the event they exceed their daily phosphorus intake. The exception to this is people who suffer from kidney disease, who may struggle to process calcium and may therefore be prone to a phosphorus build-up. Phosphorus is commonly found in protein-rich foods such as poultry, meat, dairy products, and seafood.

 

Trust Bargain Chemist for your vitamin and mineral needs

Whatever form of vitamin you're searching for, you'll find it at Bargain Chemist. We're the top choice to buy vitamins online in New Zealand. Our extensive range of mineral and vitamin supplements can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle. If you have any further questions regarding the questions below, feel free to get in touch with your local Bargain Chemist pharmacist, or seek advice from a nutritional or medical professional.