Vitamins, multivitamins and minerals

Vitamins are the collective name for a collection of organic molecules that act as essential micronutrients that the body needs in small quantities to function properly. These essential nutrients cannot be completely synthesized in the body or are not available in sufficient quantities and must therefore be obtained through the daily diet.

Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients necessary for the body to carry out normal functions in the homeostasis. However, these micronutrients are not made in the body but must be derived from the food we eat.
Vitamins are organic substances that are often classified into 2 groups as fat-soluble vitamins or water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, which are fat-soluble and tend to accumulate in the body. In contrast, water-soluble vitamins including vitamin C and the B group of vitamins, such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate, need to be dissolved in water before they can be absorbed by the body and therefore not can be stored for a long time in the body. As such, any water-soluble vitamins that the body does not use will be lost mainly through the urine.

Minerals are inorganic elements found in soil and water, absorbed by plants or by animals. While we may be familiar with the names of substances such as calcium, sodium, and potassium, there is a wide range of other minerals, including trace minerals (e.g. copper, iodine, and zinc) as well as trace minerals. It is essential even in very small amounts.
In the United States, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) recommends nutrient reference values ​​called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for vitamins and minerals. matter . These are guidelines for good nutrition and are the scientific basis for developing food guidelines in both the United States and Canada. Specific DRIs for age, sex and life stages for more than 40 nutrients. These guidelines are based on existing reports on deficiencies and toxicity of each nutrient.

A diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good proteins and healthy fats will provide most of the nutrients needed for good health.
However, not everyone can have such a healthy and complete diet. At this point, multivitamins can play an important role when nutritional needs cannot be met through diet alone. They are usually prepared in the form of oral tablets or syrup for children with appropriate doses for each subject as well as the amount of vitamins and minerals needed by the body in a day.

Vitamins and their exact roles have been controversial since they were discovered in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was thanks to the combined efforts of epidemiologists, doctors, and medical professionals. , chemist and physiologist who helped perfect our present day understanding of vitamins and minerals .

After many years of observation and testing, several pathologies were shown to be caused not by infections or toxins - a common belief at the time - but by vitamin deficiencies. Chemists have been working to determine the chemical structure of vitamins so that humans can artificially synthesize them. Soon after, researchers determined the specific amount of vitamins needed to avoid diseases caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
In 1912, biochemist Casimir Funk was the first to coin the term "vitamin" in a research publication that was accepted by the medical community, derived from the word "vita" meaning life and " amine” refers to a nitrogenous substance necessary for life. This milestone recognized Funk as the father of vitamin therapy, as he identified the nutritional components missing in vitamin deficiency diseases such as scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), beriberi (vitamin deficiency) B1), pellagra (vitamin B3) and rickets (vitamin D deficiency). The discovery that most vitamins are present in the body and their role in the body was gradually perfected in 1948.
Vitamins were only obtained from naturally tolerated foods orally until the 1930s. when certain vitamin supplements are commercially produced. The US government also began to fortify foods with specific nutrients to prevent vitamin deficiencies that were common at the time, such as adding iodine to salt to prevent goiter and adding acid folic acid in cereal products to reduce birth defects during pregnancy. Since the 1950s, most vitamins and multivitamins have been commercially available to prevent vitamin deficiencies.

To this day, multivitamins are still considered a popular product at drugstores that people can buy without a prescription. However, the manufacturer's dosage for each type of product should be adhered to, to avoid the risk of vitamin toxicity due to arbitrarily overdosing.
In a nutshell, vitamins and minerals are a group of substances that are necessary for the normal function, growth and development of all cells. Each vitamin has an important role in the body. A vitamin deficiency occurs when the body doesn't get enough, which can cause health problems. On the contrary, if you add too much vitamin, it also puts the body in danger. Therefore, a balanced, varied diet is always recommended as this is the best way to get all your daily vitamins naturally and safely. In case people want to know if they have a vitamin or mineral deficiency, people can go to a reputable hospital to conduct periodic health checks. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has been continuously investing in renovation of modern equipment, and at the same time applying science and technology, the latest medical treatments to treatment. Therefore, Vinmec International General Hospital is considered as an international standard medical care address in Vietnam.
Currently, Vinmec is implementing a lot of periodic health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with very favorable price policy, including:
General health checkup package Work permit- issue work permit Child health check-up package Standard general health check-up package Special general health check-up package VIP general health check-up package Diamond general health check-up package Advantages of Vinmec's health check-up packages mean that customers will be screened and screened by a system of modern equipment to help support the best diagnosis today such as PET/CT, MRI, CT 640, system The world's leading advanced ultrasound machine, international standard laboratory system,... After a general examination, if any diseases are detected, customers can use services from other specialties. hospital with outstanding quality of treatment.

Reference source: hsph.harvard.edu