Eating Well - Beaming with Health

144 The Commonsense Guide to Eating Well
the body must obtain micronutrients from food or dietary
supplements. Vitamins B2, B9, B12 and K are capable of
being made in the body by our own bowel bacteria, although
often not in sufficient quantities for the body's needs.
There are two categories of vitamins: (1) water soluble,
including vitamin C, B-complex vitamins and the bioflavonoids;
and (2) fat soluble, including vitamins A, D, E and K.
The solubility of a vitamin relates to the way it is absorbed
and transported throughout the body. Water-soluble vitamins
must be consumed daily as they cannot be stored for long
before they are excreted from the body. Fat-soluble vitamins
are absorbed from the small intestine in the same way as fat
in food, with the help of bile and fat-metabolising enzymes.
Fat-soluble vitamins may be stored for some time in fat and
liver cells. People who have problems digesting fat or are on
extremely low-fat diets may be at risk of becoming deficient
in these fat-soluble vitamins.
About minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring elements found in the earth's
surface. Minerals coexist with vitamins in the body and their
work is interrelated. There are two main groups of minerals:
(1) those we require in larger amounts, including calcium,
magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus; and (2) those
we require in smaller amounts, and these are called the 'trace' '
minerals, including zinc, iron, copper, manganese, chromium,
selenium and iodine.