What Do Vitamins And Minerals Do
Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system, support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs. For example, you’ve probably heard that carrots are good for your eyes. It’s true! Carrots are full of substances called carotenoids that your body converts into vitamin A, which helps prevent eye problems.
Vitamin K helps blood to clot, so cuts and scrapes stop bleeding quickly. You’ll find vitamin K in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and soybeans. And to have strong bones, you need to eat foods such as milk, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables, which are rich in the mineral calcium.
Do I Need Vitamin Supplements
Most people do not need to take vitamin supplements and can get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium and vitamin C, are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to work properly.
Many people choose to take supplements but taking too much or taking them for too long could be harmful. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends certain supplements for some groups of people who are at risk of deficiency.
Benefits Of Taking Vitamins
With todays busy and modern lifestyle, it can be challenging to get enough of the nutrients needed by the body from the food you eat. Generally, the body requires a particular amount of minerals and vitamins to function. Every person has a recommended daily amount of all essential vitamins. For instance, the body requires vitamin K for the blood to coagulate and vitamin D to absorb calcium. Some nutrients may also help support bodily functions, like the skins integrity and collagen.
However, one of the things to keep in mind when taking vitamins is that theyre not a replacement for a healthy diet nor for antibiotics and other medicines, but theyre just a supplement to the food you eat. For instance, if you have genital herpes, you should still be taking the necessary antibiotics and pair it with the right supplement, like Luminance RED. This is because a proper diet combined with taking the right vitamins and supplements regularly is necessary to effectively manage herpes.
Below are some of the many benefits of taking vitamins:
1. Promotes Healthy Aging
As much as you want to stay young forever, nobody is exempted from aging. And, the older you get, the more youll need to care for your physical health. Unfortunately, as you age, it becomes harder for the body to absorb the much-needed nutrients and particular medications may drain nutrients further.
2. Reduces Anxiety and Stress
3. Boosts Your Cardiovascular Health
4. Covers Your Nutritional Bases
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Who Makes Spring Valley Vitamins
Recently, someone on social media claimed that Spring Valley vitamins are China-made products. Many consumers took the rumor seriously and refused to buy any Spring Valley supplements. Soon the FDA stepped into the situation and cleared their statements.
The FDA ensures that Spring Valley products are safe to use, and the origin of the ingredients is not questionable. Related authorities suggest the products are ready to market as long as the manufacturing information is on the label. So, you can remove this from your vitamin brands to avoid list!
However, there is no solid evidence of whether the Spring valley vitamins are made in China or not. The Spring Valley supplements come in the label of Natures Bounty, an American trust-worthy dietary supplement brand.
It is assumed that the vitamins are not bottled in an Asian country. Instead, the raw materials for the Spring Valley supplements are collected from those regions. Rather than going to the spring valley vitamins Wikipedia page its better to contact them directly if you have any confusion.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Iron
Iron supplements can cause nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
Constipation is another very common side effect of iron supplementation. If you are experiencing constipation due to iron supplementation, be sure to get enough fiber and water in your diet. If it continues to be problematic, discuss with your healthcare provider if adding a stool softener is appropriate for you.
The risk of iron overload from diet alone is minimal in most healthy adults. Most of the time, if there is more iron in the body than necessary, the body will save it for future use.
However, people with certain genetic disorders are at risk for iron overload if their conditions cause them to absorb more iron from food. Hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder in which iron builds up in the body. Iron supplementation is not recommended if you have hemochromatosis.
There are very rare cases of iron overdoses leading to internal bleeding, seizure, coma, and even death.
The most common side effect of iron supplementation is stomach upset and constipation. Adequate fiber and water in the diet may help constipation. Discuss with your healthcare provider if adding a stool softener is a good idea.
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May Support Bone Health And Prevent Osteoporosis
Maintaining adequate vitamin B12 levels may support your bone health.
One study in more than 2,500 adults showed that people with a vitamin B12 deficiency also had lower than normal bone mineral density .
Bones with decreased mineral density can become delicate and fragile over time, leading to an increased risk of osteoporosis.
Other studies have also shown a link between low vitamin B12 levels and poor bone health and osteoporosis, especially in women (
10 ).
A study involving 5,000 women aged 40 or older concluded that supplementing with vitamin B12, along with folic acid and vitamin B6, may reduce this risk .
The group receiving these supplements for seven years had fewer cases of macular degeneration, compared to the placebo group. The risk of developing any form of the condition was 34% lower, while it was 41% lower for more severe types .
Ultimately, further studies are needed to fully understand vitamin B12s role in promoting vision health and preventing macular degeneration.
Summary
Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin B12 decreases homocysteine levels in your blood. This may help prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration.
May Reduce Symptoms Of Anxiety Or Depression
While B-complex vitamin supplements are not a cure for mental health conditions, they may help improve symptoms of depression or anxiety.
