In many ways, vitamins are the fuel that keeps your body’s core functions moving, growing and maintaining themselves. They are organic compounds that the body doesn’t make on its own, leaving us to rely on supplements, fruits, vegetables and animal byproducts to achieve a healthy balance of nutrients in the body.
Water-Soluble VS Fat-Soluble
There isn’t a whole lot of difference between these two vitamin groups beyond the way they are broken down and transported through the body. Vitamins are each carried through the body in fat or water, and while fat is stored in the body, water is flushed through the kidneys and out of the body, taking water-soluble vitamins with it. These water-soluble vitamins are primary vitamin C and B, while fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K.
Best Sources of Vitamins
Every food you put into your body carries some type and amount of vitamins. But the method in which the food is prepared and the state of the food as it enters your mouth are the biggest indicators of just how much of a specific nutrient is getting into your body. Exposure to heat is especially detrimental to the vitamin supply in whole foods, which means cooked food is not as vitamin rich as raw fruits and vegetables.
The other place you can count on a healthy dose of vitamins is from supplements. Nutritional product manufacturers provide a variety of options for supplement form, dosage, and nutrient balance. Multivitamins have grown especially popular due to the fact that they provide a great source of vitamins combined and dosed for specific age groups and body types. Between over-the-counter supplements and whole foods, there are plenty of vitamins to be had, and yet many are still encountering deficiencies. Talk to your doctor about how you should be supplementing your diet with vitamins.
Interesting Vitamin Facts
- Vitamin E can help widen blood vessels and prevent blood clots.
- Smokers require an extra 35 mg of Vitamin C each day.
- Vitamin B12 is essential to the formation of red blood cells and can be found in abundance among most animal byproducts.
- Whey Protein Supplements have been shown to support muscle growth in elderly people.
- Pair Vitamin D with Magnesium to aid your metabolism and get the most benefit from Vitamin D.
- Genetics can affect how vitamins are metabolized.