Vitamins and Supplements by Michael Brickey, Ph.D.
Magazines are full of articles such as, folic acid (Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, etc.) prevents.... This is presented as if it were news. The articles imply we should run out and buy the supplements. Such articles are especially common in magazines that advertise vitamins and supplements. Every month they seem to find or recycle a couple more vitamins and supplements.
What’s wrong? If you were to take all of the vitamins and supplements they recommend in a piecemeal fashion you would be heavily taxing your liver and your wallet. Many of these vitamins and supplements are included in a multiple vitamin and taking both may be taking too much. Many vitamins and supplements can cause serious health problems if taken in extreme amounts.
The articles give little consideration to how the vitamin or supplement interacts with other vitamins and supplements, e.g., high doses of Vitamin C can inhibit the absorption of B-12, calcium needs vitamin D. Supplements such as gingko biloba and aspirin thin the blood, which may or may not be desirable and certainly needs to be considered if you are going to have surgery.
The research often isn’t realistic. No one questions that we need folic acid. But the research should have large numbers of people in an experimental and placebo groups following the treatment program for several years. The control group should take a good daily multiple vitamin with the amount of folic acid that multiple vitamins usually contain. The treatment group would take the same multiple vitamin plus additional folic acid. Results should show a statistically and clinically significant effect. Research should also control for socioeconomic factors (people who normally take vitamins tend to be better educated, more affluent, eat more healthily, and exercise more). Rarely do popular press articles meet these criteria.
As consumers we need to eat healthy foods and take a good multiple vitamin as an insurance policy against whatever our diet misses. Then ask what special needs you have that call for additional supplements, e.g., men taking saw palmetto to help prevent prostate cancer, people with a risk of heart disease taking daily low dose aspirin, women who have problems with urinary tract infections drinking cranberry juice or using cranberry extract. Overdoing supplements and piecemeal use of supplements may cause more problems than they help.
Most people get enough iron from their food and don’t need iron in their vitamins. Iron in particular can contribute to free radical damage. People who do need iron in vitamins or supplements include: children, women who menstruate, people who donate blood, and people who are anemic.
On the lighter side, there is the story about two cows that saw a milk tank truck drive by. In large bold letters it said, Pasteurized, Homogenized, Vitamin A added. One cow turned to the other and said, “makes you feel sort of inadequate, doesn’t it?”
The bottom line is to take a good daily multiple vitamin geared to your age and gender. Then consider if there are any other supplements you need beyond what your multiple vitamin is providing. Only take those that fit with your plan. Largely ignore the endless piecemeal articles on miraculous vitamins and supplements.
Dr. Michael Brickey, The Anti-Aging Psychologist, teaches people to think, feel, look and be more youthful. He is an inspiring keynote speaker and the Oprah-featured author of Defy Aging and 52 baby steps to Grow Young. Visit www.NotAging.com for a free report on secrets for being more youthful and a free newsletter with practical anti-aging tips.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
12 Sources of Natural Vitamin Supplements
By Ben Adams
Taking vitamins has long been considered as a prerequisite to good health. In fact, health experts are in agreement, that these organic molecules are needed to be taken by the human body in minute quantities, to ensure proper health. According to these experts, a person deprived of a particular vitamin would eventually exhibit disease symptoms particular to the said vitamin.
The importance of vitamins for good health is a fact well known to everybody. Even children at the primary school level are well aware of this because they are being educated on the importance of vitamins for their body. But while everybody knows how important vitamins are, not everybody knows where to get them. In fact, many believe that the only source of vitamins is the medicine bottle.
Vitamins, however, are not limited to those that are sold on drug stores as food supplements. In fact, vitamins do exist naturally. To give more light on this topic, it may be better if we give you first a background on the basic types of vitamins available today.
The Basic Types of Vitamins Available in the Market
There are three general types of vitamins being sold in the market today. These three types are the natural vitamins, crystalline vitamins, and synthetic vitamins.
• Natural Vitamins
Natural vitamins are those vitamins that can readily be found in natural foods. If processed into a commercial food supplement, the vitamin must have all of its components intact, including its enzymes, co-enzymes, minerals, mineral activators, and co-vitamin helpers.
• Crystalline Vitamins
Crystalline vitamins are those vitamins that are extracted from natural food sources but were already treated with various high-powered chemicals, solvents, heat and distillations to separate the specific vitamin from all other synergistic components attached to it. As such, these vitamins have a very simple structure compared to the complex structure of natural vitamins.
