I get asked all the time about supplements and nutrition for the wildly popular P90X workout program.  This is an intense workout routine, so nutritional supplementation can definitely benefit people on the P90X program; however, recommending one supplement is hard.  First, the end goal of the person training has to be considered.  Are you trying to lose weight, shred up your muscles, or just last the entire duration of the workout with fatiguing?  An additional consideration is your current diet: how clean is your diet, what quantities are you consuming, how many meals and snacks are you consuming?  Some essential vitamins and minerals might already be in your current diet.  Consuming more than your body can metabolize is not going to benefit you.

Okay, we’ve all been in a vitamin store and the selection at some of these stores can be mind numbing.  I, personally, gravitate to the sports performance section where the more manly products are found.  These products have muscled up gorillas on them and half of them contain huge doses of stimulants, which can greatly impact your energy level but they speed up your heart and can cause energy crashes.  P90X is a program designed for lean muscle; thus, the typical body building vitamins aren’t necessarily designed for this type of training.  Picture a body builders program; low sets, breaks in between, lots of weight. These guys transform their bodies, but most of the guys on the label and ads are on heavy doses of steroids.  Supplement companies marking to this demographic usually take ‘more is better’ approach and load these supplements up with excess ingredients to bulk of their labels – not the person using their product. Again, your body will pass anything that it can’t metabolize.

I have noticed great success from men using MMA specific supplement brands, which are designed for Mixed Martial Arts fighters.  Reason being, most fighters do similar training programs to P90X that involve cardio, resistance, and plyometric training in one continuous session.  These supplements can help increase muscle mass and endurance while helping maintain strength and flexibility.

Next is the vitamin area, which has a lot of good offerings to choose from.  I would go with a good multi-vitamin, an omega-3 product, and a joint complex to round out the stack.  The joint complex should contain ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin, which help protect joints from wear and tear. The omega-3 capsules are known as the “good fat”. Omega-3s greatly benefit fat loss, skins, and hair health.  The male or female multi-vitamin should have a good dose of all the daily minimums for the basic vitamins.

Links to my favorite supplements online:

Vitamins

MMA Supplements

The proper supplementation program can help you reduce recovery time, balance glycemic levels, volumize blood flow, aid in fat loss, and help build lean muscle.  Sticking with the basics, most of which can be found at the local drug store, will greatly impact your results with P90X.  Don’t forget to eat healthy foods and keep a daily journal to help track your diet and progress. Best of luck with P90X!

Do you remember that boundless energy you had as a child? You would run and jump, do cartwheels and handstands – you were a ball of energy. As adults we often lose that youthful vitality, becoming weary with the daily grind or exhausted by juggling the demands of our complicated lives. If you want to bring some of that child-like zest back into your life, start with a healthy balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meat, fish and pulses. Go easy on the alcohol and if you smoke, try to stop. Get some regular exercise, keep well hydrated, go to bed at a reasonable hour and invest in some natural health supplements that will help put a new spring in your step.

If your energy levels are low then a natural health supplement of Co-enzyme Q10, which is essential in converting food nutrients into energy, could help put the zing back. As we grow older, our levels of Co-enzyme Q10 decline because our body also uses it as an antioxidant, so energy levels drop. A supplement of Co-enzyme Q10 can help get your engine ticking over efficiently once more and boost energy levels. It also has the added benefit of extending the youthfulness of your skin.

Your energy levels can also be effected by the seasons. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is believed to be triggered by the changing exposure to light and darkness, which affect the brain chemicals melatonin and serotonin – your ‘happy’ brain chemicals. If you feel the winter blues seeping into your life, St John’s Wort is a well-known herbal remedy for SAD. Its antidepressant qualities can help improve mild to moderate depression. A natural health supplement of 900mg a day will help put some sunshine back into your life.

Exercise is great for keeping a spring in your step, but as you get older it can quite literally become a pain. A natural health supplement such as Glucosamine sulphate (a substance found in connective tissue, cartilage, muscles, tendons and ligaments) can help alleviate joint pain and keep joints in good condition. As the supplement is derived from shellfish, vegetarians and those allergic to shellfish should ask for vegetarian Glucosamin.

