Vitamins and minerals are the small nutrients with the big jobs. They help you turn food into energy, build your bones, carry oxygen in your blood, calm your nerves, steady your mood and protect your cells. Your body needs them every day, and the best place to find them is real, varied food.

This guide brings together everything I share about the 26 essential vitamins and minerals, from vitamin A to zinc. Each page answers the questions people really ask: what the nutrient does, the foods richest in it, what to know if you eat vegan or vegetarian, what changes in midlife, the signs of having too little or too much, and whether a supplement makes sense. Use the menus above to browse by type or from A to Z, or start with the sections below.

Where to start in midlife

Perimenopause and menopause change what your body asks of you. These are the pages I’d read first:

• Vitamin D and calcium, for your bones as oestrogen falls, with vitamin K to help calcium go where it belongs.

• Magnesium, for sleep, calm and muscles, and how to choose between the many forms.

• Iron, if your periods have become heavier, and why your needs change after menopause.

• Vitamin B12, because absorption falls with age and its signs look a lot like menopause.

• Iodine and selenium, the two minerals your thyroid relies on.

• Biotin and silicon (silica), if thinning hair or brittle nails are on your mind.

If you eat vegan or vegetarian

A plant-based diet can give you almost everything you need, with a little planning for a handful of nutrients. Vitamin B12 is the one you can’t get from plants, so fortified foods or a supplement are essential. Iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B2 and selenium deserve some attention too. Each of these pages has practical tips for plant-based eaters, and I bring them together in How to meet your nutritional needs on a plant-based diet.

Vitamins, minerals and trace elements

Vitamins come in two families. The fat-soluble ones, A, D, E and K, are stored in your body and absorbed best with a little fat, which is also why too much from supplements can build up. The water-soluble ones, vitamin C and the B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, biotin, folate and B12), are mostly not stored, so you need a steady supply.

Minerals are needed in larger amounts: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.

Trace elements are needed in tiny amounts, but they matter just as much: iron, zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, manganese, chromium and silicon.

How to get more vitamins and minerals from your food

• Build your meals around vegetables and fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, with eggs, dairy, fish or meat if you eat them.

• Eat a rainbow across the week, because different colours bring different nutrients. I explain why in Colour your plate with nutrients.

• Choose whole grains over refined ones: much of the goodness sits in the bran and the germ.

• Steam, roast or stir-fry rather than boiling for a long time, and use cooking water in soups.

• Pair foods that help each other: vitamin C with plant iron, a little healthy fat with vitamins A, D, E and K.

• Go easy on ultra-processed, sugary and salty foods, which fill you up without giving much back.

What about supplements?

For most people, a varied diet built on whole foods provides what the body needs. At certain times, a supplement can be genuinely helpful: vitamin B12 on a vegan diet, vitamin D in the darker months, folic acid before and in early pregnancy, or when a blood test shows you’re low.

More isn’t always better, though. Some nutrients can be harmful in high doses, such as vitamins A, D and B6, iron, selenium and zinc, and it’s easy to double up when several products contain the same thing, so it’s worth reading every label. Some interact with medicines: vitamin K with warfarin, calcium with iron and thyroid medicine, and biotin with blood tests. If you think you might be low in something, talk to your doctor, who can test for it and advise what’s right for you.

Common questions

Is it better to get nutrients from food or supplements? For most people, food first. Food brings vitamins and minerals together with fibre, protein and healthy fats, in forms your body knows how to use. Supplements can help in specific situations, ideally guided by your doctor.

Which foods are richest in vitamins and minerals? Leafy greens, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, colourful vegetables and fruit, eggs, oily fish and shellfish are among the most nutrient-dense foods. Variety across the week matters more than any single food.

Which nutrients matter most after menopause? Vitamin D, calcium, vitamin K and magnesium for your bones, B12 because absorption falls with age, and iodine and selenium for your thyroid. Iron needs usually fall once periods stop.

Which nutrients should vegans watch? Vitamin B12 above all, then iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B2 and selenium.

What is the difference between vitamins and minerals? Vitamins are made by living things, such as plants, animals and bacteria, and many can be damaged by heat, light and air. Minerals come from the soil and water and are not destroyed by cooking, although some can be lost into cooking water.

Can you take too many vitamins? Yes, mostly from supplements. Fat-soluble vitamins and several minerals can build up and cause harm, so check labels and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking high doses.

Want help putting this into practice?

Understanding nutrients is one thing; turning them into meals and habits that fit your real life is another. That’s what coaching is for.

I’m a nutrition health coach, not a doctor or dietitian, so everything here is general information to help you eat well, not medical advice. If you have a specific concern, your doctor is the best person to help.