Vitamin and Mineral Supplements - Pills to Boost Your Health and Prevent Aging?

The quest for vitamin and mineral supplements intake has heightened globally in the last decade, raising questions as to whether they are totally healthy to consume and whether they truly boost the health condition of the user. No doubt, our bodies need vitamins and minerals to function properly - we learnt that many years ago even while in the primary school. But that was supposed to come from carefully selected vitamins-rich food sources, part of the much-vaunted balanced diet. Now, 'plug-and-play' delivery of these vital body requirements holds sway. A lot of big business has sprung up on the basis of the production and delivery of nutritional supplements, the other name for vitamin and minerals supplements. The question to ask: "beyond the hype, is it all good for you as a user and if so, how much of what should you consume?"

To begin with, vitamins are organic food substances. They are found only in plants and animals. Mostly, the body does not produce them. Its requirement of each must be supplied by consuming it, usually in food.

We Do Need Vitamins and Minerals
Yes we do need vitamins and minerals, medical science has firmly determined. They help the body to function properly, support growth and provide energy. Babies and growing children need the right supply of individual nutrients to develop and grow properly. Interestingly, beyond the general body maintenance benefit of these substances, some have been credited with very critical functions in the body system. Take this example: birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly were quite common before it was discovered that folic acid deficiency was implicated in this. When research showed that link and because most pregnant mothers didn't get enough through normal meals, folic acid supplement became a regular prescription for pregnant mothers, cutting down on the frequency of such birth defects. Similarly, vitamin C gained some level of recognition in the prevention of infections, including colds. Also, scurvy that easily sent sailors to their grave before its discovery in 1932 is no longer that dangerous scourge. Most vitamins have definitive health benefits they have been associated with. A lot of research is also on-going on various suspected benefits that have not been conclusively established, especially in alleviating chronic disease conditions. Vitamins that have shown potentials in the cure or management of major diseases include some vitamin Bs and folic acid for heart disease and cancer, vitamin D in prostate, colon and other cancers, etc. For more information on vitamins and what they do for you, view a summary chart here.

Still, Your Diet is the Primary Source
Ideally, all your vitamin and mineral requirements should come from dietary sources. They are all found in food items and this remains the natural and safest source of the vitamins and minerals you need. Health authorities also recommend food sources as the first line of action in securing our required intake of the vital nutrients. How do you know which food source contains what vitamin, especially in a significantly valuable dose? That should be the worry and we have provided a content chart here to guide you on where to get what.

The problem though is that, even in the richer economies where per capita income is much higher, vitamin deficiencies are present, indicating that a rich diet that meets the body's need for various vitamins and minerals may not be easy to place on the table. In poorer societies like ours, even the middle class may not comfortably boast of very balanced meals. And for the majority, it is a far-fetched possibility. Besides, various other factors, including poor information, work and business pressures, penchant for outdoor fast-food outlets, etc, really mean that most citizens do not get an adequate intake of the vitamins they need, just because they don't get to eat enough of balanced meals. Add the weakness of the health management system, which hardly provides any information to the citizenry on standards and health requirements. All said, you possibly get the impression that we are all short of the vitamin requirements!

Supplements to the Rescue!
It is because of the key role of these vitamins in protecting the body and enhancing its functioning that the use of vitamin supplements has become popular. People, across the globe, are getting to believe that they aren't getting enough from meals. Some bit of marketing hype from producers must have played a role, but in reality, even health authorities in the USA and Europe have lent some support, if only by tabulating supposed daily intake requirements of various vitamins and minerals. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to judge. If you think you aren't getting enough of what your body requires from the meals you eat, the only wise action is to find some supplements to beef up. To guide you determine how much of each vitamin or mineral you need, check out the vitamins chart.

Some caution though. As always said, first get advice from your doctor. Two, you may just focus on the critical requirements. Thirdly, there should be some level of authentication from regulatory authority for whatever you consider ingesting. Also, always buy a quality product from a quality source. Again, watch the dosage: while most vitamins may not readily pose dosage problems, it is actually possible to have adverse effects with some, especially if you exceed recommended doses. In the end, focus more on getting your body's requirements of these nutrients from food sources as much as possible.

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