Vitamins 101

80% of Americans do not eat the minimum recommended servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It is easy to see that the nutritional deficiencies widespread problem in this country. The use of dietary supplements has become necessary for a true health.

Vitamins are micronutrients (you only need relatively small amounts compared to macronutrients - proteins, fats and carbohydrates). Although we do not need large quantities, they are essential for life! They are organic substances, with the exception of niacin and vitamin D, your body can do.

They perform many functions in the body: it helps regulate metabolism, causing the release of energy from the food you digest, are essential for the formation of blood cells, genetic material, hormones and other bio-chemicals. Every one of your body requires vitamins to do their job - or you will die

Some vitamins are soluble in water, and some are topljivi.Vodi fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin B and C, need water to be absorbed and can not be stored in your body. So after you do their job are secreted, usually within one day.

of fat-soluble vitamins need fat to be absorbed and can be stored in your body fat and liver for a long time. Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The water and fat soluble vitamins are needed to make your body to function properly.

the proper balance of vitamins and minerals is very important. Vitamins can not function without minerals! Too certain vitamins can actually produce the same symptoms of a lack of order. So it is not always better.

In a perfect world, our food will provide all the vitamins and minerals we need for optimum health. But we do not live in a perfect world, and our foods are grown in depleted soils, as I discussed last week. Therefore, using high quality supplements wisely is an important part of health.

I always recommend using the highest quality, whole food supplements you can afford, because the vitamins work synergistically. Whole food vitamins are made from whole foods and whole food compounds. They are not produced in a laboratory from isolated chemicals.

Here is a great analogy from Jordan Rubin book "The Great doctor's Rx for Women's Health" on page 65:

"the car comes off the production line of beautifully designed, but a complex machine that needs all its parts in good working condition, in order to run. You would never be able to" isolate "wheels, for example, because their cars would not work like a car if you are on the blocks. car needs of each working part of the engine to the wheel to turn signals, working the way it was designed for.

multivitamin manufacturers that use isolated or "synthetic" vitamins and minerals are like those who scavenge through the junkyard, picking the parts need to assemble the entire car, and throwing them together as best they can with the expectation of driving off their next destination. "

There are some accessories that are best taken on an empty stomach, some should be taken with meals containing fat and some are best taken separately from the others. However, in general, taking vitamins with your meal increases the absorption and to avoid upsetting your stomach as well.

The bottom line is this: we can all benefit from the wise nosa.2002 study published in JAMA found that a lack of vitamin obvious cause of chronic disease. Need I say more?

However, remember that the word "supplement" means "with" no "instead of". They are in addition to nutrient-dense, whole foods diet.