Vitamins are components of food that are absolutely vital for optimum cellular function. Without them, our bodies soon break down. Minerals are naturally occurring elements and compounds (like rocks) with a specific structure and chemical formula. Minerals are also vital for health and wellbeing in small quantities. They play fundamental roles in our metabolic pathways and are essential for the structural parts of our bodies, including bone and tooth health.
A vitamin is an organic compound that is required in small amounts to maintain normal metabolic function, although higher doses are often used therapeutically. Minerals, on the other hand, are those solids we have all seen in the science museum. They vary widely in form and structure, but they are generally hard rock-like or crystalline substances that can be found all over the world. Examples include compounds of calcium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc and chloride.
As our soils are increasingly over-farmed, their mineral content decreases year by year which is why our food has fewer minerals in it then it did a generation or two back, and does not have the vitality or components to create vitamins. The solution is better farming methods, buying organic produce, and supplementing our diets with the missing minerals that we require.