Are you getting enough from your diet?
A diet which is rich in organic vegetables and fruits, wholegrain products and good quality proteins should provide all of the vitamins and minerals you need. However, it is worth bearing in mind that much of your food is processed or grown on land which is itself poor in nutrients.
As long ago as 1936 warnings were being given about the poor quality of soil and it's effect on the food being grown on it. Problems have arisen because chemical fertilisers primarily contain the growth promoting elements nitrogen and phosphorus and exclude the trace elements which are vital to human health.
It follows that if the soil is depleted of minerals, then plants cannot take them up. In 1991 a report showed that the mineral content of our food was over 45% more in 1946 than it was in 1991.
If possible eat organic fruit and vegetables grown on land which is fertilised using manure. Buying food which is organic will assure you that chemicals and pesticides will not have been sprayed on it. However, if the land it was grown on has been chemically fertilised, then it will be deficient in minerals.
Look out for local farms and market stalls which sell local produce which has been grown organically and fertilised with manure.
Do also be aware that if you buy your fruit and vegetables wrapped in shrink wrap plastics, then they will absorb xenoestrogens from the plastic. Xenoestrogens come from plastics, foods, microwaving food and pesticides. Studies have linked xenoestrogens to breast cancer, testicular cancer, endometriosis and reduced sperm count.
The whole problem is compounded by the fact that the toxic load on our bodies, and therefore our requirements for vitamins and minerals is greater than ever before. Combined with the increasing poor nutrient contents of our food, the gap between what we need and what we actually get from our food is getting wider.
If you don't eat organic fruit and vegetables, then it is advisable to take a good quality mineral and vitamin supplement. An organic vitamin and mineral supplement will provide you with nutrients which can be more easily assimilated into your body than synthetic supplements.