Posts Tagged ‘vitamin’

Vitamin and Minerals

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Like all other kinds of nutrition, vitamins and minerals are also immensely important for a human body. People care about their protein intake as well as intakes of fiber, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, water and many other things but minerals are often ignored. Only a very few people know and care about the requirement of minerals in the body. Vitamins are important to and required by all living things but only in minute amounts. Different creatures would require different vitamins. For instance, Vitamin C, scientifically known as ascorbic acid, is only need by human beings. The major difference between minerals and vitamins is that vitamins are organic compounds and minerals are inorganic compounds.

Where vitamins are produced or synthesized within the body of a creature, minerals are taken in through water or plants. Plants have the tendency to absorb minerals in them from the soil and when they are consumed by animals and human beings, they are transferred into the body. Both the nutrients, vitamins and minerals, are highly important for living organisms as they no only make up a body but also contribute greatly towards its proper functioning. If the synthesis in the body or diet is not being able to compensate properly for the required amount of these nutrients, vitamin/minerals supplements are the way to go.

On the television and other forms of media, people often get to see very attractive advertisements of energy drinks, foodstuffs, cereals and other eatables. These advertisements claim a certain product to have all those minerals, vitamins, protein, fiber and other nutrients that a body would need and that they can invigorate the right amount of energy in the body. People need to understand the fact that even the most powerful of vitamins can not act as fast as these products claim and that they do not always contain the amount and type of vitamin that one would want. Hence, it is not advisable to believe in these ads. Vitamins could be of two types, either water-soluble or fat-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins are the ones that can dissolve in fat and can be stored in the body. Some of the most commonly found fat-soluble vitamins are Vitamin A, K, D and E. water-soluble vitamins on the other hand dissolve in water and hence are lost from the body on daily basis along with water. They are lost mostly during urination. Hence these vitamins need to be taken freshly everyday or as frequently as possible. Some common water-soluble vitamins are Vitamin C and B which include B12, folate, niacin, B6 and riboflavin. Just like vitamins, different minerals are also needed in different amounts. Since calcium makes up the bones, it is required by the entire skeletal system and hence is required in the largest amount. Other minerals such as copper, selenium, zinc, chromium, iron and iodine are required in minute quantities. Hence they are known as trace minerals. The products whose advertisements that people get to see are never formulated for all kinds of bodies. They have a standard formula and are made according to a standard vitamin/minerals quantity. Hence they can not work for everyone.

Although vitamins are generally believed to be formed inside the bodies and the intake of vitamins is related to eating plants and herbs, it is quite possible that vitamin/minerals foods be eaten in almost all the cultures of the world. There are many foods that contain vitamins and minerals and are commonly eaten by people in many places. However, these foods do not work on a standard nutrition but like all other nutrients such as fiber, protein etc, they also have varying amounts of vitamins and minerals. In case of misbalance of either of these two nutrients in the body, doctors recommend a change in diet. This greatly helps balance the nutrients in the body. Hence this prescribed diet chart might be biased towards certain foods. For healthy people though, being biased towards certain foods and ignoring other might result in an opposite effect and spoil the health by increasing some nutrients too much and reducing others to a dangerous level. In case of health issues, people must try regaining their health and fighting back the problems by making best use of food rather than relying on supplements. This is because supplements mostly contain synthetically extracted parts of nutrients and hence can never be as healthy as food itself. Doctors recommend vitamin/minerals only in cases where patient can not take certain foods due to presence of other nutrients that are not to be taken.

With care and consideration, people can prepare the best possible foods, follow a healthy diet chart and live happy and healthy lives.

 

Vitamin and Minerals

Multivitamin Supplements

Friday, January 21st, 2011

The human body is a well-crafted piece of art, with its fragile balance of different compounds and maintenance of homeostatic conditions to function faultlessly. There is a certain amount of input that the body needs in the form of diet for healthy operations. It is hard to keep track of exactly which nutrients and in what quantities is present in your meal. Knowing this, is important because you need to know if your body is receiving all the raw materials it needs to be claimed healthy. A nutrient which is not synthesized in the properly required amounts in the body is termed as a vitamin that is why physicians believe they need to be supplied to the body through artificial supplementation or through external dietary intake of foods containing vitamins.

Multivitamin supplements are care formulated to supplement a human diet and also contain a benefitting amount of dietary minerals along with many other nutritional elements. Different vitamins serve different functions in the body here are a few examples of Vitamin functions in the body.

Vitamin C:

Lack of this vital nutrient can result in weak muscles and crippling bone structure and the inability in a human to support his weight. You are vulnerable to diseases like Scurvy in which you can lose your teeth due to weekend gums, brown spots start appearing all over your skin. A natural source of Vitamin C is Citrus fruits. Multivitamin supplements carry only the required amount per dosage that the body needs per day to function properly.

Vitamin B family:

It is an important ingredient when it comes to determining the rate of metabolism of a person. It accounts for the production of various hormones, deficiency of which can result in various diseases such as a low metabolic rate. Also various skin problems can arise as a result of low levels of this vitamin for example lack of vitamin B2 may cause cracks in lips, high sensitivity to sunlight, deficiency of B5 can result in Acne and parasthesia.

Vitamin A:

Perhaps the most common of all vitamin deficiencies as recorded by W.H.O (World Health Organization) that an estimated number of 500,000 children in developing countries go blind each year due to the lack of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient required by the body to maintain proper eye functioning. Vitamin A is one of the many vital nutrients provided by Multivitamin Supplements.

Vitamin D:

Children suffer from stunted bone growth and muscle weakness due to the lack of Vitamin D or scientifically known as Hypovitaminosis D. The resulting disease known as rickets can weaken bones to an extent to cause paralysis for the rest of an individual’s life. Osteomalacia a condition which can cause the thinning of bones which is also a consequence of the lack of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E:

Deficiency of Vitamin E can cause disturbance in the nervous system as a person deficient in vitamin E can suffer from poor nerve conduction.

Benefits of Multivitamins:

  1. One Pill a Day Covers all, taking different supplementations for different nutrients can be quite a nuisance; multivitamins provide the right amount of every vitamin calculated down to the nearest micro gram to achieve perfection in quantity.
  2. You feel healthier when your body is provided with all the right constituents to be healthy as even the slightest of deficiency of a vitamin can be a door to various diseases.
  3. Multivitamins come in Liquids, tablets, capsules, and also gel forms, making them easy to consume. It is recommended to take them in either liquid or capsule form because the largely available multivitamin tablets are harder for your body to break down.

Multivitamins are the most important nutritional supplement a person can take as it is a part of nature’s plan for these vitalities to be induced in the body externally because they are not naturally synthesized and yet they are an essential component of a healthy diet.

Although multivitamins provide seamless bilogical advantages, their intake and requirement can be case sensitive so it is best to consult your physician to know what best suits your body for optimum results.

A Lack Of Vitamins

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Everyone knows that the human body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals everyday to function properly and remain healthy. A well balanced diet can supply your body with the vitamins it needs, although problems and disorders can arise if your diet doesn’t supply your body with the vitamins it needs. The symptoms of vitamin deficiency will normally present themselves when the lack of vitamins is at an advanced level.

Those who don’t get enough of vitamins A, B1, and B2 for example, will always feel tired, along with a loss of appetite. Other symptoms include mental and emotional stress, chapped lips, and other annoying or painful habits. …read more

Eating Healthy During Pregnancy

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Healthy Diet for Pregnancy

Starting off your with a healthy well balanced diet is the best thing you do for yourself and your baby.  This way, you’ll only need to make a few adjustments during your pregnancy.

Your first trimester
If you find it tough to maintain a balanced diet during your first trimester, you can rest assured that your not alone.  Due to queasiness, some women will eat all of the time and gain a lot of weight in the process.  Other women have trouble getting food down and subsequently lose weight.
Preventing malnutrition and dehydration are your most important factors during first trimester. …read more

The Healthiest Foods You Can Get

Friday, May 7th, 2010

The following is a list of the healthiest foods that you can get.  This will help you get an idea as to what foods are the best for your body.

  • Fruit

  • Apricots
    Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to prevent radical damage and also helps to protect the eyes.  A single apricot contains 17 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.  You can eat them dried or soft.
  • Mango
    A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C, which is nearly your entire daily dose.  This antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also boost your immune system. …read more

What is the importance of Body Building supplements?

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Most people are under the misconception that to gain lean muscle mass, bodybuilding supplements are essential. Please remember that supplements are only additions to an already well-planned nutrition diet and training program. Bodybuilding Nutrition and training are the two indispensable components of any bodybuilding program. Once your diet plan and training schedule are in place, then you can think of body building supplements to further your aim. Supplements only work when your diet and your training program are optimal.

Nutritional supplements are necessary to compensate for any nutritional deficiencies. The increased physical activity because of your new exercise program will make your body demand more vitamins and minerals. Even a marginal nutrient deficiency can sabotage muscle growth. We obviously cannot rely solely on food alone to provide us with all the vitamins and minerals that our body needs. This is more so, because the processing of foods before they get to the supermarket, cooking, air, and even light would have already robbed the food of most of the vitamins. If you are deficient in one or more nutrients your body may not be able to build muscle and burn fat properly.

…read more