• Synthetic Vitamins
Synthetic vitamins are those vitamins that were chemically formed in laboratories by scientists. While they are not derived from any natural source, the structure of these vitamins would usually resemble that of their crystalline counterparts.
As you can see, vitamins are not limited to those found on drug stores and medicine bottles. In this article, we’ll concentrate on those vitamins that can be found on natural food sources—the natural vitamin supplements.
Natural Vitamin Supplements
According to studies, our body needs 13 vitamins for proper bodily functions. These vitamins are composed of the vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins. The B vitamins, on the other hand, are composed of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate.
Now, all these vitamins are available in drug stores in various concentrations. However, all of these 13 vitamins can also be found on natural food sources. In fact, a person having a variety of foods in his diet must already be taking minute amounts of these vitamins everyday. And as have previously been said, only a minute amount of all these vitamins are needed by the body to function properly.
So if you are interested on keeping your health at its prime, then you can bank on the natural vitamins that nature has to offer. Here is a list of the food sources from which you can extract natural vitamin supplements:
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A can be found from meat sources and dairy products like milk, cheese, cream, liver, kidney, and cod liver. But since all of these are high cholesterol products, you may want to try getting vitamin A from its precursor, beta-carotene. Common sources of beta carotene are raw carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe, spinach, mango, broccoli and other red- or yellow-skinned fruits and vegetables.
2. Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Common sources of thiamine are fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains, lean meats, fish, peas and dried beans. Some dairy products, fruits and vegetables are also rich in vitamin B1.
3. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Dairy products like milk and yogurt are the primary sources of riboflavin. Other sources are chicken meat, green and leafy vegetables, fruits and almonds.
4. Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Food products that are rich in niacin include dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts and eggs. Some legumes and cereals also contain traces of niacin.
5. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B5 rich foods would include, fish, dairy products, poultry, lean beef, yeast and vegetables in the cabbage family. Also rich in vitamin B5 are white and sweet potatoes as well as peanuts and peas.
6. Vitamin B6 (pyroxidine)
Fruits like bananas, watermelons and tomatoes are known sources of vitamin B6. Other common sources are chicken, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, white rice, peanuts, oats and fortified cereals.
7. Vitamin B12
Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and dairy products comprise the rich sources for vitamin B12.
8. Folate
Green and leafy vegetables are the largest source of folates, although this vitamin can also be found on tomato juice, peas, wheat germ, oranges and mushrooms.
9. Vitamin C
The most common sources of vitamin C are the citrus fruits and their juices like strawberry, melon, cranberry, grapefruit and others. Most other fruits and vegetables also contain small amounts of vitamin C.
10. Vitamin D
The largest sources of vitamin D are dairy products, poultry, and cereals. Aside from these food sources, the body also synthesizes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the heat of the sun.
11. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is mostly derived from plant oils and products made from it, like margarine and mayonnaise. Other sources include peanuts, whole grains, wheat germ, corn, nuts, olives, spinach and other green and leafy vegetables.
12. Vitamin K
Leafy and green vegetables like cabbage and spinach are the primary source of Vitamin K. Other sources include soybeans, cereals, fruits, beets, potatoes, dairy products, meat products and poultry. Bacteria found in the stomach and in the intestines can also synthesize vitamin K.
Ben Adams is the author of: 'Vitamin Supplements Health Boosting Secrets' an informative guide on how to naturally improve your health. Claim your free 5-part 'Vitamin and Supplement tips' course here: Free Vitamin Supplement Course
Article Source: http://articles.directorygold.com
By Ben Adams
Taking vitamins has long been considered as a prerequisite to good health. In fact, health experts are in agreement, that these organic molecules are needed to be taken by the human body in minute quantities, to ensure proper health. According to these experts, a person deprived of a particular vitamin would eventually exhibit disease symptoms particular to the said vitamin.
The importance of vitamins for good health is a fact well known to everybody. Even children at the primary school level are well aware of this because they are being educated on the importance of vitamins for their body. But while everybody knows how important vitamins are, not everybody knows where to get them. In fact, many believe that the only source of vitamins is the medicine bottle.
Vitamins, however, are not limited to those that are sold on drug stores as food supplements. In fact, vitamins do exist naturally. To give more light on this topic, it may be better if we give you first a background on the basic types of vitamins available today.
