Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements: How do you fuel your body?
In this day and age, many have turned to dietary supplements, vitamins, and minerals, to ensure their bodies are properly fueled and ready for anything. These nutrients are an essential part of a healthy diet, and consuming too little can be harmful, leading to deficiencies and related health issues (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2023). However, the opposite is also true—taking excessive amounts of certain vitamins and minerals can result in toxicity and adverse health effects (Office of Dietary Supplements, 2022).
What is the difference between vitamins, minerals, and supplements?
When talking about diets and making healthy choices, the terms vitamins and supplements are used interchangeably, but what is the difference between them? And where do minerals come into play? While they all include nutrients essential for bodily function, they each have distinct ingredients.
Vitamins – Vitamins are all naturally-occurring organic compounds, mostly made up of carbon and hydrogen, that the body does not make itself. There are 13 essential vitamins.
Minerals – Minerals are all naturally-occurring inorganic compounds in their simplest form, made up of anything other than carbon and hydrogen, that the body does not make itself. There are many minerals, but 7 major minerals.
Supplements – While all vitamins and minerals can be taken as supplements, not all supplements are vitamins and minerals. Supplements, also called multivitamins, can be any mix of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other substances. Supplements are commonly used to support a healthy body while vitamins and minerals are most often taken to address specific deficiencies.
Where would you get them?
In America, the National Academy of Medicine develops nutrient reference values called the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for primarily vitamins and minerals. However, depending on the supplement ingredients, this could still be a helpful reference. These are intended as a guide for good nutrition and as a scientific basis for the development of food guidelines in both the U.S. and Canada. This guide is specific to age, gender, and life stages, and covers more than 40 nutrient substances. (Harvard, 2012)
Because your body does not produce the essential vitamins and minerals, the only way you can get them is through your diet. (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2023) If you focus on eating a well balanced diet then you don’t need to worry about if you are getting the right vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and Minerals are generally only prescribed for imbalances and diseases. If you have any concerns about dieting, and before implementing any dietary supplements, talk to your health care provider.
How Aslan Health Can Help
At Aslan Health, we take a practical, whole-person approach to nutrition and health.
If you’re wondering whether you need supplements—or if you’re already taking them and unsure if they’re helping—we can help you:
- Evaluate your current diet and lifestyle
- Identify potential deficiencies
- Order affordable lab testing
- Create a simple, targeted plan
No guesswork. No unnecessary products. Just clear, straightforward care.
References
“Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” Dietary Guidelines, https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
“Dietary Reference Intakes .” Home of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion – Odphp.Health.Gov, OASH: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 19 Nov. 2025, https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines/dietary-reference-intakes
“Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets.” Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/
“Vitamins & Minerals.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 1 Oct. 2025, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/vitamins-minerals
“Vitamins and Minerals • The Nutrition Source.” The Nutrition Source – Harvard Chan School, Harvard T.H. Chan school of Public Health, 18 Sept. 2012, https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/vitamins/
“Vitamins and Minerals | NCCIH.” NCCIH, July 2023, https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/vitamins-and-minerals
“What’s the Difference Between Vitamins and Supplements? – Wonder Laboratories.” Wonder Laboratories, https://wonderlabs.com/what-s-the-difference-between-vitamins-and-supplements