It's never too late to change your habits, and if you are not in the habit of taking a multivitamin supplement regularly, it's time you did. Altering your behavior in this one respect will greatly improve your chances of living a long and healthy life. Good nutrition is necessary to maintain optimum health, and a multivitamin supplement will ensure that you receive what your body needs to help prevent and fight disease and improve your state of well being.
What Does Good Nutrition Mean?
We can enjoy good health and heal ourselves of most ills through good health practices, which include giving our bodies the fuel needed from the things we eat. Good nutrition means obtaining the right balance and amounts of water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, plus vitamins and minerals. Although there are many food-sources of these nutrients, here is a review of what you learned in school as the main sources:
? Complex carbohydrates can be found in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, peas, and beans. Simple carbohydrates are in table sugar, fruit, and processed foods like dessert, candy, and soft drinks.
? Proteins are in abundance in meat and dairy products, as well in as nuts, seeds, beans, wheat, and rice.
? The fats we need are usually picked up from dairy products, meats, fish, and oils extracted from various vegetables.
? Vitamins and minerals are most easily obtained from the vegetables and fruits we eat.
Can Good Nutrition Come From a Well-Balanced Diet?
Medical spokesmen no longer try to reassure us that we can get everything we need by eating well. We can't. Food itself is no longer the same as it once was. Vegetables and fruits are often grown in soil that has been depleted of nutrients, which means the foods are also. As well, foods lose many nutrients in the process of storing, shipping, refining, and even through cooking. We can't be sure, therefore, that the food we are eating has the nutritional value it is supposed to have. Not only that, it might not be a healthy choice for other reasons:
? Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with insecticides that can't be rinsed or even washed off, and if the skins are removed, many of the nutrients are removed as well.
? Additives can help preserve food and make it tastier and more attractive, but we aren't sure of the long-term effects of these chemicals on our bodies.
? Some fruit and vegetables are now routinely genetically altered.
? Sugar, salt, and fat are inexpensive commodities that add flavor, and, therefore, are used in large quantities in most commercially prepared foods.
? Animals and fowl are loaded with hormones that are passed on to us when we eat them.
Food production and processing are not the only culprits that worry us and make it difficult to obtain the nutrition we need from the food we eat. We have to share the blame by our own practices of skipping meals, eating on the run, and choosing heavily processed, nutrient-poor food:
? We eat too much fat and too much of the most harmful ? read "saturated" ? kind, such as meat, eggs, and cheese.
? We eat too much sugar and salt, and not enough fruit and vegetables.
? Some of us eat too much food for good health; others are constantly dieting and don't eat enough.
? We are, for the most part, not active enough to eat the amount of food needed to maintain good health without a substantial weight gain.
(These last two points fall into the category of damned if you do; damned if you don't.)
Since we can't rely on our diets to supply us with the necessary building blocks to maintain good health a dietary supplement is the answer. Supplements can be in the form of a tablet, a capsule, a liquid, or in powders that can be mixed in water or juice, or added to bars, creams, or gels. Supplements are sold as individual vitamins or minerals, or in combination multivitamin formulas, which may include mineral additions as well.
Why Choose a Multivitamin?
Vitamins are required to maintain both physical and mental health. For instance, a deficiency of vitamin C will cause scurvy, a deficiency of vitamin D will cause rickets, and a deficiency of vitamin A will cause eye problems. Minerals are needed for healthy bones and teeth, normal cell function, the composition of body fluids, and for the proper utilization of vitamins and other nutrients.
In a multivitamin, the whole range of vitamins will be included, taking into consideration the amounts recommended by the government's determination, many years ago, of the minimum required daily allowance (RDA) for the prevention of serious deficiencies. Since research conducted in more recent years has shown us that the prevention of disease is also possible, multivitamins are now formulated with this feature in mind.
Unless you have symptoms that show you need a particular vitamin or mineral in larger than normal quantities to correct a specific problem, a multivitamin supplement is usually a better choice than taking several different individual vitamins. Nutrients work together in cooperative action, or synergy, and correcting a deficiency in one vitamin or mineral may be not only ineffective, it may also induce a deficiency in another vitamin or mineral. A multivitamin's balanced preparation, therefore, is not only effective, it is safe. A one a day multivitamin is also a convenient delivery method for most people. Taking several tablets or capsules a day to meet your needs can be not only expensive but also too much of a burden for most people.
