Vitamins and minerals are regarded as essential nutrients because, when combined, they perform hundreds of functions in the body. They convert food into energy, strengthen bones, heal wounds, boost the immune system, and repair cellular damage.

Because the body requires only small amounts of vitamins and minerals, they are referred to as micronutrients. Although they are needed in fewer amounts, they perform a lot of important functions in our body like regulation of metabolism, formation of healthy red blood cells, and maintaining the overall wellbeing of the people. 

Vitamins are classified into two types: water-soluble vitamins (the body expels them after metabolism) and fat-soluble vitamins (that are stored as reserves in the liver and fat tissues). The eight B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12) and vitamin C are known as water-soluble, while vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins.

Similarly, minerals are also of two types, major minerals, and trace minerals. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and iron are the major minerals that are used and stored in large quantities in the body. Trace minerals are just as important to our health as major minerals, but we don’t require large amounts of them. Chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc are examples of trace minerals.