MAKING “VITAMINS”. a huge category, but in general it helps to think of them as follows small general contractors who build and repair various things on and in your body.
Your body needs small amounts of vitamins to function properly, says Mariana Dineen registered dietitian and founder of the virtual nutrition practice Elemento Health. Vitamins help strengthen your body immune systembuild your muscles and bones, and much more.
“They are essential nutrients, which means our bodies cannot produce enough of them, so we must get them through our diets,” she says. Vitamin-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grainsand high-quality meat can help you get enough. In some cases, vitamin supplements are also helpful.
Are vitamins different from supplements?
YES. ON ONE At a biological level, vitamins are organic compounds. Your body needs vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the eight B vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7) . , folic acid (B9) and cyanocobalamin (B12).
These nutrients occur naturally in a wide variety of foods, such as fruits and vegetables (A, C and K), nuts (E), meat (B), and mushrooms (D). Your body also makes vitamin D against sunlight, and your intestinal bacteria make some vitamin K.
By comparison, vitamin supplements contain vitamins in capsule, tablet, liquid, gummy, or powder form. (Or at least that’s the idea. More on that soon.)
Multivitaminswhich some people use interchangeably with vitamins, contain a mix of vitamins, although many vitamin supplements also contain other substances such as minerals, herbs and botanicals, egg whitefatty acids, or probiotics.
Are vitamins healthy?
YES, IN THE correct quantities. If you don’t get enough of certain vitamins, you can become seriously ill. Vitamin deficiencies can cause a wide range of health problems, such as night blindness (vitamin A deficiency), fatigue (vitamin B deficiency), swollen gums (vitamin C deficiency), weak bones (vitamin D deficiency), muscle problems (vitamin E deficiency) or excessive bleeding (vitamin K deficiency).
Vitamins can become unhealthy if you take too much of them, which is more likely with supplements than with food. Vitamin C and B vitamins are water soluble, so what we don’t need we pee out within a few days. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, so we can store them extra in our tissues. It’s easier to overdo the fat-soluble vitamins because they build up in your fat stores. They can build up in your body toxic levels, causing harmful side effects. It is more difficult, but possible, to consume too much vitamin C and B vitamins.
“Supplements are intended to supplement an already balanced diet,” says Dezi AbeytaRDN, a Men’s health nutrition consultant and founder of Foodtalk Nutrition LLC. “I think most guys do it the other way around, thinking about supplementation versus thinking about how to create a base and make sure their foods are nutrient-dense so that they have the water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. that your body needs.”
In addition to vitamins, foods also give you a range of useful nutrients.
“Vitamin supplements are not going to be able to provide that whole package that whole foods can provide you: the fiber, the vitamins, the minerals, the antioxidants, this synergy that vitamin supplements cannot provide,” says Dineen.
Are vitamins safe?
THEY COULD BE, but don’t just grab the first one you see and assume it’s good. Vitamin supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so it is up to companies to make the supplements safe. Do your homework and select a product that has been verified by a third party, such as NSF.
“It’s important to select supplements from brands with third-party testing or certifications to ensure purity, dosage accuracy, and even the absence of other harmful additives,” says Dineen.
If you take vitamin supplements, stick to the recommended dose. Each vitamin has one acceptable upper intake limit—the maximum dose you can safely consume. It’s easy to exceed the max if you take more than one supplement or eat foods and drinks with extra vitamins added energy drinks, which often contain high doses B vitamins.
“Many vitamins and fortified foods contain some of the same ingredients, so using multiple products with overlapping ingredients can lead to accidental overdose,” says Dineen.
Make sure your healthcare provider knows that you also take vitamin supplements.
“Seek professional advice, whether that is from your registered dietitian or doctor, is important as it ensures that vitamin intake meets your personal needs and that interactions with medications or other vitamins or other nutrients are avoided,” says Dineen .
Who Should Take Vitamins?
NOT EVERYONE NEEDS IT taking vitamin supplements. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health showed that, on average, multivitamins did not protect people from early death (nor did they increase the risk).
However, vitamin supplements can be helpful if you are not meeting your nutritional needs.
“They can be very healthy and essential to our well-being, but only if they are present in the right amounts and used correctly,” says Dineen. “They can be helpful when used to fill a nutritional gap.”
Talk to your healthcare provider about a vitamin supplement if you have:
- Symptoms of a deficiency. A healthcare provider can order blood tests to reveal vitamin deficiencies. They can then recommend a supplement to help you boost your levels, if necessary.
- A restricted diet. Vitamin supplements can help people on a restricted diet, such as a vegetarian or vegan diet, get enough vitamins such as B12.
- Intestinal problems. Sometimes people with digestive disorders that affect nutrient absorption, such as celiac disease, benefit from vitamin supplements, says Dineen.
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