In moments like the one currently experienced in the world due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, prevention measures are more important than ever.To curb infections, self-isolation is an effective way that many people and businesses have decided to practice. So perhaps it's a good time to take care of our diet and pay attention to our vitamin intake through fruits and vegetables.To keep this in mind when buying your food, we explain how to select fruits and vegetables with vitamins and minerals that you should consume.Vitamins and minerals: what are they?According to a special health report published by
Harvard Health Publishing, vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients because they perform hundreds of functions in the body. Although they are crucial, there is a thin line between getting enough nutrients (which is healthy) and getting too many (which can end up harming you).Maintaining a healthy diet remains the best way to obtain sufficient amounts of the vitamins and minerals you need.Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients as they work in harmony and perform hundreds of functions in the body. For example, they help support bones, heal wounds, and strengthen the immune system. They also convert food into energy and repair cellular damage.However, there are so many that trying to keep track of what all these vitamins and minerals do can be confusing.In this article, we explain how to know which foods are highest in vitamins to take care of your health in the face of a virus spread like the Coronavirus.What is the difference between vitamins and minerals?Although both are considered micronutrients, vitamins and minerals differ in fundamental ways. Vitamins are organic and can be broken down by heat, air, or acid. Minerals are inorganic and hold onto their chemical structure.This means that minerals in soil and water easily reach your body through the plants, fish, animals, and liquids you consume. But it is more difficult to transport vitamins from food and other sources to your body because cooking, storage, and simple exposure to air can inactivate these more fragile compounds.Water-soluble vitaminsWater-soluble vitamins are packed in the watery portions of the foods you consume and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream as food breaks down during digestion or when a supplement dissolves.Because much of the body consists of water, many water-soluble vitamins circulate easily in your system. The kidneys continuously regulate the levels of water-soluble vitamins, preventing excesses from the body in urine.These are some of the water-soluble vitamins:- B vitamins Biotin (vitamin B7): liver, soybean, egg yolk, cauliflowerFolic Acid (folate, vitamin B9): onion, asparagus, orange, orange juice, beans, spinach, beef liverNiacin (vitamin B3): beef, milk, eggs, beansPantothenic Acid (vitamin B5): fish, shellfish, chicken, yogurt, mushroomsRiboflavin (vitamin B2): most plant and animal foods contain at least small amounts of vitamin B2Thiamine (vitamin B1): oatmeal, wheat, corn, pork, brown rice, sesame seedsVitamin B6: garlic, banana, beans, whole grains, potatoes, non-citrus fruitsVitamin B12: clams, beef liver, poultry, eggs, milk- Vitamin C: citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes, baked potatoAlthough water-soluble vitamins have many tasks in the body, one of the most important is helping to release the energy found in the foods you consume. Others help maintain healthy tissues. Here are some examples of how different vitamins help you stay healthy and where you can find them:Release energy. Several B vitamins are key components of certain coenzymes (molecules that help enzymes) that assist in releasing energy from food.Produce energy. Thiamine (beef), riboflavin (chicken), niacin, pantothenic acid (sunflower seeds), and biotin (egg) are dedicated to energy production.Build proteins and cells. Vitamins B6, B12 (salmon), and folic acid metabolize amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and help cells multiply.Make collagen. One of the many functions of vitamin C is to help produce collagen, which binds wounds, supports blood vessel walls, and forms a base for teeth and bones.Fat-soluble vitaminsThese are some fat-soluble vitamins and the foods in which you find them:Vitamin A: dairy (milk, butter, cheddar cheese), fish (salmon), green leafy vegetables and other green, orange, and yellow vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and zucchini), fruits (melon, apricot, and mango)Vitamin D: fatty fish (tuna or salmon), beef liver, cheese, egg yolk, mushrooms, milk, soy milk, almond milk, oat milk.Vitamin E: vegetable oils (wheat germ, hazelnut, canola, sunflower, and almond), almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, fish (eel, angler, conger, salmon, and sardine), pistachios, avocado, spinach, asparagus, broccoli.Vitamin K: green leafy vegetables (cabbage, spinach, turnip greens, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, parsley, romaine lettuce, and green leaf lettuce), Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, fish, liver, beef, eggs, and cereals (in smaller amounts).Together, this quartet of vitamins helps keep the eyes, skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system in good shape. Here are some of the other essential functions these vitamins perform:Build bones. Bone formation would be impossible without vitamins A, D, and K.Protect vision. Vitamin A also helps maintain healthy cells and protects your vision.Interact favorably. Without vitamin E, the body would have difficulty absorbing and storing vitamin A.Protect the body. Vitamin E also acts as an antioxidant, a compound that helps protect the body against damage from unstable molecules.This type of vitamins enters the blood through the lymphatic channels in the intestinal wall. Many fat-soluble vitamins travel through the body only under the escort of proteins that act as carriers.Fatty foods and oils are the reservoir for the four fat-soluble vitamins. Within the body, fatty tissues and the liver act as the main holding pens for these vitamins and release them as needed.To some extent, these vitamins can be considered prolonged-release micronutrients. They can be consumed occasionally, perhaps in doses weeks or months apart instead of daily, and still provide sufficient amounts. The body eliminates excess and distributes it gradually to meet its needs.