Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Vitamins and mineral supplements are a good way to supply your body with the daily nutrients you may not be getting from your diet. However, many vitamin and mineral supplements make outrageous claims, like supplements that claim to help you lose weight without exercise. If that's the case, it's just not true. You have to burn more calories than you consume and exercise will help you accomplish that.

Most vitamins are fine and are not harmful. Most foods contain enough vitamins and minerals to keep the body functioning properly. However, according to some nutritionists, to meet your daily requirement of vitamins and minerals, you need to take a supplement. Fruits and vegetables have important vitamins in them and should not be eliminated from a diet unless a doctor orders it. In this case a supplement would almost be necessary. Your body needs vitamins to keep it functioning.

Are vitamins a good source of energy? No. Vitamins help regulate the body's metabolism. Vitamins also help the food we eat to release its energy. It's the food, when absorbed and broken down into nutrients, the body can use that provides our body with energy. For example, the body, more easily, absorbs calcium if you are also taking Vitamin D. that's why the majority of Vitamin D supplements are fortified with calcium.

There are thirteen vitamins that are all important to achieve optimum health. Vitamins E & C contain antioxidants. Antioxidants help to release free radicals, which are high-energy particles. These high-energy particles damage healthy blood cells. There are also studies indicating that the consumption of vitamins and supplements may aid in fighting cancer and preventing other chronic diseases.

In an article written by Dr. Christine Northrup, M.D., for Vital Choice, she states, "many doctors are under the impression that it's not safe to take vitamins while undergoing these treatments-and that vitamins, such as vitamin C, can actually render treatment less effective."

Dr. Northrup continues, "This has never made any sense to me given that supplements help healthy cells stay healthy and also improve overall immunity."[1]

In 2007 there was a definitive study done called, "Antioxidants and Other Nutrients Do Not Interfere with Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy and Can Increase Kill and Increase Survival."[1]

The two part study, conducted by the Simone Protective Cancer Institute in New Jersey, shows that a single front-page interview (without scientific justification) in a 1997 edition of The New York Times, a single research paper involving mice, and a press release by its author LL led to the erroneous conclusion that vitamin C interfered with chemo and radiation in humans.

Concern was raised over the facts that antioxidants such as vitamin C neutralize free radicals, and most cancer treatments kill cancer cells by generating free radicals. Was one fighting the other?

"Oncologists observed that folic acid (an antioxidant) interferes with methotrexate (one type of chemo). Suddenly, doctors started to accept the unproved notion that this applied to all antioxidants and that taking any supplements or other nutrients would interfere with treatment," states Dr. Northrup.

According to the study, "non-prescription antioxidants and other nutrients actually enhance the ability of these modalities to kill cancer cells. They also help protect healthy tissue and decrease side effects."[1]

Vitamins are just one tool among many that are available to help us become and stay healthy. Vitamins alone will not do this; there is no magic pill. A healthy diet, exercise, and regular health checkups will get us on the right path.

Sit down with your physician and discuss your health with him or her. They may even suggest that you meet with a nutrition specialist. Get smart and be healthy.

There are plenty of web sites with great information regarding supplements and how they work. A little knowledge is a very good thing and in the case of vitamins, the more you know about the advantages and disadvantages, the safer and healthier you will be. You should know your body, trust your instincts, and get help if needed. Eating the proper food (diet), good exercise, plenty of water, and a little common sense will get you on the right path to better health.

Jeffrey Sloe
440-725-3729
jeff@internetmarketingadvisors.net
TriVita Independent Business Affiliate, 12871028
Internet Marketing Advisors
http://trivitaproduct.info
http://nutrition-vitamins-for-you.blogspot.com/

Resources:
[1]http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article001319820.cfm?x=bf3nWNn,b6hFv6bq, 2009