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What's the Difference Between Vitamins and Minerals?

Should You Be Prioritising Between Vitamins and Minerals?

As micronutrients, we tend to group vitamins and minerals together, but there are a few important distinctions between the two that might make you prioritise one group over the other.

Despite the fact that they interact to help the body maintain its healthy functions, vitamins and minerals are two different compounds, with the former being organic and the latter inorganic. While vitamins — both water- and fat-soluble — can be broken down easily in the body, minerals maintain their chemical structure throughout their time in our systems.

Although we only need both of them in small amounts, vitamins and minerals are essential for several purposes in our bodies. Vitamins release energy from our food and are essential to maintaining everything from our immune systems to eye health; they're also essential to almost all metabolic processes at cellular level, so imbalances or deficiencies can have major effects on the body's ability to function normally.

Due to their unbreakable bonds, minerals are useful in maintaining the health and function of different parts of our bodies including muscle contraction, blood coagulation, and fortifying dental health and bone health. As both are micronutrients, we only need them in small quantities, which can easily be found in healthy, nutrient-dense foods.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Diggy Lloyd
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