Exercise is also very good for the heart muscle and the addition of a natural health supplement that includes Omega 3 will help keep your heart healthy and protect against a wide variety of conditions including osteoporosis, heart disease, and depression. Take it in the form of fish oil capsules (1,000 to 4,000mg a day), or for vegetarians try ground linseed or cold milled flaxseeds, which are an excellent source of Omega 3.

Few of us can put our hand on our heart and say we eat a healthy balanced diet every single day. A high-quality, broad-spectrum daily multivitamin and mineral supplement will help protect the body against environmental factors such as pollution, and fill in any dietary gaps. Generally these multivitamin and mineral supplements include vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E, as well as vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese and chromium. You can also choose multivitamin mineral supplements specifically for men or women.

Hopefully with this mighty handful of five natural health supplements in your daily routine you’ll soon have a new spring in your step, though whether you’ll be doing cartwheels and handstands is totally up to you!

Herbal supplements are more popular now then ever before. People are looking for new ways to improve their health, and they are turning to natural remedies rather than pharmaceutical drugs more and more. Therefore, many people use natural health supplements and natural beauty products to treat various health conditions as well as to promote general well being. Nutritional supplements are an important part of a balanced health regiment, as they can provide essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that you may not be getting from your diet.

What are the benefits that you can get from health supplements and natural beauty products? First of all, supplements help you overcome nutritional deficiencies. We need all the nutritional in their proper amounts for optimum health. Since our diets most likely can not fill in those gaps. Nutritional supplements also help boost our immune system. The stronger your immune system, the more resistant your body can be against disease. You probably know that popping a tablet or two of vitamine c can help you avoid colds and related illnesses. This is exactly how useful supplementation is.

Health supplements and natural beauty products are also useful in getting rid of the toxins which we herrendously take in every day. The environmental stresses we go through, chemicals we are in touch with, as well as our lifestyles. These all subject us to harmful toxins which can lead to serious health problems. supplements, most especially anti-oxidants, can help our body keep toxins to a minimum. There are much more benefits that health supplements and natural beauty products can provide. The main point is that these supplements help you have the optimum health you deserve and minimize the risk of diseases.

Most people are unaware about the logic behind the balanced diet. In their view, the body accepts adequate vitamins and minerals through whatever they consume. However, this is a mere myth. Many times, the body craves the need for using ments/alternative-health-products” title=”health supplements”> health supplements to compensate on many essential nutrients, important for the smooth living of a person.

More about Health Supplements

Health supplements are usually considered to be safe. However, it is always suggested to take health supplements that are certified by a recognized body of the country. This helps you to make sure that the health nutrients are safe and do not have any ill effects. Though, there are some health supplements which are not recommended for teens. This is because of the fact that they might contain steroids that cause hurt to the body. When taking health supplements, look out for any warning signals or possible side effects such as headache, stomach discomfort, rashes, and faintness. This is only because some health supplement may include elements that may prove to be allergic to some individuals.

Where to Find?

Health supplements can be obtained from the general pharmacy shop or from the many online stores available on the internet. All you have to do is to decide the health supplement that fulfills your vitamin and mineral needs. Most people think that health supplements are for sport persons only but such additions can be effecting for all. People suffering from different kinds of sickness need health supplements to enhance their natural immunity and resistance to the illness. Pregnant woman, lactating woman and old age persons can also use health supplements to overcome their physical weakness. Health supplements aid to compensate insufficiency caused in the body.

Take Precautions

It is significant to utilize health supplements in their stipulated dosage. Taking extra amount of minerals and vitamins is not advisable. Always discuss with your physician before using any health supplements as there are some health supplements that may affect your health adversely. Some individuals use energy bars as health supplements. However, though this is fine for athletes who burn lots of calories, they can turn out to be additional calories to the average person!

Nowadays, people have become more health conscious and are sensitive of the benefits of health supplements. Along with health nutrients, it is vital to have as varied and balanced diet as possible. Remember, health supplements are meant only to act as extra nutrients to the body, and not as the only food to the body!

