Vitamins

Vitamins are chemical substances that your body needs in order to function properly and carry out the vast majority of its essential and non-essential operations. There are two basic types of vitamins, namely water soluble and fat soluble vitamins. The main difference between these is that water soluble vitamins are stored and transferred with water in the body, while fat soluble vitamins are stored and transported primarily in the bloodstream. The four fat soluble vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. All other vitamins are water soluble.

Good sources of fat soluble vitamins tend to be fatty foods, for example dairy products, fatty fish and animal organs, particularly the liver. Good sources of water soluble vitamins are fresh fruit and vegetables.

Eating a well-balanced diet should in most cases ensure a sufficient supply of all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. However, studies are increasingly showing levels of vitamin deprivation in western countries compared even to twenty years ago. This is thought to be down to a number of factors, including an increase in unhealthy processed food in our diets which contains very few vitamins and minerals, and also a reduction in vitamins and minerals in the soil in which many of our crops grow. Environmental factors such as air pollution may also play a role in vitamin deficiencies, as may some illnesses such as gastrointestinal illnesses (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease) that reduce the absorption of nutrients, including vitamins, during the digestive process.

It will be beneficial for a great many people then to supplement their daily diet with vitamins. Vitamins often work best in conjunction with one another. One vitamin may assist in the absorption of another vitamin by the body for example, and then both may play a key role in the synthesis of some particular amino acid or other chemical or cell type. It is therefore recommended that multivitamin and mineral formulas be considered, containing carefully measured amounts of all the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to operate optimally, often with additional healthy ingredients such as omega 3 fatty acids (essential for cardiovascular health and improved brain function) and pro-biotic vitamins (assist the digestive system and boost immune system response).

People at particular risk of one or more vitamin deficiencies are particularly recommended to consider a multivitamin supplement. These include pregnant women, children, the elderly, vegetarians and anyone suffering from or recovering from a prolonged illness. Alcoholics are also at increased risk of vitamin deficiency because alcohol can inhibit the absorption of many essential vitamins.

Specific vitamin formulations may be prescribed to treat certain medical conditions, and in these cases your doctor will be able to advise you about correct dosages, otherwise simply follow the label on your multivitamin supplement, which will usually recommend one vitamin to be taken daily.

Some vitamins have antioxidant properties, and may therefore be particularly beneficial in helping to prevent serious debilitating illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants combat the effects of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are the unwanted by-products of the process by which our bodies generate energy, and they have a nasty habit of attacking and destroying health cells, leading to a myriad health problems including cancer. Free radicals also contribute to heart disease by binding to calcium molecules and then getting them stuck against the walls of the arteries. White blood cells are cent in to try to remove the offending cells, which they fail to do, and ultimately you are left with a pile of dead white blood cells and a little calcium, which is known as plaque and is extremely harmful to the heart. Antioxidants such as some vitamins can help to prevent and even reverse this build-up of plaque, greatly reducing the risk of developing heart disease in the future.

It is possible to overdose on some vitamins, particularly fat soluble vitamins which are stored in the bloodstream. You should never attempt to treat vitamin deprivation or any other symptoms of illness by overdosing on vitamins, which will almost certainly be counterproductive and may have harmful side-effects such as neuropathy and increased risk of breaking bones.

Vitamins are critical to ensure that your body is operating to its maximum potential. Conversely, vitamin deficiencies can cause all manner of unwanted conditions, from lethargy, tiredness and general malaise, to reduced immune system function, loss of cognitive function, blindness, heart attacks and even death in some extreme cases.

If you are an athlete, a lack of vitamins will greatly decrease your performance levels. A deficiency in even one vitamin can short-circuit a whole process and leave you struggling for form. Similarly vitamins help support the regenerative process following exercise, which is the period when most benefit happens.

Multivitamin supplements are recommended for most people, though you should consult your doctor before beginning any new course of supplementation, especially if you are taking existing medication for some health condition. You should especially seek medical advice immediately if you experience any of the symptoms of vitamin deficiency described here, as they may be indicative of a more serious health problem.