Why You Need Vitamin and Mineral Foods

Food is any material consumed to supply nutrition to the organisms for a long or short time. It can be in the form of food or non-food, but it is food. The food that we eat is categorized into three major categories: animal, vegetable and food substances. Animal food refers to all edible part of an animal, such as meat, milk, eggs and other related products; vegetable food is the by-product used for making food (e.g., oil, cheese, etc. );

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Animal food is rich in calories, fats, protein, carbohydrates and minerals; it provides the necessary nutrition for a growing body. However, it is deficient in nutrients that are vital to our long-term health: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, zinc, copper, iron, etc. Vegetable and fruit juices are a great source of nutrients; they are also low in calories and fat, while high in proteins and complex carbohydrates. In fact, vegetables and fruits are absolutely delicious! Fruit juices lack the calories and fat but contain complex carbohydrates that are quickly converted to sugar in the body, resulting in weight gain.

While it is always advisable to eat a balanced and healthy diet, over-nutrition can lead to various illnesses including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Unhealthy diets result in a low absorption of vitamins and minerals, weak bones and unhealthy skin. Weakening of the immune system results in various infections, while malnutrition may result in weak eyesight, kidney stones and cancer. A balanced and nutritious diet should comprise the basic food groups: carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals and water.