Question about health supplementWhere can I find a medicare health insurance supplement in OK for prexisiting conditions and for under age 65?
Oklahoma is hard to find this type of health supplement.

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Natural health supplement- ideally speaking, we all should get the essential nutrients from the food that we eat. In other words, we all should have a balanced diet. But in today’s world, this is not possible at all the times due to a number of reasons like busy lifestyles, processed foods, etc and many such factors demand for the need of additional natural health supplements to maintain yourself in good health.

These natural health supplements have no side effects at all as they all come naturally from Mother Nature. They always give you good results. Some of the natural health supplements are sugar, cholesterol, salt, saturated fats, whey proteins, etc. there re also pleasant natural health supplements that are flavored with vanilla, chocolates and strawberry to name a few.

The health benefits of vitamins and minerals are known to all. It plays a vital role in increasing the energy of the body and helps to heal it. Calcium and phosphorus is associated with the good health of the bones and teeth. Magnesium helps in strengthening the bones. Herbal tea is in great demand nowadays as a natural health supplement. Black haw has healing properties that can relieve minor back spasms. Devil’s claw is used to face the arthritis attacks. These natural health supplements help the individuals to reach their goals of muscle gain or weight loss.

Children health supplement- the market fro children health supplement is booming. All the parents want to give all the possible things to their child, so that he or she may not lack behind in any aspect in this competitive world. There are many health supplements available for children. Omega 3 is good for those children having attention deficiency and helps to increase the development of the brain. Omega 3 fish oils helps in improving memory, cognition and attention span. Omega 3 fatty acids improve the mental conditions and brain activities of the child. Calcium is an indispensible component in our diet that helps to build healthy bones, and prevents bone diseases and osteoporosis in future. Aloe Vera is also a great supplement for the kids in their diet. It helps in healing the body and your child benefits from increased immune system health as well as increased digestive tract health.

Anti-aging health supplements- there are anti-aging supplements that makes your skin as well as body turn back the clocks and helps in reducing the future effects of aging. These anti-aging supplements reduce the wrinkles on the skin, prevent sagging skin, improves the skin tone and pigmentation. When used on the skin it slows down the process of aging. It detoxifies your skin and removes the harmful toxins that dry your skin. They keep your skin moisturized and as a result, you appear younger than your actual age.

There are many health supplements in the market targeted to improve your overall health. Take advantage of it and lead a better lifestyle.

Question about health supplement

]]> http://vesta-wines.com/all-about-health-supplements/feed/ 14 http://vesta-wines.com/vitamin-d/ http://vesta-wines.com/vitamin-d/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:05:15 +0000 vesta http://vesta-wines.com/vitamin-d/

Introduction

One of the fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin D constitutes two major forms which are vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol and vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol. Vitamin D2 is synthesised by plants whilst vitamin D3 is synthesised by the body. Vitamin D is naturally present in a number of food sources and dietary supplements, and is also manufactured with the aid of sun exposure. It is produced within the body when ultraviolet-B or UVB rays from sunlight reaches the skin. The liver and the kidney eventually help to convert vitamin D to an active hormone form.

Functions of Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays several key roles in the maintenance of organ systems. For example:

* Vitamin D helps regulate calcium concentrations in the blood. Since it works more like a hormone, its active form, calcitriol acts with the parathyroid hormone or PTH. If the calcium level is low, this would trigger the secretion of PTH, which would stimulate the conversion of vitamin D to calcitriol. Calcitriol would then act to increase calcium absorption in the intestines, calcium resorption in the kidneys and stimulate calcium release from the bones.

* Vitamin D helps maintain blood phosphorus levels. Low levels of vitamin D can result to an overactive parathyroid gland. Also with inadequate phosphorus in the body, bones cannot undergo normal mineralisation.

* It is also said that vitamin D benefits the immune system since the T-cells or immune cells have receptors for vitamin D. It acts by boosting phagocytosis, the bodily functions to combat tumours, modulate neuromuscular and immune functions and reduce inflammation.