What is the Best Multivitamin for You?
Multivitamins are designed for specific purposes, and you will find formulas that are particularly suited for a child or for an adult. Women have special needs at various stages in their lives and a multivitamin for women will be formulated to optimize prenatal, pre-menopausal, or post-menopausal health. For example, there are different amounts of calcium and iron needed by women at different ages, and pregnant women require folic acid, zinc and manganese to a greater degree than non-pregnant women. A man may be looking for help with hair loss and waning libido.
Good health requires good practices like eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly and a maintaining a positive attitude. A multivitamin supplement can help in all three areas. Start taking one today.
Scott Gray is currently a freelance writer and enjoys providing tips to consumers who are in the market for all types of vitamins, vitamins and vitamins.
limousine airport Glendale Heights .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareThere are so many different whey protein powder products on... Read More
Most people believe that they are reasonably healthy. Exercise, having... Read More
As the name suggests, muscle milk is a supplement that... Read More
April 14,2005 federal judge Tena Campbell of the federal district... Read More
Free radicals and oxyradicals play an important role in the... Read More
The next step on your road to real health is... Read More
1. Most of the modern western diets contain way too... Read More
Imagine this scenario by the end of next August...You contact... Read More
I came across an article written by Dr. Ray Strand,... Read More
With dietary supplements making their way in our daily life,... Read More
In a 2002 study, a group of researchers used oral... Read More
As with most nutrients and minerals, zinc is often ignored... Read More
When looking for health care supplements Texas residents can enjoy... Read More
Should I Take Vitamins With My Low Carb Diet?Most low... Read More
Vitamins, like minerals, are an essential part of the function... Read More
Both types of unsaturated fatty acids are contained within neuronal... Read More
For people who suffer from arthritis, dependable pain relief is... Read More
Supplement ? what is it?Supplement is a term that means... Read More
Your body produces over 20 separate digestive enzymes that are... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about weight loss supplementation,... Read More
Xango is a brand new health and dietary supplement. It... Read More
The multi-vitamin market is rich with choice. It's also very... Read More
Vitamins and minerals play a major role in becoming healthy... Read More
Most parents' think their children are eating a fairly healthy... Read More
ZMA is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral formula containing zinc... Read More
Lincoln Stretch rentals Willowbrook ..Are you not feeling any results from your nutritional supplements?Here... Read More
You read about a supplement that allegedly "Boosts your mood... Read More
To supplement or not to supplement ? that is the... Read More
Some fitness adherents are supplement crazy and spend money like... Read More
I have good news for you! The answer is both... Read More
Vitamins are organic compounds that our bodies use, in very... Read More
Unverified reports claiming that unprotected, intentional sun exposure is necessary... Read More
Mineral Supplement ? be healthy.Why is mineral supplement so important?... Read More
Did you know that most store bought vitamins and minerals... Read More
The real facts about Vitamin C may surprise you. First... Read More
We live in a health conscious generation where vitamins and... Read More
The body needs a minimum amount of vitamins and minerals... Read More
Throughout my childhood I was aware of the importance of... Read More
L glutamine is an amino acid occurring abundantly within the... Read More
Liquid vitamins are the same vitamins that you find in... Read More
Liquid vitaminsHardly does a day pass without the liquid vitamins... Read More
There are a number of pros and cons for vitamin... Read More
Fat Loss Supplement ? what is it?What is a fat... Read More
For people who suffer from arthritis, dependable pain relief is... Read More
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is responsible for numerous deaths in... Read More
Are the new Argireline Wrinkle Relaxing Creams as effective as... Read More
You probably know that ladies who are planning on having... Read More
Supplement ? what is it?Supplement is a term that means... Read More
Suppose you can turn back the hands of time to... Read More
Coenzyme Q10 has exploded onto the health scene. This powerful... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |