Vitamins Guide | The Benefits of Vitamins and Minerals Supplementation

Vitamins Guide

Vitamin supplements are essential to our diet

Vitamins are amongst the most essential ingredients that our body needs to function properly. Without vitamins, our bodies cannot successfully fight infections and are more prone to disease and free radicals damage. Most of our vitamin needs are fulfilled through proper nutrition. Fruits and vegetables are well known sources of good vitamins, but so are eggs, milk and meat. Learn about benefits of vitamins and how you get them from food sources.

Vitamins benefits and food sources

Vitamins Food Sources

Vitamin supplements are widely available. But where do you find good vitamins food sources? What foods are best for which vitamins? A well balanced nutrition will ensure that you get the necessary vitamins. Take a look at a quick guide to vitamin food sources.

Multivitamins Benefits

A good daily dose of multivitamins and minerals will not only maintain your general bodily functions, but also improve your mental and physical condition and wellbeing. Multivitamins also act as a good guardian and preventor of illness and diseases.

Vitamin A Beta Carotene

Vitamin A was given the first letter of the alphabet for a name because it was the first vitamin to be discovered. Converted from beta carotene, vitamin A is particularly known for keeping the eyes healthy, helping cell growth and boosting immune system.

B Vitamins Group

It's the largest group of vitamins, with 20-30 different B vitamins included. Each of them is essential for some processes in the body. Without them our blood supply would not be healthy. We list some of the best known B vitamins and their benefits.

Vitamin B1 Thiamin

This vitamin is referred to by different names. In the US it's known as vitamin B1, while in Europe and the UK in particular it's known as aneurin. It converts blood sugar into energy, plays a vital role in nerves function and it's important for general mental health.

Vitamin B2 Riboflavin

Vitamin B2 is one of water-soluble vitamins, meaning that the body does not store it. This is why people often suffer from its defficiency. The symptoms are usually dry and scaling skin, and itchy or light-sensitive eyes. B2 is essential for the body growth and reproduction.

Vitamin B3 Niacin

This is another of eight water-soluble B vitamins. It plays an important role in the functioning of the digestive system. It helps convert carbohydrates into blood sugar, which provides energy. Niscin also helps with circulation and reducing cholesterol levels.

Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid

This is particularly an important vitamin, by helping over 300 bodily functions. It can protect against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Without vitamin C the body would not be able to heal itself. It also helps the body to better absorb other vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin D Kalciferol

It's the only vitamin that the body produces itself. So, it's also referred to as a prohormone, that's essential to wellbeing of all living creatures, both plants and animals. While some small quantity of vitamin D is obtained from food, most is made by the body exposed to sunlight.

Vitamin E Tocopherol

While there are several forms of vitamin E, in two groups of tocopherols and tocotrienols, it's alpha-tocopherol that's useful for humans. This vitamin protects the heart health and immunity. Learn about its benefits, deficiency and food sources where it can be found.

Modern foods depleted of vitamins and minerals

Vitamins are plentiful in fruits and vegies

Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins

Unfortunately, the foods we eat today are not what they used to be. Modern agriculture and farming practices have slowly depleted our foods from valuable nutrients, leaving us with foods increasingly void of essential vitamins and minerals.

An article in British Guardian reported this year that mineral levels in milk and meat have plummeted over the last 60 years. The average rump steak has lost 55% of iron, while magnesium levels dropped by 7%. After analyzing 15 different meat items, it was found that iron levels have dropped down by 47% on average. That's nearly half of what they used to be.

Dairy products have also suffered. Milk has lost over 60% of iron content, while cream and eight different cheeses all have 50% less iron than before. Milk has also lost 2% of its calcium, while its magnesium levels are lower by 21%.

Dr Tim Lobstein, of a UK consumer watchdog agency summarized it well: "[T]oday's agriculture does not allow the soil to enrich itself, but depends on chemical fertilizers that don't replace the wide variety of nutrients plants and humans need". And the most essential of those are vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins supplementation

So, what's the solution to this lack of vitamins and minerals in our food?

Eat whole and organically grown foods, which are usually rich in vitamins and minerals. While these foods are becoming more readily available, they're often out of reach for "ordinary person", be it higher costs or not always available at foods and groceries stores.

But even such foods often do not provide enough vitamins and minerals for our daily needs.

The best solution is to supplement your diet with extra vitamins and minerals. Add extra vitamins to your balanced diet and you will find that your body fights disease and infection much easier. Not to mention reduced cells damage, owing to vitamins and antioxidants action against free radicals.

Subscribe to our free health newsletter
(go to Signup page)

New, lower prices for Peptide Bioregulators
~~$54.99~~ - $49.99