Vitamins are essential nutrients that contribute to a healthy life and essential for the normal growth and development of a multi cellular organism.
They are distributed quite differently among the various foods and food products we consume.
Vitamins are responsible for keeping cells strong, binding tissues, fighting infections, energy metabolism, function of the central nervous system, production of hemoglobin, immune function, antioxidant function, and bone metabolism.
Vitamins have diverse biochemical functions, including function as hormones and acting as coenzymes to carry chemical groups between enzymes.
Few of us understand the importance of enzymes, yet enzymes are vital to every biochemical process in the body.
Without enzymes you couldn't breathe, your heart wouldn't beat, you couldn't move your muscles or digest foods.
In fact digestive problems such as constipation, gas, heart burn bloating, and stomach cramps are often the first signs that you maybe deficient in enzymes.
They are involved in many processes that enable your body to use carbohydrates, fats and proteins for energy and repair.
Dietary supplements, often containing vitamins, are used to ensure that adequate amounts of nutrients are obtained on a daily basis, if optimal amounts of the nutrients cannot be obtained through a varied diet.
Your body prefers to extract the vitamins and minerals from whole foods and excretes excess vitamins and minerals from supplements via in urine or feces.
foods over 120 degrees Fahrenheit destroys health properties, enzymes, vitamins, etc.
The modern diet consisting of fast foods, over refined sugars and grains and heavily processed and preserved foods.
The foods you eat are stripped of nutrients through refining and processing.
Many people don't receive all of the nutrients they need from their diet because they either can't or don't eat enough, or they can't or don't eat a variety of healthy foods.
While food is the preferred source of vitamins and minerals, we live in such busy times-restricting calories for weight loss, eating more processed foods, skimping on fruits and vegetables-that it's almost impossible to meet our daily nutritional needs from food alone.
Studies performed at Rutgers University by a research group has revealed an alarming decline in the mineral content of commercially grown foods.
Free Radicals are everywhere-they are molecules in our air, food, water that damage our bodies at the cellular level making us more susceptible to illness and infectionsand degenerative diseases.
The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods.
But even balance diets are dangerously lacking essential nutrients.
Over 90 percent of the North American population is deficient in some nutrient.
Gradually, even minor deficiency can cause a range of problems, including hair loss, white spots on fingernails, oily or dry skin, fatigue and mood swings.
Common types of vitamins used in supplements : Crystalline: Means it had a natural food as its original source but was treated with various high powered chemicals, solvents, heat and distillations to reduce it down to one specific pure crystalline vitamin or amino acid and hence is no longer natural.
It no longer has its synergistic components that is, its enzymes, coenzymes, minerals, mineral activators and co-vitamin helpers.
It has been reduced to a pure crystalline powder with one definite simple chemical structure.
In this form it is but one simple phase of complete Vitamin Complex.
Synthetic: Means that in the laboratory the scientist has reconstructed the exact structure of the crystalline molecule by "putting together or chemically combining the same molecules from other sources.
On the label for either synthetic or crystalline vitamins only the chemical name of the single vitamin is usually given.
Legally it is not necessary to give the sources from which the synthetic chemical is derived.
Natural: Natural means vitamins as found untampered with in anyway that might change their molecular, their biological or biochemical combinations, or their action.
This usually means that only the fiber and moisture are removed.
The natural vitamins and other nutrients are still intact as nature intended.
All labels of truly natural food concentrates should indicate the exact food source from which the vitamin is obtained.
Naturals are much more expensive because they are perishable and every precaution must be taken to preserve their life and integrity.
Synthetics are inert, cheaper and present much less expensive handling problems.
As with any inert-material greater mass production creates cheaper bargain prices.
Labels on vitamins and other dietary supplements now include nutrient information and list all ingredients, including identifying parts of plants from which ingredients may be taken.
Unlike the labels for drugs, however, labels for vitamins and supplements may not claim to prevent or treat any specific disease or illness.
In choosing Vitamins look for natural whole food vitamins that use the names of foods you can recognize such as green pepper, wheat grass, brewer's yeast, soybean, alfalfa, or acerola cherry.
Here are more facts about whole food vitamins; oWhole food vitamins are essential to the creation of energy and overall health.
oAmino acid chelated minerals needed to promote stronger bones, healthy hair, skin and nails, and help maintain firm muscle tone.
oSuper antioxidants that help protect you from the serious health risks of free radical damage caused by pollution, toxins and stress.
oEnzymes for proper digestion and to receive maximum nutrition and energy from your food.
oFriendly flora to strengthen your body's immune system and support your overall health.
Today, more and more people are turning to natural health products globally.
The more natural health products people use, the fewer drugs they buy.