Monday, March 25, 2024
HomeMust ReadWhat Do Vitamins Do For You

What Do Vitamins Do For You

Optimal Health & Performance

LIV.52 || DO YOU REALLY NEED LIVER SUPPLEMENTS FOR BODYBUILDING ??

B-Vitamins are particularly important for athletes as they have increased and adequate nutritional requirements for optimal health and performance. Folate, Vitamin B-6, and Vitamin B-12 are essential during increased physical activity. Athletes with sub-optimal nutrient intake are recommended to supplement with a B-Complex to help increase energy metabolism from food. Studies have shown that B-Vitamin supplementation plays a critical role in the breakdown of glucose for energy and acts as a coenzyme in the metabolism of branch-chain amino acids The conversion of energy from the carbohydrates and fats that we consume is called adenosine triphosphate or ATP this process fuels almost every cell action in our bodies. B-Vitamins support muscle cells to become more efficient and effective at producing and using energy.

Food Sources Of Vitamin D

Only a small amount of Vitamin D is sourced from our diet. Sources include:

Treatment options include improved sunlight exposure, diet, exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements.

If you are concerned about vitamin D levels, see your GP. Your GP may recommend vitamin D supplements, which should be taken strictly as directed.

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 what Dr. Sesso calls 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 I agree that 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,” says Dr. Guallar, a scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

For now, you can take certain steps:

You May Like: What To Use With Vitamin C

Saturated And Trans Fat

Saturated and trans fat raise the level of cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of developing heart disease. You’ll benefit from reducing your intake of these type of fats.

Saturated fats are found in:

  • processed meat products – such as sausages and beef burgers
  • butter and lard
  • full-fat cream, milk and ice-cream
  • hard cheese – such as parmesan and cheddar
  • biscuits, cakes and pastries
  • men should have 95g of fat in their diet each day
  • women should have 70g of fat in their diet each day

What Do Vitamins And Minerals Do

Do You Know What the Best Vitamins for Women Are?

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.

Also Check: What Happens If Vitamin B12 Is Low

Whats The Treatment For Vitamin D Toxicity

Youâll probably stop taking vitamin D supplements under your doctorâs care. Theyâll also limit how much calcium you get from food.

The doctor might need to give you fluids through a vein and have you take medications like steroids and bisphosphonates, too.

If you have kidney failure, you may need a treatment called hemodialysis. This takes over your kidneysâ job of filtering water and waste from your blood.

Most people with vitamin D toxicity recover without serious health complications, and they usually donât get it again.

The Role Of Vitamins And Minerals

The body has thousands of chemical reactions going on in each cell, every second of the day. The cells continually process the proteins, fats and carbohydrates from food.

Vitamins and minerals are essential parts of those chemical reactions. Without them, essential body functions couldn’t take place, but you only need very small amounts of them. Most people can get all the vitamins and minerals they need from a healthy diet.

Also Check: What Is Vitamin D Test

How Long Does A Daily Dose Of Vitamin D Stay In Your System

Vitamin D is present in your body tissues and blood. Although you obtain vitamin D from foods, your body also produces it in response to sun exposure. Vitamin D in your bloodstream appears in blood tests and has a relatively long circulating life of about 30 days, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. In other words, if you consume vitamin Drich foods or supplements today, a portion will likely stay present in your body for one month. The length of time vitamin D remains in your body tissues remains unclear, however.

What Are Vitamins And Minerals

Podcast: Vitamin C Power

Your body needs vitamins and minerals to work properly. You get them from the foods you eat every day.

Vitamins fall into two categories: fat soluble and water soluble :

  • The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K dissolve in fat and are stored in your body.
  • The water-soluble vitamins C and the B-complex vitamins dissolve in water. Your body can’t store these vitamins. Any B or C vitamins that your body doesn’t use travels through the bloodstream and is lost . So you need a fresh supply of these vitamins every day.

Vitamins are organic substances, which means theyre made by plants or animals. Minerals are inorganic elements that come from soil and water, and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals. Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium, to grow and stay healthy. Other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you need only very small amounts of them.

Read Also: What Is A Vitamin C Supplement

Dietary Sources Of Vitamin K

We get vitamin K from food and the bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract. Newborn babies are given a booster to increase their vitamin K levels because they are born without bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. We get much of our vitamin K from our diet.

Food sources include:

  • leafy green vegetables spinach and kale
  • fruits
  • some vegetable oils .

Vitamin Ds Many Health Benefits

Vitamin D helps regulate and protect your immune system and allows your body to better absorb calcium.

Calcium is essential to maintaining strong bones and teeth. Children and adults who dont get enough Vitamin D may develop serious bone problems because their bodies cant absorb adequate amounts of calcium.

Getting enough Vitamin D has been linked to the following health benefits:

  • The prevention of cancer

Also Check: Does Vitamin D Boost Immunity

Essential Nutrients For Your Body

Every day, your body produces skin, muscle, and bone. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote outposts, and it sends nerve signals skipping along thousands of miles of brain and body pathways. It also formulates chemical messengers that shuttle from one organ to another, issuing the instructions that help sustain your life.

But to do all this, your body requires some raw materials. These include at least 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in sufficient amounts.

Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrientsbecause acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help shore up bones, heal wounds, and bolster your immune system. They also convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage.

But trying to keep track of what all these vitamins and minerals do can be confusing. Read enough articles on the topic, and your eyes may swim with the alphabet-soup references to these nutrients, which are known mainly be their initials .

In this article, youll gain a better understanding of what these vitamins and minerals actually do in the body and why you want to make sure youre getting enough of them.

Do Multivitamins Work The Surprising Truth

Do You Get These 60 Minerals Every Day?

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Heres our process.

Multivitamins and multiminerals are the most commonly used supplements in the world.

Their popularity has increased rapidly in the past few decades .

Some people believe that multivitamins can improve health, compensate for poor eating habits, and even reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases.

This article examines the scientific evidence behind multivitamins.

3 ).

Given that theres no standard for what constitutes a multivitamin, their nutrient composition varies by brand and product (

Multivitamins are also referred to as multis, multiples, or simply vitamins.

Theyre available in many forms, including tablets, capsules, chewable gummies, powders, and liquids.

Most multivitamins should be taken once or twice per day. Make sure to read the label and follow the recommended dosage instructions.

Multivitamins are available in pharmacies, large discount stores, and supermarkets, as well as online.

SUMMARY

Thirteen vitamins and about 15 minerals are essential to your health .

Many produce enzymes and hormones, boost your immunity, and keep your nerves and organs functioning properly .

Your body also needs these nutrients for reproduction, maintenance, growth, and the regulation of bodily processes.

7 ).

The evidence regarding multivitamin use and cancer risk is also mixed.

SUMMARY

You May Like: What Vitamins Do You Take After Gastric Sleeve

Vitamins And Minerals: How To Get What You Need

Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals found in food that nourish your body and help keep you healthy. They are essential to your overall health.

Choosing foods each day that are rich in vitamins and minerals is the best way for your body to get what it needs to be healthy. However, research consistently finds that most Americans dont get enough vitamins and minerals in their diets.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture , adult Americans do not typically get enough of the following nutrients:

  • calcium
  • vitamins A, C, D, and E

A Closer Look At Trace Minerals

A thimble could easily contain the distillation of all the trace minerals normally found in your body. Yet their contributions are just as essential as those of major minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which each account for more than a pound of your body weight.

Trace minerals

Trace minerals carry out a diverse set of tasks. Here are a few examples:

  • Iron is best known for ferrying oxygen throughout the body.
  • Fluoride strengthens bones and wards off tooth decay.
  • Zinc helps blood clot, is essential for taste and smell, and bolsters the immune response.
  • Copper helps form several enzymes, one of which assists with iron metabolism and the creation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood.

The other trace minerals perform equally vital jobs, such as helping to block damage to body cells and forming parts of key enzymes or enhancing their activity.

Also Check: Why Do Women Need Vitamin D

What Happens If I Dont Take Prenatals

What Happens If You Dont Take Prenatal Vitamins? Taking prenatal vitamins before pregnancy can help prevent miscarriages, defects, and preterm labor. If youre not taking prenatal vitamins, neural tube defects can appear: Anencephaly: This occurs when the babys skull and brain doesnt form correctly.

Do prenatal vitamins make your hair grow?

Some claim that taking prenatal vitamins makes hair grow thicker or faster, and that nails could grow faster or stronger too. But according to the Mayo Clinic, these claims havent been proven. Taking prenatal vitamins for better hair or nails likely wont bring the desired results.

Do prenatal vitamins make you gain weight?

The answer is no, there is no evidence that prenatal vitamins make you gain weight. Most pregnant women gain about 25-35 pounds throughout their pregnancy regardless if they take a prenatal vitamin or not. The weight gain is likely due to the pregnancy itself and your growing baby.

What happens if you dont take prenatals?

Are prenatals necessary?

