Five Good Reasons

Five Good Reasons

Why You May need Vitamin Supplements

Most people believe that if they keep to a well balanced diet, it would provide them with the necessary vitamins and minerals for good health. Ideally this is the case, but in today’s fast paced world, it may be prudent to take vitamin supplements to optimize the dietary sources for nutrients.

1. Overcooking

Lengthy cooking or reheating of meat and vegetables can oxidize and destroy heat-susceptible vitamins like B and C, as well as many minerals. Vitamins like B6, for example, can be destroyed by irradiation from microwaves.

2. Smoking

Smoking, whether directly or indirectly via passive smoking, increases the body’s need for vitamin C. Found in fruits like pineapples, kiwi fruits and papayas, the vitamin oxidizes quickly once the fruits are cut, juiced, cooked or stored in direct light or close to heat. Vitamin C is important to boost the body’s immunity.

3. Inefficient Digestion

Poor digestion can be an obstacle to the body’s vitamin intake. Common causes of inefficient digestion are not chewing well enough or eating too quickly. Some food particles may be too large to allow complete action by digestive enzymes. People with dentures may also face this problem.

4. Hot Liquids

Downing liquids which are too hot may cause inflammation of the digestive linings, resulting in reduced digestive fluids which are required to extract vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. Coffee, tea and other beverages with excess irritants can also aggravate the linings.

5. Stress

The vitamin B group is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Stress can increase the body’s requirement for vitamins B and D, and folic acid