Nutrients is a collective term describing the various organic and non-organic compounds in our food, from which our body gathers the means to maintain it's own life. The nutrients in food are legion; basically they can be devided into groups:
- Vitamins are chemical compounds necessary for a diversity of processes in the body, but which the body is unable to produce, or unable to produce in adequate quantities.
- Minerals are substances necessary for many processes in the body.
- Phytonutrients are small, chemical substances derived from plants which are shown to play significant roles in maintaining health.