header   header
Banner

Testimonials

“SportMulti is an important part of my most important asset: my HEALTH. It is the foundation of my performance and lifestyle.”
View More >>

Luc Morin
Pro Triathlete, M.Sc. Exercise Physiology, NCCP III

Twitter icon

Latest Tweets

Loading..

Vitamins and Minerals - Description, Main Functions and Food Sources‡

 
Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients. That is, the body cannot make them so they must be obtained from food, sunlight (ex: vitamin D) or supplements. They are the building and maintenance nutrients that create a strong and health body. Every cell in the human body regenerates on a regular basis (even the enamel of your teeth) and vitamins and minerals are crucial building blocks for the new cells (ex: your blood supply regenerates every 3-4 weeks).

Unfortunately, modern diets that include processed foods and fruits and vegetables grown in nutrient deficient soil result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Combine this with the fact that athletes require much more due to the added stresses of training (ex: sweating calcium while exercising) and the need for supplementation becomes evident. That’s where SportMulti® comes in. 

Vitamins and minerals do not work alone. They work in synergy, so it’s important to have enough of ALL of them to ensure your body works optimally. SportMulti® contains all the 13 vitamins required by the human body and all the minerals that are deficient in our modern diet. 

Below is a list of the vitamin and minerals in SportMulti® explaining their main functions and food sources.

Vitamin A is essential for vision, growth, skin health, supporting the immune system, and reproduction.
Food sources include: fish liver oil, egg yolks. 

Vitamin C is essential to make collagen, bones, and connective tissue. It is a powerful antioxidant (prevents the destruction of cells through oxidation).
Food sources include: fruit and vegetables (fresh and organic are best for vitamin C and all other vitamins and minerals)

Vitamin D is essential to bone health, muscle contraction, immune system, and energy production.
Sources include: sunlight 

Vitamin E is essential to protect the cell membranes. It is a powerful antioxidant (prevents the destruction of cells through oxidation).
Food sources include: whole grains, nuts, soybean, and seeds
 
Vitamin K is essential to blood clotting and bone formation.
Food sources include: green leafy vegetables

Vitamin B1(Thiamin) is essential to energy metabolism, metabolism of branched –chain amino acids (the building blocks of protein), brain tissue, and function of the body’s nerves (your nerves need to fire in order to move a muscle for example).
Food sources include: whole grains, beans, and peas

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) is essential to the mitochondria of cells (the cellular power plant that makes the energy your body needs from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).
Food sources include: dairy products, meat, and fish

Vitamin B3 (Niacin, Niacinamide) is essential to the energy cycle and DNA repair.
Food sources include: fish, poultry, meat

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) is essential to be breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins (our fuel sources).
Food sources include: meat, fish, legumes, whole grains

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is essential to muscle repair, growth, and the energy cycle.
Food sources include: fish, chicken, eggs

Vitamin B7 (Biotin) is essential the formation of glucose and fatty acids (do use as energy), and breakdown of branched-chain amino acids (building blocks of protein).
Food sources include: soy, liver, egg yolk, sardines

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) is essential in amino acid metabolism, making DNA, formation of red blood cells, and cell growth.
Food sources include: green leafy vegetables, egg yolk, legumes

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) is essential to the formation of red blood cells, and use of fats as fuel.
Food sources include: eggs, meat, diary products

Calcium is essential to bone formation and muscle contraction.
Food sources include: leafy green vegetables and dairy products.

Iron is essential to the formation of hemoglobin (the red pigment in blood that carries oxygen).
Food sources include: red meat, poultry, fish, leafy vegetables, beans, and tofu.

Iodine is essential to your thyroid hormones (controls your energy system).
Food sources include: seafood, and plants grown in iodine rich soil.

Magnesium is essential to using glycogen for fuel, formation of new proteins and is an electrolyte. Over 300 enzymes require magnesium to do their job.
Food sources include: legumes, whole grains, coffee, cocoa, tea, and chlorophyll in green vegetables.

Zinc is essential to all cell growth (ex: growth of muscle). It is found in more than a hundred enzymes.
Food sources include: Seafood, meat, and eggs. The quantity in plant depends on the quantity in the soil the plants grow. Some plant sources include wheat, nuts, and seeds (ex: sesame). 

Selenium is essential to the formation of antioxidant enzymes that neutralize the free radical (free radicals damage cells) hydrogen peroxide (which is greatly increased with exercise), and thyroid function.
Food sources include: nuts, cereals, meat, fish, and eggs.

Copper is essential to the energy cycle, formation of hemoglobin, oxygen use, and immune system.
Food sources include: nuts, potatoes, beans, sunflower seeds, oysters, and beef liver.

Manganese is essential for bone and cartilage formation, numerous enzymes including the antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase) that protects your cell’s “power plants” called mitochondria, and glucose and insulin metabolism.
Food sources include: whole grains, and most plant foods

Chromium is essential to insulin metabolism, food type metabolism (carbohydrate, fat, and protein), and muscle growth.
Food sources include: whole grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables

Molybdenum is essential to numerous enzymes involved, for example, with amino acid metabolism. In essence it is important to growth and, as with the other minerals, a healthy and long life.
Food sources include: eggs, animal liver, plant food (ex: lentils, green beans, sunflower seeds, wheat flour, and cereal grain) – as with numerous other minerals, the amount of molybdenum in plant food depends on the soil content where plants are grown and thus varies greatly.

Potassium is essential to the function of all living cells. It is one of the main electrolytes in the body involved in conducting nerve impulses that allow muscles to contract. Other functions include controlling fluid balance and regulating certain hormones.
Food sources include: fruits and vegetables 

Boron is essential to normal growth especially muscle and bone growth and maintenance.
Food sources include: plant foods including nuts, raisins, and dates

Vanadium is essential to normal health and growth.
Food sources include: vegetables and seafood
 
 
‡ These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.