Prenatal vitamins are a staple of modern pregnancy. But a report out Monday in the journal Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin suggests they dont make much difference in preventing complications such as premature birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth.

Do you really need prenatal vitamins?

Why do prenatals make hair grow?

Specifically, prenatals are packed with folic acid , a B vitamin thats responsible for healthy cell growth .

Be Careful With Vitamin Supplements

What do you need? #pump #protein #preworkout #supplements

Dont go overboard with vitamin supplements, though! Consuming too many vitamins could cause health disorders and even be harmful.4 Its unlikely that overconsumption of vitamins occurs with food intake, but it can happen if you take too many supplements. Thats why it is important to always check with your doctor before taking vitamin supplements.4 According to science, eating varied nutrient-dense meals is the only way to fix health problems that multivitamins cannot solve.5

How do you get your vitamins? Let us know below!

Recommended Reading: What Vitamins Can Give You A Headache

What Does Research Say About Vitamin D

Although research on vitamin D abounds, its effect on human health remains uncertain. Thats largely because the majority of vitamin D studies either are on animals or were conducted in small human populations. Most important, the majority of research on the nutrient is observational, meaning that the findings dont point to a definite cause-and-effect relationship between vitamin D and the potential health benefit being studied.

Studies that do produce likely causal results are conducted with a randomized controlled model, in which researchers eliminate the risk of bias and account for potentially conflicting factors, notes George Washington University. Large randomized controlled trials are considered the gold standard for research, and unfortunately, there havent been many on vitamin D supplementation and its various possible health benefits.

With research limitations in mind, heres an in-depth look at what vitamin D can, may, and definitely wonât do for your health.

Dietary Sources Of Vitamin C

Adults need about 45mg of vitamin C per day and any excess amount is excreted.

Vitamin C is sensitive to heat, so some of its nutritional benefits can be lost during cooking. Raw foods are more beneficial as dietary sources of vitamin C. These include:

  • Fruit oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, blackcurrants, mangoes, kiwifruits, rock melon, tomatoes and strawberries.
  • Vegetables particularly green vegetables , cauliflower and potatoes.

Read Also: Is Vitamin C Hard On Your Kidneys

What Vitamins Should You Take Daily

It is estimated that about half of American adults take some type of vitamin or mineral supplement.

People might take supplements if they know theyre missing a certain food group, says Patton. Others might take supplements for the antioxidant benefits or because they know they dont eat fruits and vegetables. Some people may have a true deficiency.

Everyones vitamin needs are different, so its a good idea to talk to your doctor or registered dietitian before starting to take supplements. They can help you decide which products to take, or if you need to take any at all. Your doctor and pharmacist can also tell you if a supplement would interact badly with any medications you are taking, which may cause health problems.

The Difference Between Vitamins And Minerals

Here Are The Vitamins You Need And What They Do For Your Body

Although they are all considered micronutrients, vitamins and minerals differ in basic ways. Vitamins are organic and can be broken down by heat, air, or acid. Minerals are inorganic and hold on to their chemical structure.

So why does this matter? It means the minerals in soil and water easily find their way into your body through the plants, fish, animals, and fluids you consume. But its tougher to shuttle vitamins from food and other sources into your body because cooking, storage, and simple exposure to air can inactivate these more fragile compounds.

Don’t Miss: Which Vitamins Should I Take During Pregnancy

Regulation Of The Vitamin Industry By The Fda

What do vitamins do for you? Well, I dont know about you, but they built my home, put my kids through college, bought me nice cars... President of a Major Vitamin Manufacturing Firm

In 1973, legislation was introduced to make it mandatory to obtain a physicians prescription for any level of nutrients beyond 100 percent of the USRDA. The health food industry responded by soliciting support from its millions of customers across the country. The avalanche of mail that arrived in Washington showed that the people of this country wanted the right of free choice in the nutrition supplement market. Legislators listened and have since abandoned the idea of serious restrictions on the vitamin industry.

There are a few laws that the vitamin industry must heed, however:

  • Levels of folacin supplements cannot exceed 400 micrograms per day for adults, and 800 micrograms per day for pregnant women. More than this requires a physicians prescription. Folacin and vitamin B 12 work closely together in the body. A deficiency of one can often be mistaken for a deficiency of the other. If a person were seriously low in B12 and were taking high doses of folacin, the folacin could conceivably mask the symptoms of pernicious anemia and lead to permanent nerve damage.
  • No claims can be made by a vitamin manufacturer as to health benefits to be derived by taking its products. For instance, a vitamin bottle cannot say,Cures or prevents heart disease. Get a healthier heart doing this.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular