Tag: Vitamin vs mineral

Over 99% of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones and teeth. This fact helps clarify that calcium is a mineral, not a vitamin, and serves vital structural and functional roles in the body.

According to the National Institutes of Health, iron is a mineral vital for growth and development, not a vitamin. A common point of confusion, understanding this distinction is key to comprehending how your body uses iron and how to get enough of it from your diet.

As of a 2003 survey, approximately 23% of women aged 19 and older in the U.S. consume supplements containing iron. Despite its popularity, many still ask: is iron considered a vitamin supplement? The definitive answer is no; iron is an essential mineral, and understanding the distinction is key to proper nutrition.

While many people are confused about the classification of this compound, arginine is, in fact, an amino acid—not a vitamin or a mineral. It is a unique protein building block that the body can synthesize on its own under normal circumstances, though it may become 'conditionally essential' in certain situations.

According to the National Institutes of Health, zinc is an essential mineral, not a vitamin, required for numerous bodily functions. So, is zinc a vitamin or medicine? Its classification depends on its purpose, from daily nutritional intake to targeted medical treatments for specific conditions.

While both are essential micronutrients for overall health, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and calcium is an inorganic mineral. It is a common misconception to ask do vitamin C and calcium the same thing, but in reality, they serve vastly different roles within the human body.