Are you taking vitamins?
By Sandy Morris on Dec 18, 2009 in Featured, Health-N-Fitness
Image by veo_ via Flickr
Are you taking a daily dose of vitamins to offset any deficiencies in your body? Do you often forget to take your vitamins?
With the many differing opinions in the science and health world it becomes increasingly more difficult to know if you should, when you should and just what you should take.
Most of us never took vitamins as a child. There was no need. Mother was always making us eat our vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, beets, carrots and lets not forget spinach. The normal dinner time meal had at least 2 vegetables that were often cooked from fresh vegetables… not canned, not frozen and certainly not in pill form. We often had fruit such as apples, oranges or grapes packed in our lunches that we took to school in our lunch box with Roy Rogers on the front.
The years have passed, Mom is no longer in the home all day, the vegetables we eat today are processed, canned, bagged and often frozen. Gone are most of the vitamins and minerals they possessed. Those vitamins are now taken in a pill form or liquid each day but are they actually a benefit to our body or could they be more a benefit of a vitamin manufacturing company.
So just what vitamins should a person take daily? Unfortunately everyone has deficiencies in their DNA which shows a higher need for one vitamin over another so one pill doesn’t always do the trick for everyone. In fact one size really does not fit all.
There are some facts about vitamins you should know. Daily vitamin supplements can be an important part of good health, because most of us don’t get enough nutrients from our daily food.
To get a better understanding of what a vitamin does here is a basic description of the most popular:
Facts About Vitamins
Vitamin A is important for eyesight and for the healthy growth of all body cells and tissues. Problems associated with a vitamin A deficiency include night blindness, skin problems, problems with reproduction, and increased susceptibility to infection.
Vitamin B1, or thiamin, helps the body produce energy from carbohydrates. Thiamin deficiency can cause weak muscles, fatigue, and nerve damage.
Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, helps the body’s cells produce energy. It also helps change tryptophan (an amino acid) into niacin, another B vitamin. Riboflavin deficiency can cause eye problems such as cataracts and skin disorders
Vitamin B3, or niacin helps the body use sugars and fatty acids, and also helps the cells produce energy. Niacin deficiency can cause mental confusion and skin disorders.
Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, helps the body produce energy. It is also needed to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in foods. Vitamin B5 deficiency is rare because it is abundant in many different foods.
Vitamin B6 helps the body manufacture protein, which is used to build cells. It also helps the body produce various chemicals, such as hemoglobin, insulin, and antibodies. Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause depression and skin disorders.
Vitamin B7, or biotin, like vitamin B5, helps the body produce energy and metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Biotin deficiency can cause heart problems, skin problems, depression, and fatigue.
Vitamin B9, or folate (or folic acid), is a vitamin that helps produce DNA. It also helps vitamin B12 make hemoglobin in red blood cells. A lack of folate can cause a form of anemia and birth defects.
Vitamin B12 helps the body make red blood cells. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause a certain type of anemia, fatigue, and nerve damage.
Vitamin C is needed for a number of important functions, including the absorption of iron, the production of collagen (a connective tissue), and the formation and repair of red blood cells. A lack of vitamin C can cause excessive bleeding and poor wound healing.
Vitamin D is needed to help with the absorption of calcium. Lack of vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and as such, it helps protect against heart disease and certain types of cancer. Vitamin E deficiency is rather rare since it is abundant in many different foods, but a lack of vitamin E can lead to problems with the nervous system.
Vitamin K is needed for proper blood clotting. A lack of vitamin K can lead to bleeding problems.
Daily Vitamin Supplements
As you can see from these facts about vitamins, it is very important to get all the nutrients you need. Daily vitamin supplements are one way to make sure you do that. Most daily vitamin supplements contain minerals as well as vitamins, and those are just as important.
The facts about vitamins tell us that just about everyone could benefit from a daily supplement. Some people are at greater risk of vitamin deficiency, however, and should definitely include a supplement in their diet. This includes pregnant women, the elderly, anyone with an illness or injury that needs to recover, and people who have had gastric bypass surgery.
So having said all of this do you know if your vitamins contain what you need? Have you ever compared one daily supplement to another? I didn’t think so.
It is time we all do more to prolong a healthy life and so we will begin doing a series on health issues including but not limited to vitamins and minerals. Here are a couple interesting articles on vitamins and food safety to supplement your reading.
FDA Guidelines and Vitamin Information
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