The average American seems to do all he or she can to attain a longer, more prosperous and healthier life. There are a host of reasons to encourage the use of essential supplements to reduce the severity of chronic illnesses and to extend lifespan among the general consensus. In regards to this, there are two vast concepts: the first is that genes perform an important role in the overall picture of health and individual longevity. This is quite obvious because individuals have a tendency to develop similar symptoms of sickness of their ancestors.

The second vast concept is that we can control our destiny to a certain degree, for the simple reason that environmental conditions, like nutrition, play a vital part in overall health. An inadequate consumption of specific vitamins and minerals is a major aspect of the modern diet. Although genes may play an important role in deciding whether we live an extended, healthy life, within the confinements that are imposed by genes, good nutritional habits can definitely influence health.

Today we eat rather well, considering that only a few nutrient-dense nuts, fruits and vegetables are consumed regularly. We are not only under tremendous physical and psychological strain that our ancestors never dreamed about, but even if we had a balanced food diet intake, our food has less nutrition to begin with due to using synthetic chemicals. Furthermore, it is processed and stored within one inch of its life.

Vitamins make up one of several major groups of nutrients essential for health. They regulate chemical reactions by which the body changes food into energy and living tissues. A chemical compound that the human body needs in small doses, the vitamin is a fundamental part of the enzymes. Enzymes act as a catalyst in the chemical reactions of the human body that helps digest our food. More importantly, they are what cause things to occur, and occur faster. In short, without vitamins, the enzymes can't perform their duties.

Minerals are not produced by animals and plants; therefore, they are inorganic. Like the vitamin, a mineral functions as coenzymes, affording chemical reactions to perform throughout the entire body. Minerals belong in two groups: the macro- minerals and the micro-minerals. The macro-minerals consist of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. The micro-minerals consist of copper, iron, zinc and beron; as well as potassium, iodine, selenium, chromium and maganese. Stored primarily in muscle and bone tissue, minerals are in various parts of the body. It is also likely to overdose on minerals if the intake is of very large amounts.