Your body needs sufficient amount of essential minerals and vitamins from your daily diet, in order to lead a health life. Many of you, queries about what is the difference between the two and how its helps your body. This article helps you in providing some clarity between the two.
| Parameters |
Vitamins |
Minerals |
| Chemical composition |
Vitamin is an organic compound because it contains an element called carbon. |
Mineral is an inorganic element because they don’t contain the element carbon. |
| Classification |
They are classified as a chemical compounds (atoms of one or different elements like iron, calcium, magnesium, etc.) |
They are classified as a chemical elements (atoms of same elements) |
| Sources |
These are obtained from plants and animals sources. |
These are obtained from soil and water. |
| Types |
13 essential vitamins are available in two types.
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- Vitamin-A
- Vitamin-D
- Vitamin-E
- Vitamin-K
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- Water soluble vitamins (9)
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- Vitamin-C
- B-Complex vitamins-B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin ), B6, B12
- Biotin
- Foliate
- Pantothenic acid
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These are two types of minerals:
- Trace minerals: They are required in small quantities for the body.
- Macro minerals: They are required in large quantities for the body.
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| Vulnerable |
They are vulnerable to heat, light and chemical agents. So, during food preparation you need to take appropriate precautions to preserve them. |
They are stable during food preparation. But when they combine with other substances, it becomes unavailable to utilize in the body. |
| Functions |
- Vitamin-A functions: Helps in good vision, resistant to infections, support growth and repair of tissues.
- Vitamin-D functions: Helps in absorption of calcium and phosphorous for bone health.
- Vitamin-E functions: Helps red blood cells integrity and maintains cell membranes.
- Vitamin-K functions: Helps in blood clotting.
- Vitamin-B1 functions: Helps in maintaining appetite and normal digestion.
- Vitamin-B2 functions: Supports in vision and skin health.
- Vitamin-B3 functions: Supports nervous system and digestive system.
- Vitamins-B6 functions: Helps in protein metabolism
- Vitamins-B12 functions: Helps in maintaining the nerve cells
- Vitamins-C functions: Resistant to infections and helps in absorption of iron.
- Biotin functions: Helps in fat synthesis and glycogen synthesis
- Pantothenic functions: Helps in energy metabolism.
- Folic acid functions: Helps in protein metabolism and blood cells formation.
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Some of the important functions of minerals are listed below:
- Boron: Supports bone health.
- Calcium: Very important mineral for bones and teeth. It helps in muscle contraction.
- Phosphorus: Maintains acid-base balance.
- Magnesium: It helps in bone mineralization and muscle contraction.
- Iodine: Essential element for thyroid hormone.
- Fluoride: Helps in formation of bones and teeth.
- Manganese: Helps in amino acid, cholesterol and carbohydrates metabolism.
- Copper: Supports bones, muscles and blood vessels.
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| Nutritional Requirements |
You need all the 13 vitamins for your body. Some are stored in the body and some are replaced from the body. |
Your body may not need all the minerals.
- Major elements like calcium, chlorine, sodium, phosphorous, etc. are required in bigger doses.
- Trace elements like iodine, zinc, fluorine, iron, etc. are required in smaller doses.
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