* Vitamin D is also responsible for maintaining normal cell growth and function. It may be an important element to the prevention and treatment of cancer. It has also been suggested that vitamin D plays a role in regulating the growth and function of brain cells.

* Research studies suggest that vitamin D, because of its anti-inflammatory effect, plays a role in providing protection against osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis and numerous autoimmune diseases.

Deficiency Conditions

There may be certain underlying causes of vitamin D deficiency. It can result from:

* Inadequate vitamin D intake together with inadequate sun exposure

* Certain disorders that compromise vitamin D absorption

* Conditions that can impair the conversion of vitamin D metabolites such as kidney or liver diseases or hereditary disorders.

Insufficient vitamin D intake can have serious effects on the bones, which can make them thin, brittle or deformed. Vitamin D deficiency often results in conditions like:

* Rickets which is common in children and is characterised by delayed growth and deformity of long bones.

* Osteomalacia, which occurs in adults and results in thinning of the bones. Signs of proximal weakness and bone fragility are familiar characteristics.

* Osteoporosis which is a condition wherein the bone mineral density is reduced and bone fragility is increased.

<p>Lack of vitamin D may also be linked to increased susceptibility of several chronic diseases like high blood pressure, cancer, tuberculosis, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, schisophrenia, depression, affective disorders, peripheral arterial disease and a number of autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes.</p>

Deficiency Symptoms in Adults and Infants

Signs of vitamin D deficiency includes muscle aches, myopathy or muscle weakness and bone pain. These symptoms can occur at any age. Pregnant mothers who have vitamin D deficiency can also cause fetal deficiency.

In younger infants, rickets can produce a condition called craniotabes or softening of the skull. In older babies, rickets can impede or delay sitting and crawling and the closure of the fontanels; bossing of the infants’ skull and presence of costochondral thickening or what is referred to as ‘rachitic rosary’. Children with rickets aged 1-4 years old experience epiphyseal cartilage enlargements on the long bones and delayed walking. Older children and adolescents can experience pain upon walking and in worst cases it can result in ‘bowlegs’ or ‘knock-knees’.

Tetany that is caused by hypocalcemia may go along with vitamin D deficiency in infants and adults. This condition can lead to symptoms such as loss of feeling in the lip or tongue areas and the fingers, facial spasms, and at worst, seizures.

Recommended Daily Dose of Vitamin D

Doses or intake of vitamin D is determined according to age groups. These amounts are vital to maintain normal growth and bone health and also normal calcium metabolism in the body. The adequate intakes or AIs for vitamin D indicated are based on the supposition that the vitamin D is not synthesized by sunlight exposure.

From birth to age 13, the recommended AI for children is 5 mcg or 200 IU; for both males and females aged 14-50 years old, 5 mcg or 200 IU is needed; for both males and females aged 51-70 years of age, 10 mcg or 400 IU is required; both males and females reaching the age of 71 and up require 15 mcg or 600 IU of vitamin D. Pregnant and lactating mothers need 5 mcg or 200 IU of the vitamin.

Vitamin D Food Sources

Only a few food sources contain vitamin D. Best sources of vitamin D are fish meat and fish liver oils. There are also small amounts of vitamin D, in the form of vitamin D3, found in dairy products like cheese and egg as well as beef and liver. Some types of mushrooms also contain varying amounts of vitamin D2.

Common sources of vitamin D include the following:

* Cod liver oil

* Fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines

* Milk including non-fat, reduced fat, whole or vitamin D fortified

* Margarine

* Cereals

* Egg

* Beef liver

* Swiss cheese

* Fortified orange juice

* Fortified rice or soy beverage

The Need for Increased Amounts

Since obtaining sufficient amounts of vitamin D in the diet can be quite difficult, many people now consume vitamin D fortified foods in order to maintain a healthy dose of the vitamin. There are some groups however who need increased amounts of vitamin D:

* Breastfed infants because vitamin D cannot be supplied by breast milk alone

* Older people due to the fact that synthesis of vitamin D decreases with age and the ability of the kidney to convert vitamin D diminishes

* People with limited sun exposure especially those living in northern latitudes, those wearing robes or head covers or those with occupations that prevent them from having sun exposure

* People with dark skin as more skin pigments like melanin reduces the ability of the skin to produce vitamin D.

