Vitamins and minerals are nutrients too. The main function of vitamins is to enable reactions within the body to occur. These reactions help to release energy in carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that can become trapped. This can help all bodily systems, such as digestion, hormone production, and the immune system, work more efficiently. Vitamins do not provide usable energy for the body.

Minerals do not provide energy to the body, but they are critical players in the function of the nervous system, water balance, the skeletal system, and other cellular processes that are constantly occurring throughout the body.

Eating a balanced, healthy diet should give you all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, due to the overuse of much of the soil that fruits and vegetables are grown in, most nutritionists recommend taking a multivitamin and mineral that is rich in antioxidants just to be on the safe side.