We are able to look for nutritional elements that may be lacking in you diet. Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential for growth, maintenance and healthy bodily functioning. They are required in the diet in small amounts and often best absorbed in their natural food form.  Minerals are inorganic substances and they are essential for the performance of functions in cells and organs in the body; they originate in the earth and cannot be made by living organisms. Functions of minerals include building tissues, regulating body fluids and nervous system functioning. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can create many symptoms in the body; an example is vitamin b12 deficiency which can cause nervous system damage (tingling, poor balance, numbness), anaemia, poor appetite, fatigue, inflamed sore mouth, depression, mood swings, attention deficit and impaired sensory perception.  Bio-availability is the amount of nutrients absorbed from the diet, sometimes there may be reasons as to why certain nutrients are not being absorbed.