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Vitamins
Daily Complete Vitamins
What are vitamins?
Vitamins are
essential to life. They are considered as micronutrients as they are only
needed in small amounts compared to macronutrients such as carbohydrates,
proteins and fat.
Major
vitamins include vitamin A and beta-carotene (precursor of vitamin A),
vitamin B complex: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinic acid), B5
(pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalamin), biotin, choline,
folate, vitamins C, D, E and K. These vitamins can be further divided into
water soluble or oil soluble vitamins. Water soluble vitamins such as
vitamin C and vitamin B complex have to be taken daily as they cannot be
stored within our body. On the other hand, oil soluble vitamins such as
vitamins A, D, E and K can be stored in fatty tissues and the liver for
longer period of time.
What do vitamins do? How much vitamins do we need each
day?
Vitamins are
essential in almost all bodily functions. They can regulate immune
function, cell division and cell differentiation, facilitate cell to cell
communication, improve metabolism and reduce stress response. Deficiency
of specific vitamins can lead to diseases such as beriberi, rickets,
scurvy and night blindness.
So how much
vitamins do we need each day? Scientists have developed some
standards on vitamin consumption, known as
recommended daily intake / recommended daily allowance (RDA).
Recommended
daily intake is the minimum nutrient requirement for healthy people to
ward off vitamin deficient diseases. These values do not represent
the amounts of vitamins required for optimal health, which vary among
individuals based on their age, diet, health conditions, exposure to toxic
chemicals and lifestyle.
Why do we need daily complete vitamins?
Although
vitamins are present in fresh foods, many people do not consume a balanced
healthy diet to get sufficient vitamins. Changes in
farming practices, poor food treatment and storage, improper cooking
methods also reduce the amount of vitamins in food. On the other
hand, our demand of vitamins has increased due to stressful lifestyle and
environmental pollution. Therefore,
consumption of daily complete vitamins may be needed for some people
to maintain good health.
Types of vitamin supplements
Commercially
available vitamin supplements can be divided into two groups: synthetic
versus natural. Synthetic vitamins are synthesized in the laboratories
and natural vitamins are derived from food sources. Synthetic vitamins
may contain coal tar, preservatives and other additives. Even “natural”
vitamins may contain vitamins not extracted from natural food sources. So
consumers should read the labels carefully when choosing vitamin
supplements.
In general,
vitamins extracted from natural food sources are more bioactive and more
easily assimilated by the body. In addition, they may contain other nutrients
that can enhance the beneficial effect of single vitamins (e.g. the
presence of bioflavonoids improves the absorption of vitamin C).
Protein-bonded vitamins, usually found in natural food supplements, are
also more readily absorbed and assimilated than inorganic vitamins.
Complete multi-vitamins are better than single vitamin
supplements
Because
vitamins and minerals work synergistically (they enhance the effects of
each other), daily complete multi vitamins and minerals are usually preferred
for general health maintenance. Single vitamin supplement is usually
used to treat a specific disorder or deficiency.
Many
complete multi vitamin and mineral supplements contain no
iron because iron can be found in many foods. In addition, excess iron
uptake can lead to the formation of free radicals and is found to be
associated with heart diseases and cancer.
Complete Multi-Vitamins & Minerals
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