A study in 60 adults with depression showed that treatment with a vitamin B complex for 60 days led to significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms, compared with a placebo .
B vitamins may also enhance treatment response when given in combination with antidepressant medication.
One study found that supplementing with a vitamin containing B12, B6, and folic acid led to a more enhanced and lasting antidepressant response over 1 year, compared with a placebo .
Note that low blood levels of certain B vitamins, including B12, B6, and folate, have been linked to an increased risk of depression, which is why its important to rule out nutrient deficiencies if you are experiencing symptoms of depression (
33 ).
If you are deficient in B vitamins, you may need to supplement with higher doses to address the deficiency.
For these reasons, its important to choose a B-complex supplement based on your individual requirements for each B vitamin.
Speak with a healthcare professional about your specific nutrient needs based on your age and health.
Summary
The recommended intake for B vitamins varies depending on age, nutrient demands, biological sex, and health status.
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Food Is The Best Resource
Vitamins themselves are essential to our bodies and contribute to growth, digestion, nerve function and a whole host of other things.
The important distinction, Linge says, is how youre getting those vitamins.
Our diet should be whats supplying all of the nutrients that our body needs, she explains. That being said, we need to be eating a variety of foods. There is no one major miracle food that supplies absolutely everything.
Take apples and oranges. A serving of Washingtons signature fruit supplies nearly a quarter of your daily fiber but not much by way of vitamin C. An orange, on the other hand, provides a fair amount of fiber and almost your entire amount of daily vitamin C.
Different types of fruits give us different benefits. In that same vein, seafood offers health perks that fruit doesnt have, vegetables are unique from grains and so forth. By incorporating variety into a well-rounded diet, youre able to get the nutrients you need no vitamin-infused gummy necessary.
The only exception is vitamin D, Linge says. We cant get enough of the sunshine vitamin from the food we eat, and our bodies rely on sun exposure to make enough of it.
Do You Need A Supplement
Most healthy people donât need one. But some folks may need extra help, says Jerlyn Jones, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Reasons include if youâre elderly, take certain medicines, or donât have easy access to healthy food because of income or where you live.
Talk to your doctor if you:
Are or might get pregnant. You may not get enough iron from food, especially if you get morning sickness. And all women who are pregnant, or trying to be, should take folic acid. Prenatal vitamins give you âan extra cushion of safety,â says Van Horn.
Care for a young child. Infants and children may need help getting vitamin D and iron.
Eat a restricted or limited diet. Itâs harder to get some nutrients, like vitamin B12 or calcium, if you leave out certain food groups. That may happen if youâre vegan or have a dairy allergy.
Are older than 50. Your body starts to absorb less of vitamins D and B12 as you get older. After you reach middle age, you may need to take extra steps to get enough.
Had gastric bypass surgery. Your gut may not absorb nutrients as well.
Have certain genetic or health conditions. You may have trouble absorbing nutrients if you have:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
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Should I Take A Supplement
Lots of people wonder if they should take vitamin or mineral supplements. If your diet includes a wide variety of foods including whole-grain products, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meats you probably get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
There are many supplements on the market, and of course their makers want you to buy them. Beware of unproven claims about the benefits of taking more than recommended amounts of any vitamin or mineral. Healthy teens usually don’t need supplements if they eat a well-rounded diet.
Check with your doctor before taking vitamin or mineral supplements. Just because something is good for you doesnt mean that more is better. Some vitamins and minerals can cause health problems if you get too much of them.
Talk to your doctor or a dietitian if you’re skipping meals, dieting, are a picky eater, or have any concerns about your diet. They can answer your questions and help you create a healthy eating plan that includes the nutrients your body needs.
Regulated As Foods Not Drugs
Even though many people take supplements because they want to improve their health, the FDA doesnt regulate them as medications but instead as foods, under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.
What happened in 1994 was that all of these products from vitamins, minerals, to botanical extracts became subcategories of food, explains Cohen. It also created a completely different structure in terms of advertising, like the ability to advertise products to say things like This will boost your immune system, as code for This will prevent infection, he says.
Manufacturers are not required to prove that their supplements are effective or safe before they market them. And supplements are not held to the same manufacturing standards as drugs, which can lead to adulterated or substandard products. Its basically very difficult, if not impossible, to separate poor-quality products from higher-quality ones in the market, at least at present, says Cohen.
Part of the problem is that the current system doesnt do a good enough job of tracking when supplements cause harm, says Cohen. I think we have to realize that for the public to have access to high-quality vitamins and minerals and botanicals, were going to need to reform the law, he says.
But for now, consumers can keep a few things in mind when deciding whether to take supplements.
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Interactingin Good Ways And Bad
Many micronutrients interact. Vitamin D enables your body to pluck calcium from food sources passing through your digestive tract rather than harvesting it from your bones. Vitamin C helps you absorb iron.
