Vitamins, Minerals and Fibre

Last Updated on Monday, 15 March 2010 14:19

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As well as the three macronutrients (fat, carbs and protein) we also need other things in smaller amounts, called micronutrients. The two main groups are vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins are chemical compounds produced by plants and animals that we need in our diet because our bodies don’t make them. Minerals are elements such as calcium, sodium, iron, magnesium and zinc, amongst others. Fibre is not a nutrient, but is important to include in the diet. It is plant material that we do not digest, but which helps clean the digestive tract.

The best way to ensure your diet contains enough vitamins and minerals is to base your meals around fresh fruit and vegetables and to choose unprocessed, whole foods instead of refined or processed foods.

The refining process of wheat and sugar removes most of the vitamins, minerals and fibre. This leaves the refined food lacking in nutrients and more quickly used up by the body. Eating refined foods means you either have to eat more food or take supplements in order to get enough vitamins and minerals.

There are many important minerals, but the most talked about one is iron. Too little iron can cause people to be pale and feel tired all the time. Iron-rich foods include red meat, offal, dried fruit, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, liquorice, molasses, lentils, baked beans, chick peas, nori, soy beans and marmite, amongst many other foods. Iron is also added to some other staple foods, such as some brands of bread. The body absorbs only a small amount of the iron in the diet. Iron from meat sources absorbs better than non-meat sources, but non-meat sources are absorbed more if you are low in iron, and you absorb more by including Vitamin C (for example, a glass of orange juice) with the meal.