Fatty acids, Vitamins, and Minerals

Fatty acids, Vitamins, and Minerals. Fats not only supply calories and energy, but also provide the body with essential substances that it cannot make on its own. These are the essential fatty acids required for developing the brain and nervous system, making hormones, maintaining cell membranes, keeping skin healthy, and even maintaining some structures of the eyes. These fatty acids, just like proteins, are also needed so the body can use some vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins and minerals do not provide energy, but they are necessary to keep the body alive and functioning. They are considered to be essential nutrients because, as with essential fatty acids and essential amino acids, they cannot be made by the body. Vitamins are chemical compounds that regulate the body’s ability to use food for energy. They also are essential for growth, development, and proper cell functioning. A severe lack of any vitamin leads to disease. Currently, scientists are aware of 13 vitamins essential for health. They are vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and a group of eight B vitamins known by names or numbers. The B vitamins are B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin).

The minerals that are macronutrients include calcium, magnesium, salt, and potassium. Bones, muscles, the heart, and the brain depend on these minerals for growth and normal functioning. These minerals also are essential to regulating the functions of nerves and muscles, and keeping the body’s fluids in balance. Micronutrient trace minerals, such as copper, iron, zinc, and iodine, are essential parts of hormones and enzymes. Minerals are the same metals that are found in the earth and absorbed by plants, and then by animals that eat the plants. Minerals are toxic in large quantities, but a lack of any of the essential minerals leads to disease.

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