Close your eyes and imagine vitamins. What do you see? If your imagination has painted the vase in front of you with fresh fruits and vegetables, then this article is likely not for you.
But we live in a time when the word “vitamins” at most associated with only a bottle of pills.
For them in pharmacies dedicated entire shelves, commercials screaming about having to buy a vitamin complex. “Well, what is wrong?” – you might say. And that’s what.
What you need to know about vitamins: theoretical help
Vitamins – a group of substances necessary for proper functioning of the body. Most vitamins, humans must get from food. But there are exceptions: vitamin D is produced under the action of ultraviolet light, vitamin a is synthesized in the body from precursors, and vitamins K and B3 are allocated by the gut microbiota.
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can accumulate in the body, while water-soluble (C and group B) are fairly rapidly removed with water.
Why do we need vitamins? We don’t get energy from them, they are not included in the structure of cells and tissues. Actually vitamins are a kind of assistants of our body. They contribute to correct function of enzymes or sometimes act as hormones, i.e., perform a regulatory function.
Don’t forget about the mineral ions are inorganic compounds necessary for maintaining proper osmotic pressure, some of them are part of proteins and nucleic acids.
Where can a person get the vitamins and mineral ions
Their sources are everywhere. Here is the truth. Everything you eat contains vitamins and minerals. Even the chips contain vitamins C, B6 and potassium. Vitamins added to milk, flour, Breakfast cereals, sausages and candy. But the most rich sources of vitamins and minerals are fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cereals, bread and milk. And most frozen foods in no way inferior to fresh vitamin profile.
What’s wrong with multivitamins
It would seem that you can just take all the necessary vitamins and stuff in one pill. But all is not so simple.
Compatibility
Remember that vitamins are divided into fat soluble and water soluble? Water-soluble need to be taken with water and fat soluble to eat fatty foods. Water soluble do not accumulate and are quickly excreted, so they need to be taken several times a day, while fat soluble can be taken once a day. Moreover, for proper storage they should be in different parts of the tablet. However, not all manufacturers take this into account or simply do not specify in the instructions how to correctly take the pill.
Even the correct dissolution of vitamins we can not guarantee they are working properly.
There is a whole table of compatibility of vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamins a and E are best taken together, and calcium, magnesium and zinc separately. However still on the shelves it is possible to meet vitamin complexes, containing incompatible components.
The discrepancy
Some manufacturers add in Supplements threat components that contribute to the appearance shown on the package effect. Most often this sin supplements for weight loss. And the saddest thing, these ingredients not specified in the composition.
Other more common mismatch of the composition are dosage. On the manufacturer’s website can specify one information on the packaging is different, but in the tablet I will do something else. The ratio of ingredients varies not only from bundle to bundle, but also from tablet to tablet.
The cost
We will not argue that there are multivitamins with a balanced and fair composition. Do not deny that there are people with deficiencies. But who are they? For the most part – poor families and the elderly. The first is not enough money for a full diet, and second because of their age may need different amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Now let’s try to remember how much is the average cost of a vitamin complex in the pharmacy. The paradox lies in the fact that people, for which you have created vitamin supplements, you can’t afford them.
What supplements you should take
Still, not all vitamins are useless. Indeed, even a person with a balanced diet may lack a certain vitamin or mineral (but not all that we shove in multivitamin complexes).
Vitamin D
It is involved in bone growth and calcium absorption. Vitamin D is hard to get from food, and urban lifestyle does not allow long to bask in the sun, so it makes sense to buy a Supplement from the pharmacy.
Zinc
Unlike vitamin C, zinc really helps with fighting colds. It prevents the spread of rhinovirus and facilitates the course of the disease.
Folic acid
Folic acid is beneficial during pregnancy. It helps to avoid diseases of the nervous system of the fetus and promotes growth of cells.
Summary
Despite the fact that the effectiveness of most vitamin complexes has not been proven, pharmaceutical companies continue to produce a huge amount of expensive, unbalanced multivitamin complexes. People choose tutu in a beautiful package or according to the principle “where there are more components”, sometimes even not understanding what vitamins are and how they work. Of course, in the market there are really good vitamin complexes, but ignorant people simply will not be able to distinguish them in all this Pestryaev variety.
Before you blame all their woes on health lack of vitamins, you need to rethink your lifestyle and food behavior.
Vitamins are not magical pills. They can’t fix lack of sleep, poor diet or bad habits. And if you still want to buy them – contact your doctor for advice. Only the correct selection of the necessary supplements for you personally can lead to the desired result.