Vitamins & Minerals

The word "vitamin" is derived from the Latin "vita," meaning life, and "amin," meaning nitrogenous, as it was initially thought that all vitamins contain a nitrogen component. Although it is now known that not all vitamins contain nitrogen, the original name has been retained. These complex molecules play numerous vital roles in metabolism.

Minerals can be classified as either a major mineral or a trace element. Major minerals with high daily requirements include calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulphur. Minerals fulfil countless essential functions in metabolism.