Are Vitamins and Supplements Really Needed?

We all remember the old cereal commercials “Part of a balanced breakfast.” Their cereal brand box is sitting on a counter and surrounded by numerous other additions that you aren’t really paying any attention to. Well, that’s what happens to our daily meals. We are often focused on eating a target meal, perhaps trying to stay within your calorie range, but you may be disregarding the importance of vitamins and minerals.

While eating is indeed important for energy and life, we also need the right combination of nutrients to live healthy. Immune, nervous, and right down to the skeletal system all need vitamins to function properly.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins can be thought of as catylysts in your body. These acids, proteins, and nutrients all work with your body’s organs and tissues to stimulate healthy growth and continue proper function. These will often work with minerals, such as potassium, to continue proper tissue functions. Without them, no matter your calorie intake, your body won’t be able to function well. It is difficult to cover every single vitamin and mineral your body needs, but here are a few basics:

The A vitamin does wonders for your body. Vision, digestive, tissue, and your immune system all require this simple source for proper function.

D vitamins are for our structure. From skin to bone, these rascals make a difference.

Vitamin K keeps your circulatory system functioning properly, especially after injury.

Potassium keeps your nerves working well, ensuring that you have complete control of your body. It also helps keep your body’s water levels balanced, which may occur when your body retains too much water.

Zinc is a cool one, helping your body synthesize proteins, and ensuring the correctitude of your RNA and DNA, helping to keep cancerous cells away. It also affects your ability to taste…for the chefs out there.

Every one of these vitamins can be found in nature, from bananas to fish. Unfortunately, with our calorie intake slightly limited, it can be difficult to manage to eat enough of each food in order to get the proper nutrition.
This is where nutrient supplements can really make a difference.

Supplement your diet properly

These days, most people aren’t even coming close to the proper amount of nutrients in their diet. Most foods we consume these days aren’t exactly loaded with the necessary nutrients. It’s very unlikely that a cupcake is going to make you big and strong, but even foods that are good for you may not be carrying enough nutrients to help. This is where the multivitamins come in to play. Additional supplements are good, but utilizing a well-balanced multi-vitamin to ensure that your body gets all the proper nutrients can prevent any vitamin deficiencies. Most deficiencies go unnoticed, such as a simple irritated rash on your elbows and knees, or blurry vision from time to time. Often related to allergies, we may actually be lacking in particular minerals and vitamins (likely zinc and B6) that are needed to regulate your tissues to ensure proper function.

Supplementing your diet is important, but you should watch out for how you’re doing it. Most of us have an idea of what the B vitamins do- energy and metabolism. While these supplements are readily available in any energy drink you can grab off the shelf, the drink itself is extremely bad for your body. Along with caffeine and sugar, they carry numerous other chemicals that can do more harm than good.

Since there is a wide variety of supplements- and their contents, it is often recommended that you consult with your doctor or a licensed personal trainer to help guide you towards a multi-vitamin that will be a complete part of your daily breakfast.