• What are they? Organic compounds essential for a healthy life.
• Found in: Mostly fruits, veggies, and a bit of meat.

Key Points

• Role: Help release energy from food and act as sidekicks (co-factors) in many chemical reactions.
• Types
  • Water-soluble: Mixes with water. Overdosing? No biggie for most! They'll just join your next trip to the bathroom. 🚽
  • Fat-soluble: Hang out in your fat (adipose tissue) and liver. Overdosing can be harmful, but is quite rare. Special consideration for situations like pregnancy.

Did you know?

• Even though vitamins are crucial, our body can make some of its own! The sun, plus our skin, can cook up Vitamin D. Also, we can turn the amino acid tryptophan into the B vitamin niacin.

• What are they? Inorganic substances, need to be in our meals and drinks.
• Found in: Meat, fish, milk, cheese, cereals, and those green veggies mom always pushes on your plate!

Key Differences

• Minerals: Take up about 4% of our body mass.
• Trace elements: Are truly the “trace” celebrities; only about 0.001% of our body.

How much do we need?

• Minerals: Grams to milligrams per day.
• Trace elements: Milligrams to micrograms per day.

Roles
From making our bones and blood rock-solid to helping our muscles dance, these elements do it all, even managing the water inside our cells!

The VIP List: Essential Minerals & Trace Elements

• Minerals: Calcium (Ca), Chloride (Cl), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Phosphorus (P).
• Trace Elements: Iron (Fe), Iodine (I), Fluoride (F), Zinc (Zn), Selenium (Se), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mb).

Real-world Examples

• Ever wonder why bananas 🍌 are recommended after sports? They're packed with potassium which helps with muscle function!
• Got white spots on your nails? Could be a lack of zinc.
• Feeling super tired even after a good night's sleep? Your body might be low on iron.
• Can't get that tan? Maybe you're not getting enough Vitamin D from the sun, or you're wearing too much sunscreen. 😉

Remember, sports stars! Just as we need a balanced team to win the game, our bodies need a balanced diet to stay at the top of its game. So, eat those greens, munch on some fruits, and maybe share that steak with your friends! 🥗🍖🍓🏆