
Explore 21 essential minerals and 13 vitamins, differentiate fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, and learn to plan a diet and select quality supplements for health and athletic performance.
Vitamins are essential organic compounds required in tiny amounts for normal physiological function and growth. They come from the diet; absence causes deficiency and excess can cause clinically significant effects.
Explore the differences between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, their storage and absorption, and how labeling terms like daily value and adequate intake guide nutrient needs.
Cover fat-soluble vitamins, focusing on retinoids (Vitamin A) and Vitamin E in growth, skin and nails. Identify deficiency signs like night blindness and pregnancy-related risks of excess intake.
discover how fat-soluble vitamin d (calciferol) supports calcium absorption and bone health, its d2 and d3 forms, sun synthesis, and fortified milk and fatty fish as sources.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin (tocopherol) that protects fatty acids and maintains muscle. It is an antioxidant; deficiency accompanies severe malnutrition, and infants are vulnerable; toxicity is rare.
Explore fat soluble vitamins with a focus on vitamin k, an essential nutrient for blood clotting. Identify sources like broccoli, leafy greens, liver, and carrots.
Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin (ascorbic acid), supports wound healing, iron absorption, immunity, and acts as a key antioxidant that helps prevent atherosclerosis; deficiency causes scurvy.
Explore water soluble vitamins with a focus on vitamin B1 (thiamine), its role in metabolism and nerve function, deficiency symptoms; note no known toxicity and fortified cereals and grain sources.
Learn about water-soluble vitamin B2 (riboflavin), essential for energy metabolism and normal vision, and identify deficiency symptoms and key dietary sources like fortified cereals, grains, meat, and mushrooms.
Water-soluble vitamins, including vitamin B3 (niacin), support metabolism and can lower cholesterol. In excess, niacin may cause flushing, itching, nausea, and impaired glucose tolerance; deficiency includes diarrhea, dementia, and stomatitis.
Vitamin B5 pantothenic acid is a water-soluble nutrient that supports energy metabolism and helps normalize blood sugar. Deficiency is rare; high-dose intake can cause nausea, heartburn, and diarrhea.
Explore water-soluble vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), its role in protein and carbohydrate metabolism, energy release, nerve function, and red blood cell formation, with dietary sources including meat, grains, bananas, and greens.
Explore water-soluble vitamins, focusing on biotin (vitamin b7) and its role in metabolism, deficiency symptoms, and dietary sources like egg yolks, soybeans, grains, and nuts, plus potential drug interactions.
Explore water-soluble vitamin B9, including folate and folic acid, its role in DNA and RNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, and preventing birth defects in pregnancy, with dietary sources.
explore how water-soluble vitamin b12 (cobalamin) supports red blood cell formation and dna synthesis, and note pernicious anemia and neurological problems. identify fortified cereals, liver, and eggs as dietary sources.
Minerals, or mineral elements, comprise about four percent of body mass, with roughly 3,800 types and 21 essential for health, existing as solid crystals or ionized forms.
Explore essential minerals and their recommended intake, including 21 minerals and major minerals as electrolytes. Learn about calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and key trace minerals and intake guidelines.
Discover calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium, their roles in bone health, metabolism, nerve function, heart action, and fluid balance, plus sources and deficiency symptoms.
Explore trace minerals, essential micro minerals the body needs in small amounts, and learn their roles in hemoglobin, oxygen transport, bone health, metabolism, and dietary sources.
Learn how cooking methods impact vitamin and mineral content, including water-soluble vitamins, mineral retention, and potassium leaching into cooking water, with practical tips to minimize nutrient loss.
Assess vitamin and mineral supplements by diet variety, noting plant diets and restricted diets like vegan or gluten-free raise risks of calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D deficiencies.
Mineral and vitamin supplements help meet increased micronutrient needs when athletes' diets fall short due to restricted eating patterns; choose third-party verified products, and avoid mega-dose or fat-burner claims.
Follow safety precautions for vitamin and mineral supplements. They are not substitutes for a varied and balanced diet, and consult a doctor if pregnant or under medical supervision.
Learn how to choose quality vitamins and minerals by checking four pillars of quality - positive identity, purity, potency, and performance. Ensure third-party verification and adherence to FDA good manufacturing practices.
Learn to read supplement labels by interpreting the supplement fact sheet and serving size. Identify daily values and the ordered list of dietary ingredients and their amounts.
Learn when to take mineral and vitamin supplements by type, including water-soluble vitamins on an empty stomach, fat-soluble vitamins with evening meals, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
In this course, you will gain a thorough understanding of essential vitamins and minerals, and their crucial role in supporting health and well-being.
The course will cover topics including:
Key sources of natural vitamins and minerals
When and how to take vitamin and mineral supplements
How to select high-quality supplements
You will learn everything you need to know, including:
What vitamins and minerals are
The 21 essential minerals and 13 vitamins you need
The difference between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
How to distinguish between major minerals and trace minerals
How to recognize the symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiencies or excesses
Tips for mineral and vitamin intake on restricted diets (e.g., vegan, low-carb, gluten-free, paleo)
Information on vitamin and mineral supplements and supplement labels
The best time of day to take vitamins and minerals
How to choose quality supplements
The role of vitamins and minerals in an athlete’s diet and performance
Recommended mineral and vitamin intake for athletes
And much more!
By the end of this course, you will have a deeper understanding of vitamins and minerals, and be well-equipped to improve your health. You’ll know how to design a diet that ensures you’re getting all the necessary nutrients.
Athletes can also apply this knowledge to optimize their performance and prepare for competitions.
Enrol today to become more informed and take control of your health!
You will have lifetime access to on-demand video content, and you can study at your own pace, whenever and wherever you like, with no deadlines. The course is accessible on any device.
You're also protected by a full money-back guarantee, making your enrollment completely risk-free.
Upon completion of the course and final exam, you’ll receive a Udemy certificate.