More than an afterthought: why your body needs fibre, vitamins and minerals
29-4-2024
Translation: Katherine Martin
Minerals, vitamins and fibre are essential for health – and the tiniest amounts are often enough to make a big difference. Find out which nutrients to be aware of, which foods will boost your mineral and vitamin balance and which illnesses they’ll help you ward off.
Your body is a highly complex system that relies on numerous nutrients. Proteins form its structure, carbohydrates supply it with energy, and fats provide a concentrated source of energy and support vitamin absorption. Water is essential too, serving as the medium for all these processes to take place. But what role do minerals, vitamins and fibre play in your diet? We’ve been exploring this question in this series of articles.
Minerals
Minerals are essential for many bodily functions, serving as the keys to a number of locks in your body. Calcium, for instance, isn’t just crucial for strong bones – it’s also needed for transmitting nerve impulses. Meanwhile, iron is necessary for both blood formation and the transportation of oxygen around your body. Curious to learn more? Check out these articles.
We’ll continue to add to this list as time goes on. Feel free to write us a comment if there’s another vitamin you’d like us to focus on in an article.
Vitamins
Then there are vitamins. Our bodies need these vital, organic compounds in small quantities to stay healthy, but are unable to produce most of them naturally. Like tiny helpers, vitamins work away in our bodies to support various processes, including extracting energy from food and strengthening the immune system. Each one has a specific role. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) can be stored in fat and used in the body when needed, while water-soluble vitamins (B and C) can’t be stored in the body. As water-soluble vitamins are excreted in urine, you need to make sure you’re getting a regular supply.
We’ll be publishing articles on different vitamin groups soon. Got any suggestions? Let us know in the comments.
Fibre
Composed of indigestible plant material, fibre helps your digestive system in numerous ways. It keeps you feeling full for longer, and also supports a healthy gut microbiome. And did you know that a high-fibre diet can even help reduce your risk of heart disease?
Watch this space to find out more.
With this in mind, I’ll leave you with the immortal words of Hippocrates: let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. Bon appétit!
Header image: Voitkevich/Pexels
Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.