Overview

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to work properly.

Most people should be able to get all the nutrients they need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you choose to take vitamin and mineral supplements, seek advice where appropriate.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E and K) are mainly found in: 

• animal fats
• vegetable oils
• dairy foods
• liver
• oily fish

While your body needs these vitamins to work properly, you don't need to eat foods containing them every day.

Water-soluble vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C, the B vitamins and folic acid) are mainly found in:

• fruit and vegetables
• grains
• milk and dairy foods

These vitamins aren't stored in the body, so you need to have them more frequently.

If you have more than you need, your body gets rid of the extra vitamins when you urinate.

More about vitamins

Minerals

Minerals include calcium and iron amongst many others and are found in:

• meat
• cereals
• fish
• milk and dairy foods
• fruit and vegetables
• nuts

Minerals are necessary for 3 main reasons:

• building strong bones and teeth
• controlling body fluids inside and outside cells
• turning the food you eat into energy

Trace elements

Trace elements are also essential nutrients that your body needs to work properly, but in much smaller amounts than vitamins and minerals. They include iodine and fluorine. 

Trace elements are found in small amounts in a variety of foods such as meat, fish, cereals, milk and dairy foods, vegetables and nuts.

More about minerals and trace elements