A high fiber diet may also help prevent or improve high cholesterol levels, heart disease and diabetes. Excess fiber in the diet may may result in bloating, excess gas and diarrhea or interfere with the absorption of some minerals. Top of page. Vitamins and Minerals Vitamins and minerals are found in the foods we eat. Although they do not provide energy they are essential to the maintenance of normal health.
Vitamins are organic chemicals that are vital for normal body function.
Lack of specific vitamins may lead to diseases. Scurvy results from a lack of vitamin c and osteomalacia from vitamin D deficiency. Lack of folic acid in pregnant women may result in fetal spinal cord defects. In contrast to vitamins, which are organic, minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron are inorganic chemicals used by cells within the body to perform chemical reactions. Calcium and phosphorous are crucial for bone formation while iron is vital to the production of healthy blood cells.