* People with fat malabsorption conditions such as Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, liver and celiac disease or patients who have undergone surgical removal of any part of the stomach or intestine.

* People who are obese. An increased amount of subcutaneous fat can snatch more of the vitamin D and somehow alter its release in the circulation.

Interaction of Vitamin D with Prescribed Drugs

Vitamin D supplements have the tendency to react with certain types of prescription medications. These include the following:

* Steroids or corticosteroid medications like prednisone which can cause decreased calcium absorption and also damage the vitamin D metabolism process.
* Weight-loss medications such as orlistat and cholesterol-lowering drugs like cholestyramine also decrease the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins.
* Phenobarbital and phenytoin increases vitamin D metabolism and decreases calcium absorption.

Question about vitamins

]]> http://vesta-wines.com/vitamin-d/feed/ 19 http://vesta-wines.com/vitamin-supplements-do-they-work/ http://vesta-wines.com/vitamin-supplements-do-they-work/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:05:59 +0000 vesta http://vesta-wines.com/vitamin-supplements-do-they-work/

Vitamin Supplementation is huge worldwide. Most of us take vitamins now or have taken vitamins in the past. The US ranks top in dietary supplementation globally. 18.9% of Americans had taken at least one dietary supplement in 2004. Over 100 million Americans use vitamin and mineral supplements everyday. The global market has become a multi-billion dollar industry and the dietary supplement sector is growing the fastest.

The most common reason for supplement use is “to improve overall health and general well being.” It is a popular belief that vitamins are antioxidants and can therefore protect us from oxidative stress that causes many health conditions.

The most common supplements taken are:
multivitamin/multiminerals – 22%;
multivitamins plus vitamin C – 15%;
vitamin C as a single vitamin – 13%;
herbal and botanical supplements – 7%;
vitamin E as a single vitamin – 6%.

Over the years, more and more reports on the health benefits of vitamin supplements have emerged, ranging from cardiovascular benefits to cancer prevention. This is mainly due to the antioxidant properties of vitamins that can protect us from oxidative stress. As a result several studies have been conducted to confirm these reports. Some of the latest studies summarized below reveal surprising results to say the least.

One of the very first studies to comprehensively investigate the health effects of vitamin supplements was conducted by Danish researchers in 2007. They performed a meta-analysis on data pooled from several clinical trials which used supplementation of the antioxidant vitamin A, vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C and selenium used as stand-alone or as combination supplements to treat a wide range of health conditions, from cardiovascular disorders to cancer. Their results were a surprising, even troubling. For one, no benefits of these “antioxidant supplements” were found. Second, supplementation with vitamins A and E and beta-carotene (but not vitamin C and selenium) actually increased overall mortality. This study prompted other researchers to take a second look at the benefits of vitamin supplements.

In a more recent review paper, the same researchers performed another meta-analysis of more data from several clinical trials, this time involving over 200,000 people who are healthy as well as those with existing health conditions. The researchers only considered studies which compared the efficacy of antioxidant supplements against placebos in the primary and secondary prevention of different medical conditions. The authors reported that they “found no evidence to support antioxidant supplements for primary or secondary prevention. Vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin E may increase mortality.”

Another meta-analysis investigated the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant supplements, particularly against gastrointestinal cancers. They looked at data of trials which studied beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E and selenium. The authors concluded that “we could not find convincing evidence that antioxidant supplements prevent gastrointestinal cancers.”

One of the most recent developments in vitamin supplement research is the long-term SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial) study of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The study evaluated the efficacy of selenium and Vitamin E in preventing prostate cancer and enrolled 35,000 male participants in the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The participants were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: group 1 were given vitamin E supplements only, group 2 were given only selenium, group 3 took both supplements in combination, and group 4 were given placebos only. Five years into the study, the NCI decided to stop the trial because of some “concerning” findings, namely:

1. The analysis found no lower risk of prostate cancer in men taking the supplements, either alone or together.

2. Men who were taking only vitamin E actually had a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

3. Men taking only selenium seemed to have a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes.

Another study evaluated the efficacy of combined folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 in reducing cancer risk among women. Their result show that combined folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 treatment had no significant effect on overall risk of total invasive cancer or breast cancer among women during the folic acid fortification era.

