Why do we need Vitamins and Minerals?

Vitamins and minerals are present in our body in very small amounts, but are very important for the health of the body. Their deficiency causes many types of disease. The body requires only one hundredth of a gram of vitamin B every day and its deficiency causes a disease known as beri-beri. This vitamin is found in bread and meat. Vitamin A is found in corrots and liver and without it we suffer from night blindness. Vitamin C is present in fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s absence from the body causes the disease scurvy. Minerals are equally essential for the body. Iron present in meat, eggs and bread is needed to make the blood pigment hemoglobin. Calcium from milk, cheese and bread and phosphorous are required for the growth of bones and teeth.