The Basic Types of Vitamins Available in the Market
There are three general types of vitamins being sold in the market today. These three types are the natural vitamins, crystalline vitamins, and synthetic vitamins.
• Natural Vitamins
Natural vitamins are those vitamins that can readily be found in natural foods. If processed into a commercial food supplement, the vitamin must have all of its components intact, including its enzymes, co-enzymes, minerals, mineral activators, and co-vitamin helpers.
• Crystalline Vitamins
Crystalline vitamins are those vitamins that are extracted from natural food sources but were already treated with various high-powered chemicals, solvents, heat and distillations to separate the specific vitamin from all other synergistic components attached to it. As such, these vitamins have a very simple structure compared to the complex structure of natural vitamins.
• Synthetic Vitamins
Synthetic vitamins are those vitamins that were chemically formed in laboratories by scientists. While they are not derived from any natural source, the structure of these vitamins would usually resemble that of their crystalline counterparts.
As you can see, vitamins are not limited to those found on drug stores and medicine bottles. In this article, we’ll concentrate on those vitamins that can be found on natural food sources—the natural vitamin supplements.
Natural Vitamin Supplements
According to studies, our body needs 13 vitamins for proper bodily functions. These vitamins are composed of the vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins. The B vitamins, on the other hand, are composed of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate.
Now, all these vitamins are available in drug stores in various concentrations. However, all of these 13 vitamins can also be found on natural food sources. In fact, a person having a variety of foods in his diet must already be taking minute amounts of these vitamins everyday. And as have previously been said, only a minute amount of all these vitamins are needed by the body to function properly.
So if you are interested on keeping your health at its prime, then you can bank on the natural vitamins that nature has to offer. Here is a list of the food sources from which you can extract natural vitamin supplements:
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A can be found from meat sources and dairy products like milk, cheese, cream, liver, kidney, and cod liver. But since all of these are high cholesterol products, you may want to try getting vitamin A from its precursor, beta-carotene. Common sources of beta carotene are raw carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe, spinach, mango, broccoli and other red- or yellow-skinned fruits and vegetables.
2. Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Common sources of thiamine are fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains, lean meats, fish, peas and dried beans. Some dairy products, fruits and vegetables are also rich in vitamin B1.
3. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Dairy products like milk and yogurt are the primary sources of riboflavin. Other sources are chicken meat, green and leafy vegetables, fruits and almonds.
4. Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Food products that are rich in niacin include dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts and eggs. Some legumes and cereals also contain traces of niacin.
5. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B5 rich foods would include, fish, dairy products, poultry, lean beef, yeast and vegetables in the cabbage family. Also rich in vitamin B5 are white and sweet potatoes as well as peanuts and peas.
6. Vitamin B6 (pyroxidine)
Fruits like bananas, watermelons and tomatoes are known sources of vitamin B6. Other common sources are chicken, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, white rice, peanuts, oats and fortified cereals.
7. Vitamin B12
Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and dairy products comprise the rich sources for vitamin B12.
8. Folate
Green and leafy vegetables are the largest source of folates, although this vitamin can also be found on tomato juice, peas, wheat germ, oranges and mushrooms.
9. Vitamin C
The most common sources of vitamin C are the citrus fruits and their juices like strawberry, melon, cranberry, grapefruit and others. Most other fruits and vegetables also contain small amounts of vitamin C.
10. Vitamin D
The largest sources of vitamin D are dairy products, poultry, and cereals. Aside from these food sources, the body also synthesizes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the heat of the sun.
11. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is mostly derived from plant oils and products made from it, like margarine and mayonnaise. Other sources include peanuts, whole grains, wheat germ, corn, nuts, olives, spinach and other green and leafy vegetables.
12. Vitamin K
Leafy and green vegetables like cabbage and spinach are the primary source of Vitamin K. Other sources include soybeans, cereals, fruits, beets, potatoes, dairy products, meat products and poultry. Bacteria found in the stomach and in the intestines can also synthesize vitamin K.
Ben Adams is the author of: 'Vitamin Supplements Health Boosting Secrets' an informative guide on how to naturally improve your health. Claim your free 5-part 'Vitamin and Supplement tips' course here: Free Vitamin Supplement Course
Article Source: http://articles.directorygold.com
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