Vitamins

I found this article and thought I would pass it along.

Vitamins: What they are, How they work, and Why we need them
by Ryan Harrison,MA

It probably seems like common sense that vitamins are good for people. They're fairly ubiquitous in our present culture; they are now even sold at those dollar stores you see popping up everywhere. But do you know what vitamins actually are or how they work? Have you wondered why you need them or how to recognize the best vitamins from those of poor quality?

What Are Vitamins?
In the simplest of terms, vitamins are organic substances that are essential for our normal health and development.

There are at least 13 different vitamins that we know are essential for human health. However, there is not uniform agreement concerning our vitamin requirements. Patrick Holford, founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, suggests that the "Recommended Daily Allowances" (RDA) are set by governments in order to prevent vitamin deficiency diseases like scurvy and rickets, but that they are "certainly not designed to ensure optimal health, and there is a big difference between a lack of illness and the presence of wellness."1 The RDAs do not take into account an individual's circumstances (e.g., if you smoke, drink alcohol, live in a polluted city, are premenstrual or menopausal, exercise frequently), nor do they consider the question of what would promote optimal health.

How Vitamins Work
In general, vitamins are molecules that your body requires in order to carry out certain metabolic actions. Perhaps most importantly, you should understand that vitamins don't act on the body like drugs. For example, you'll rarely get the nearly instant results that you do if you take caffeine or a sleeping pill. Vitamins are the raw materials that your body uses to repair itself; you can't really use vitamins to force your body to do something it wasn't going to in the first place.

More important than feeling effects is knowing that vitamins work together in a synergistic manner. Most vitamins work best when they are taken with other vitamins. Their concerted efforts in the body are what help produce optimal health, though a noticeable change may take several weeks to be readily apparent. Exceptions to this, of course, would include those people who are so deficient in a specific vitamin that when they are given the needed nutrient, their bodies respond nearly instantly.

Consult the table below to find out more about how your body uses the 13 essential vitamins.

Why You Need Them
Without a good multivitamin supplement, you are probably not getting the amounts of vitamins that your body needs to run optimally. You may be thinking, "But what if I eat a really well-balanced diet?" While it's always a good idea to choose foods that are high in nutritional value (such as raw, organic foods), the sad truth is that it is incredibly hard to eat a diet that meets even the RDA levels of vitamins, let alone those needed to produce optimum health. There are many reasons why this is the case. Take a look at these facts:2,3,4

Fewer than 29% of people eat 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day;
20% of people don't eat any fruits or vegetables at all;
The RDAs are established to prevent common deficiency diseases in an "average person": an adult under 60 years old who is in good health, has normal digestion, isn't overweight, leads a relatively stress-free life, has no medical problems, does not need any medication, and eats a good diet everyday of 2,000 calories per day;
The October 2002 Journal of the American Medical Association reported a research study that stated categorically that every adult should take a multiple vitamin, since it is impossible to obtain all the nutrients needed in our daily food intake today;
Processed foods--which account for the larger part of the average American's diet--have been depleted of nutrients; and
Since 1963, the nutrient quality of the soil in which we grow all the food we eat has declined dramatically.
Since the 1980s scientific studies have shown that proper use of vitamins and nutritional supplements can boost immunity, increase IQ, reduce birth effects, improve childhood development, reduce colds, lessen PMS, improve bone density, balance moods, increase energy, and in short, promote a long and healthy life. Most people settle for "feeling alright" when they could--with the help of good quality vitamin supplements--feel great. Are you one of them?

If so, do yourself a favor by finding and using a good multivitamin supplement. In general, look for vitamins that are all-natural and can be taken in dosages that at least meet the RDAs for vitamins. A good way to get full-spectrum vitamin support is to find and use a premium quality multivitamin supplement.

Chances are, with the right supplement in hand, you will be on your way to a healthier you. And being healthy is, of course, the cornerstone of a wonderful, long, and fulfilling life.



Vitamin A, aka Retinol and Beta-carotene

Needed for healthy skin, protects against infections, antioxidant and immune booster, essential for night vision

Vitamin B1, aka Thiamine

Essential for energy production, brain function, and digestion; helps body make use of protein

Vitamin B2, aka Riboflavin

Helps convert fats, sugars, and protein into energy; helps repair and maintain healthy skin; helps regulate body acidity; important for hair, skin, and nails

Vitamin B3, aka Niacin
Essential for energy production, brain function and the skin; helps balance blood sugar and lower cholesterol levels; also involved in digestion

Vitamin B5, aka Pantothenic acid

Involved in energy production, controls fat metabolism; essential for brain and nerves; helps make anti-stress hormones; maintains healthy skin and hair

Vitamin B6, aka Pyridoxine

Essential for protein digestion and utilization, brain function, hormone production; helps balance sex hormones; natural anti-depressant and diuretic; helps control allergic reactions

Vitamin B12, aka Cyanocobalamin

Essential for making use of protein; helps blood carry oxygen; needed for synthesis of DNA; essential for nerves; helps deal with toxins

Biotin

Particularly important in childhood; helps your body use essential fats, assisting in promoting healthy skin, hair, and nerves

Vitamin C, aka Ascorbic acid

Strengthens immune system; fights infections; makes collagen, keeping bones, skin and joints firm and strong; antioxidant, protecting against cancer and heart disease; helps turn food into energy

Vitamin D, aka Ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol

Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium

Vitamin E, aka D-alpha tocopherol

Antioxidant, protecting cells from damage including against cancer; helps body use oxygen, preventing blood clots, thrombosis, atherosclerosis; improves wound healing and fertility

Folic Acid

Critical during pregnancy for development of brain and nerves; essential for brain and nerve function; needed for utilizing protein and for red blood cell formation

Vitamin K, aka Phylloquinone

Controls blood clotting



References
1 Holford, Patrick, The Optimum Nutrition Bible, ©1999, pg. 60.
2 http://www.drlam.com/supplements/intro.cfm
3 http://www.preventionisbest.com/site/nutrientpoorfoods.html
4 Mindell, Earl, Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible, ©2004, pp. 5 - 6.





EAT INTENTIONALLY!

CINDY