Vitamins and minerals are groups of chemical substances needed in the body in significantly smaller amounts than proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but they are essential for normal functioning and health as part of a series of biochemical processes important for normal work of our bodies. Vitamins and minerals indeed are important and essential compounds that many people do not get enough from only by taking food into the body, and should be taken in especially high quantities any kind of nutritional program, because at that times, the vitamin intake is often reduced because of the changed intake of food.

Protecting your heart against the perils of homocysteine is simple, but most people don't do it. A researcher at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., MD, MSPM, says "approximately 70% of the adult population in the United States is exposed to a risk factor for cardiovascular disease-an elevated plasma homocysteine concentration-that can be easily avoided simply by consuming a B vitamin supplement."

With so many benefits, it is no wonder that this vitamin is so popular. It is important to include it in a multi-vitamin or supplemental form. The benefits to your body are astounding and it is very easy to add to the diet. It is also very inexpensive and convenient. It is also very important to make sure that your children are getting enough of this vital vitamin.

Good dietary sources of vitamin B6 include chicken, tuna, salmon, shrimp, brewer's yeast, lentils, soyabean, nuts, peas, walnuts, bananas, peanut butter, carrots, brown rice, bran, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and whole-grain flour.Pyridoxine is sensitive to sunlight; cooking and processing, so watch out while cooking!

The importance of the vitamin to mood was established in a 2008 study by the University of Amsterdam, which showed that older people with low levels of the vitamin were more likely to be depressed. The researchers said that while additional study is warranted to determine whether the deficiency is the cause of depression or a side effect of it, they observed that the correlation between low D vitamin levels and depression were unmistakable.

Protects against cancer The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that a four-year clinical trial involving 1,179 healthy post-menopausal women showed that improving calcium and vitamin D levels substantially reduced risk of all cancers in postmenopausal women.

While we wait for the word on vitamin D benefits, your best bet if you're concerned about your risk of colon cancer is to see that your levels of this important nutrient are as high as they should be by including vitamin D rich foods into your diet.Eat a balanced diet, stop smoking, get more active, manage your weight - Especially abdominal fat, and limit your intake of red/processed meats and alcohol to do all you can to keep yourself healthy and cancer free.