Vitamins and minerals are important co-factors supporting energy metabolism and well-being. They are part of the micronutrient family (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids), which plays a role in virtually every biological, chemical, and physiological process in our bodies.
Mitochondria exist in every cell of our body and are often referred to as the “powerhouse” of the cell. They generate energy in the form of a molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
Here are some examples of how vitamins and minerals function in energy metabolism:
- Riboflavin (B2) as a cofactor in the mitochondrial respiratory chain helps release energy from foods.
- Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of carnitine (transports long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria) and the catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline (energizing neurotransmitters).
- Calcium activates a series of reactions, including fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial carrier for ATP (with magnesium), and glucose-stimulated insulin release.
- Phosphorus is a structural component of nucleotide coenzymes; ATP contains phosphorus, as it does creatine phosphate, another high-energy compound. ATP transforms energy and activates molecules.
- Iron is an essential part of haemoglobin for oxygen transport and of myoglobin for transporting and storing oxygen in the muscle and releasing it when needed during muscle contraction. It also facilitates electron transfer in the respiratory chain and is thus important in ATP synthesis.
- Zinc is an essential part of over 100 enzymes, some of which are involved in energy metabolism.
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