Benefits of Vitamins & Minerals

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables helps to add minerals and vitamins to your diet.

Your body requires essential minerals and vitamins for every process and function. These nutrients work in symphony to grow, heal, repair and maintain your body's cells, organs, systems and skeleton. Vitamins and minerals are needed in varying amounts and some form key parts of structures such as red blood cells and bones. Deficiencies of minerals and vitamins can lead to fatigue, illness and disease. A balanced daily diet generally provides the essential nutrients your body needs to stay healthy; a doctor can determine if you require vitamin or mineral supplements to enhance your regular nutrition.

Metabolism

Metabolism burns ingested and stored food nutrients to produce energy that your body can use, through a number of complex processes. Vitamins and minerals play a key role in digestion and metabolism. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that vitamin B2 or riboflavin is essential to form a coenzyme, which combines oxygen to cellular mechanisms that produce energy. All the B vitamins, including vitamins B6 and B12, are important for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Minerals such as magnesium are also important in energy metabolism. Foods high in B vitamins and magnesium include spinach, broccoli, beans, oats, fish, poultry and eggs.

Heart Health

Essential vitamins from your daily nutrition are also needed to prevent heart disease. Nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E as well as beta carotene have antioxidant properties that help reduce inflammation, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is rich in these vitamins and other nutrients. The University of Maryland Medical Center also notes that vitamin B3 or niacin is used for lowering unhealthy cholesterol levels to improve cardiovascular health. However, high doses of this vitamin are needed and should only be taken under the supervision of your doctor.

Bone Health

Minerals and vitamins are vital for maintaining bone health and preventing bone diseases such as osteoporosis or brittle and weakened bones. The hard matrix of bones is composed of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Research published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" notes that vitamin D is needed to help your body absorb calcium from food and supplementing these two nutrients may help prevent bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. Vitamin K also plays a role in bone health to support the role of vitamin D and calcium.

Fertility

Reproductive health and fertility depend on the function of a number of organs, structures and hormones, as well as cell production. Minerals and vitamins are needed to help grow, repair and maintain these intricate systems and processes in both men and women. The mineral zinc is important for fertility health in men and improves sperm count and mobility. Zinc-rich foods include red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, pumpkin seeds and oysters. MayoClinic.com lists a number of vitamins and minerals that are also needed for reproductive health including vitamin C, E and B12, beta carotene, folic acid and selenium.