A study published in December 2008 evaluated whether vitamins C and E and beta carotene supplementation have an effect on overall cancer risk. The data was taken from the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study and involved 8,171 women who were cancer-free at the start of the study about 9.4 years ago. The findings of the study showed that “supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, or beta carotene offers no overall benefits in the primary prevention of total cancer incidence or cancer mortality.”

The Women’s Health Initiative Calcium/Vitamin D Trial evaluated the effects of vitamin D and calcium supplements on blood pressure and risk for hypertension risk of 36,252 healthy postmenopausal women. The women were assigned in 2 groups: one group received a daily supplement of 1000 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily. The other group received placebo only. The researchers reported that “in postmenopausal women, calcium plus vitamin D3 supplementation did not reduce either blood pressure or the risk of developing hypertension over 7 years of follow-up.”

The Physicians’ Health Study II evaluated whether vitamin E or vitamin C have cardioprotective properties that can reduce risk for CVD in men. A total of 14,641 American doctors were enrolled in the study, aged 50 years and older, and were followed up for 8 years. The study results showed that “neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplementation reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events. These data provide no support for the use of these supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and older men.”

This study evaluated whether antioxidant (vitamins E, C and/or beta-carotene) supplements can prevent atherosclerosis. The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 22 trials which involved 134,590 participants. The researcher conclude that “…the majority of studies included in this review does not support a possible role of antioxidant supplementation in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease … no definite conclusion can be drawn to justify the use of antioxidant vitamin supplements for the prevention of atherosclerotic events.”

Folic acid is routinely prescribed for pregnant women to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. It has also been thought that folic acid, which reduced the levels of homocysteine in the blood, can prevent cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid used as biomarker for cardiovascular disorder. This trial investigated whether a vitamin combination pill with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 (vs. a placebo) can reduce cardiovascular risk. It enrolled more than 5,400 American women with a history of cardiovascular disease or with moderate to high risk profile for ccardiovascular disease. After 7.3 years of treatment and follow-up, a combination pill of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 did not reduce a combined end point of total cardiovascular events among high-risk women, despite significant homocysteine lowering.

While most of the evidence from studies summarized here does not seem to support the health benefits of vitamin supplements, there are some studies which indicate that vitamin D supplementation is worthwhile, even essential. Vitamin D is unique because we cannot get our vitamin D requirements from food alone. Instead, vitamin D is synthesized by the body upon exposure of the skin to the sun, thus earning it the title “sun vitamin.” However, since the sun is said to cause skin cancer, people tend to avoid exposure leading to widespread vitamin D deficiency.

American health experts are convinced of the necessity of vitamin D supplements and thus, routinely prescribe vitamin D supplements even for newborn babies. Milk and other dairy products in the US are fortified with vitamin D but not in many parts of the world. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for vitamin D supplementation to recommend the doubling of the dose for babies and children from 200 IU to 400 IU per day.

According to a review paper, “vitamin D is not only important for calcium metabolism and maintenance of bone health throughout life, but also plays an important role in reducing risk of many chronic diseases including type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, deadly cancers, heart disease and infectious diseases.”

In summary, antioxidants in fresh fruit and vegetables have been shown to have extensive health benefits. Unfortunately, except for vitamin D, the use of vitamin and mineral supplementation does not seem to reproduce the protective effect of natural food stuffs, as shown by many different studies summarized here. Worse, some studies even suggest that vitamin supplementation can actually increase risk for certain health conditions and mortalities. Most of the studies cited were long-term randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving thousands of participants. The data they presented are therefore, highly reliable.

The antioxidant supplement pill fits in quite nicely in this era of convenience food and lifestyle on the go. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a real healthy lifestyle and convenience can go hand in hand. The take home message is, when it comes to nutrition, there is no substitute for natural food stuff. Nature is still the best source of our nutritional needs.

Question about vitamins

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