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Minerals and vitamins are vital to a healthy life. They are essential to the proper functioning of our bodies. Vitamins are divided into two categories - water soluble and oil soluble. Water soluble vitamins need to be taken daily since they are not stored in the body. Vitamins B and C are examples of water soluble vitamins. Oil soluble vitamins are stored longer in the body in the fatty tissues and the liver. Oil soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, K. A big question for many is how much of each of the vitamins do we need daily, either to meet a minimum standard to ward off difficiencies, or for optimum health, or to face the ravages of a cold or a disease. The U.S. Food and Nutrition Board sets the guidelines in the US for the United States Dietary Reference Intakes which is based on the original Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDA). The reference intakes are open to revision. While our original minerals and vitamins came through the foods that we ate, they are now available in a variety of forms. The following weblinks provide a wealth of info on minerals and vitamins, how much we should take daily, how it helps our bodies, and how deficiencies or overdoses may harm us. Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD Dietary Supplements: Vitamins and Minerals. USDA National Agriculture Library Food and Nutrition Information Center Food Standards Agency - Eat well, be well - Vitamins and minerals. Food Standards Agency in UK Healthy Eating - Vitamins and Minerals. Australian Government Department of Health and Aging Vitamins and Minerals. For teens, KidsHealth.org
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