Know the Difference: Vitamins vs. Minerals, and How Both Impact Your Health

When you’re in a deep internet search learning about what you should eat, what you should put on your face or what you should do to just ensure you’re living a healthy life, you probably see the names of many vitamins and minerals that pop up. You may also see them referenced everywhere, from your doctor’s offices to your local pharmacy to the nutrition labels on the food you buy.

But what are vitamins and minerals exactly, and why do we need them?

Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, gives us an overview of these important nutrients, what they do and the general guidelines for how much you need to stay healthy.

What are vitamins and minerals?

You often hear them paired together: vitamins and minerals. But what is the difference between the two?

They’re both micronutrients that are important to our bodies. But while minerals come from the soil, vitamins come from plants and animals.

But that doesn’t mean you need to ingest soil (please, don’t!) to get your daily minerals. We get the minerals we need by eating plants that have absorbed them from rocks, soil and water. Or we can get them by eating animals that have eaten those plants. So, basically, we get vitamins and minerals in the same way — through the food we eat — but minerals make an extra stop before getting to us.

Vitamin D is also available to us by absorbing it directly into our skin from the sun’s rays, as well as from food. And vitamins and minerals can also be infused in other products we use, like skin care and beauty products.

Vitamins

Vitamins are tiny substances found in the food we eat. They’re organic compounds, meaning they’re made by animals and plants. This is why eating certain vegetables, meats and dairy products are good sources of vitamins. They’re grouped into two main types, based on how they dissolve and are stored in your body:

1. Water-soluble vitamins: These vitamins dissolve in water and aren’t stored in the body — they go in, do their job and go right back out. Because of this, you need to consume them regularly through your diet. These include vitamins like C, B2, B6, B12 and folic acid.
2. Fat-soluble vitamins: These vitamins dissolve in fat and can be stored in your body’s fatty tissues and liver for later use. Because they can be stored, you don’t need to eat them every day. These include vitamins like A, D, E and K.

Minerals

When you think of minerals, you may think back to a geology class lesson. And it’s true, minerals are found deep in the earth and there are many different kinds. They’re inorganic elements, which means they come from nonliving sources. Minerals are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals, which we later ingest or use in other types of products.

The two main types of minerals are:

1. Macrominerals: “Macro” means large, so these are big players when it comes to keeping your body healthy. These are the minerals that your body needs in larger amounts (greater than 100 milligrams). This includes minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
2. Microminerals: “Micro” means small, so you need less of these in your body (less than 100 milligrams). This group includes minerals like zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese and fluoride.

Key vitamins and minerals

Each type of vitamin and mineral has a special role, and your body needs a little bit of each one to keep you healthy and balanced. 

Some of the main vitamins include:

• Vitamin A: Helps with your eyesight and keeps your skin healthy.
• Vitamin C: Helps heal wounds and boosts your immune system.
• B Vitamins: There are several, like B2 (riboflavin), B6, B12, biotin and folic acid. They help your body use energy from food, make red blood cells, and keep your brain and nerves healthy.
• Vitamin D: Strengthens your bones by helping your body use calcium.
• Vitamin E: Protects your cells from damage and keeps your skin healthy.
• Vitamin K: Helps your blood clot when you get a cut, so you don’t bleed too much.

The main minerals we need to develop and function well are:

• Calcium: Essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth, as well as supporting muscle function, nerve signaling and blood clotting.
• Chromium: Needed only in trace amounts, chromium helps insulin regulate your blood sugar, as well as your body to metabolize protein, carbohydrates and fats.
• Copper: Helps skin repair itself, prevents anemia by helping make hemoglobin and boosts your immune system.
• Iodine: Supports thyroid health and helps with brain development.
• Iron: Provides oxygen to your body, keeps energy levels up and supports your immune system.
• Magnesium: Vital for muscle and nerve function, blood glucose management, energy production, and DNA, RNA and protein synthesis.
• Manganese: Improves brain function, lowers inflammation and is vital for strong bones.
• Molybdenum: Plays a key role in breaking down medications and toxins and allowing your body to process certain elements, such as proteins.
• Phosphorus: Works with calcium to build strong bones and teeth, helps repair tissue and keeps nerves healthy.
• Potassium: Helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals, and is crucial for maintaining proper heart function.
• Selenium: Acts as an antioxidant, helps protect cells from damage, and is important for thyroid function and immune system support.
• Sodium: Necessary for maintaining fluid balance, nerve function and muscle contractions, but too much can lead to high blood pressure and other issues.
• Zinc: Supports immune function, wound healing and DNA synthesis, and is critical for proper growth and development.

Which vitamins and minerals should I take?

For most people, you can get all the essential vitamins and minerals you need through a balanced, healthy diet. In fact, that’s the best way to ensure your body absorbs these important nutrients. Occasionally, it may make sense for you to take vitamin and mineral supplements, but you should always do this after a conversation with your healthcare provider.

And which supplements you should take will greatly depend on your personal health history, dietary intake, nutrient deficiencies and what your healthcare provider recommends. “Specific vitamins that people are often deficient in are taken as a supplement or prescription,” explains Zumpano. “Vitamin D and magnesium are examples, as well as iron, B12 and calcium.

“Some conditions or other circumstances can cause people to need more of these vitamins because they can’t consume enough to meet their needs. That’s when we recommend supplementation,” she continues.

For instance, your provider may recommend a magnesium supplement to help with sleep disruptions, anxiety or headaches.

But in general, Zumpano reinforces that it’s best to get most of your vitamins and minerals from food sources. Fortunately, this isn’t hard to do. Dairy products and fortified foods are good sources of vitamin D; citrus fruits and crunchy veggies provide vitamin C; fish and poultry deliver iron; and whole grains and nuts help you meet your manganese goals.

Be careful not to overdo supplements

Yes, for all the good things that minerals and vitamins do, you can go too far. “You want to try and get it through your diet first,” reminds Zumpano. “The trap that people can fall into is thinking that they’re covered if they take vitamin supplements.”

Water-soluble vitamins are rarely overconsumed because our body removes what we do not need or use. Fat-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, can be exceeded, and certain ones can cause more risk than others.

“High-dose supplementation is most often the cause for toxicity,” warns Zumpano. This can lead to symptoms like nausea, vomiting and in severe cases, slowed growth and birth defects.

She discourages people from going beyond the recommended daily value, which will depend on the type of vitamin. “Issues can happen when the amount you are taking is in the thousands in regards to the percentage of your daily value,” she adds.

To ensure you don’t overdo it with how many supplements you’re taking, again, it’s good to have an open conversation with your healthcare provider or meet with a registered dietitian so that they can assess your dietary intake and vitamin and mineral needs.

The takeaway

Vitamins and minerals play important roles in keeping our bodies healthy and functioning well. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet helps ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need. If you’re concerned about any specific vitamin or mineral deficiencies, it’s also important to speak with a healthcare provider before adding any supplements to your daily routine.