The interplay of micronutrients isnt always cooperative, however. For example, vitamin C blocks your bodys ability to assimilate the essential mineral copper. And even a minor overload of the mineral manganese can worsen iron deficiency.
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What We Know About Multivitamins So Far
Despite all the research on vitamins and health, we have only a handful of rigorous scientific studies on the benefits of a “true” multivitamin: a pill that provides essential vitamins and minerals at the relatively low levels that the body normally requires.
The Physicians’ Health Study II is the best study completed so far. It was the first and only large-scale randomized clinical trial to test a commonly taken multivitamin like the ones most people take, containing the daily requirements of 31 vitamins and minerals essential for good health.
A large group of male physicians took either a multivitamin or a placebo pill for more than a decade. The results have been mixed, with modest reductions in cancer and cataracts, but no protective effect against cardiovascular disease or declining mental function. Is it safe?
Multivitamin advocates point to the lack of any strong proof that taking a multivitamin for many years is dangerous. While the likelihood of harm is small, the likelihood of a clear health benefit is also very smalland also we have no clear proof yet of such benefit.
The optimists say despite no clear evidence of health benefit, multivitamin supplementation is low risk and low cost. And it helps to fill potential gaps in the diet that people might have.
For now, you can take certain steps:
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Multivitamins And Multiminerals: No Substitute For A Healthy Diet
Think that a healthy lifestyle requires not just eating good-for-you foods, exercising, and getting enough sleep but also taking a daily multivitamin-multimineral supplement? Considering that an estimated one-third of adults in the United States and one-quarter of youths take them, per the NIH, you may be surprised to learn that the jurys still out on whether theyre helpful.
One study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, which examined data from nearly 40,000 women older than 19 years who were part of the Iowa Womens Health Study, found that, on average, women who took supplements had an increased risk of dying compared with women who didnt take supplements. Multivitamins did little or nothing to protect against common cancers, cardiovascular disease, or death.
However, other research has found benefits to taking multivitamins. For example, a study concluded that frequent use of multivitamin and mineral supplements helped prevent micronutrient shortfalls that might otherwise cause health problems.
Overall, research on whether multivitamins actually promote health is mixed.
For women of childbearing age, taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to help prevent birth defects. Multivitamins might be prescribed by your doctor if you have malabsorption syndrome, a condition in which the body does not properly absorb vitamins and minerals.
Puritans Pride Vitamins Review
As you look through these product reviews, youll probably notice that most items come in packs of two. The brand operates on a buy one, get one free method. But, shoppers should note that you can also opt to buy in bundles of five for the price of just twomore details can be found on each individual page.
Dont know where to start? Dont worry, this Puritans Pride vitamins review has you covered. Well provide an overview of some of the most popular supplements down below to help you get started.
Puritans Pride Mega Vita-Min Multivitamin
If youre not sure what specific vitamins you should be taking, but you want to bolster your health, the Puritans PrideMega Vita-Min Multivitamin is a good place to start. Formulated for adults, simply swallow one pill per day with a meal.
This product has over 32 active ingredients to support you in an all-rounded way. You will find vitamins A, B-6, B-12, C, and D, immune and antioxidant supports, and a plethora of other good-for-you ingredients.
You will find 100 capsules in each container. Unfortunately, this multitasker is currently sold out. In the meantime, check out one of the other Puritans Pride mega vitamins, such as the seniors formulation.
While it is best for helping metabolism and immune support, you can pair it with Puritans Pride Biotin to support healthy hair and nails.
There are three bottle sizes to choose from:
- 30 capsules: $3
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Most Vitamin Pills Are Useless But Here Are The Ones You Should Take
It seems like simple, obvious advice: eat your vegetables, get some exercise, and – of course – take your vitamins. Or not.
In fact, recent studies skew in the opposite direction, having found that certain vitamins may be bad for you.
And a large new study out Wednesday suggests that despite this growing knowledge, Americans’ pill-popping habits have stayed basically the same over the last decade.
So here are the vitamins and supplements you should take – and the ones you should avoid:
Multivitamins: Skip them – you can get everything you need with a balanced diet.
For decades, it was assumed that multivitamins were critical to overall health. Vitamin C to “boost your immune system”, Vitamin A to protect your vision, Vitamin B to keep you energized.
Not only do you already get these ingredients from the food you eat, but studies suggest that consuming them in excess can actually cause harm.
A large 2011 study of close to 39,000 older women over 25 years found that women who took them in the long term actually had a higher overall risk of death than those who did not.
Vitamin D: Take it – it helps keep your bones strong and it’s hard to get from food.
Vitamin D isn’t present in most of the foods we eat, but it’s a critical ingredient that keeps our bones strong by helping us absorb calcium.
Antioxidants: Skip them – an excess of these has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, and you can eat berries instead.
