Long, slow cooking of vegetables can deplete their vitamin content.

Iron is the most important mineral for your body. Major functions of iron include oxygen transport, regulation of cell growth and differentiation.

Hemoglobin contains about two-third of total iron in the body.

Iron is so vital to the body that, without it, the body cannot transport essential oxygen via our blood cells.

Vitamin E is essential to boost your immune system, widen the blood vessels and prevent blood clot. It is found in many foods like vegetable oils, nuts and seeds and green vegetables.

Potassium is mainly involved in building proteins and muscles, controlling acid-base balance and electrical activity of the heart.

Minerals often work with vitamins in the vital maintenance of the body.

Human body contains around 100,000 different proteins made by the different combinations of 20 amino acids. Approximately 18-20% of the body weight is due to proteins.

Water-soluable vitamins (B Vitamins and Vitamin C) cannot be stored in the body and must be taken daily to ensure your body has enough to perform essential functions and prevent deficiency.

Vitamin C is naturally found in fruits and vegetables like citrus fruits (orange and grapefruit), broccoli, strawberry, cantaloupe, baked potatoes, and tomatoes to name a few.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in your body. Natural sources of calcium include milk, yogurt and cheese. It is also found in canned salmon and sardines with bones, and green leafy vegetables like broccoli.

Phosphorus works in conjunction with calcium to form bones, teeth and nerve cells.

Infants absorb about 50% of iron in the breast milk while only 12% is absorbed in infant formula. Infants poorly absorb iron in cow’s milk and it may also lead to gastrointestinal bleeding in infants.

Heme and non-heme are the two forms of dietary iron. Animal foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry are good sources of heme iron. Sources of non-heme iron include lentils and beans.

Only 1% of the total body calcium is needed for the metabolic functions while remaining 99% is utilized to provide strength and structure for the bones and teeth.

Protein helps in deciding your body structure and is involved in cell division for growth, reproduction and healing.

If you are not sure what vitamins or minerals you could be missing out on, you might want to take a multivitamin and multimineral supplement, which includes the recommended daily dose of many nutrients.

If you have potassium deficiency (hypokalemia), it may cause muscle weakness, abnormal heart rhythms and slight rise in blood pressure.

Vitamin D can be produced in the skin from the sun’s energy.

Drinking tea or coffee with meals makes it harder for the body to absorb Iron from plant foods, so avoid these beverages at meal times.

Taking a multivitamin and multimineral supplement is a really good idea if you are not 100% sure that your diet contains all the vitamins and minerals that you need.

Iron deficiency may restrict the supply of oxygen to cells, which ultimately results in fatigue, poor performance at work and decreased immunity. Too much of iron may also be harmful to your body.

Vitamin C requirement is increased by 35 mg for smokers and those who are exposed to second hand smoke.

Vitamin E and vitamin C act as an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage caused by the action of free radicals.

WHO estimate shows 41.8% of pregnant women worldwide are anemic and at least half of this anemia burden is assumed to be caused by iron deficiency

Animal based foods like fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and milk products are the best sources for vitamin B12.

Healthy adults absorb about 15-35% of heme iron while the absorption of non-heme is only 2-20%.

Potassium is found in meats, fishes like salmon, cod, flounder, and sardines. Some fruits and vegetables are also a rich source of potassium.