The Vitamin Addict

Multivitamins Help Boost Your Overall Health and Well-being

Millions of people take a multivitamin every day to help improve their overall health and well-being. A multivitamin is best described as any form of caplet, tablet or even injection that contains more than one vitamin source. Due to the fact that most people today do not sit down and eat a healthy well-balance diet, multivitamins have become very popular and necessary in many cases. In addition, it is not always easy to get all the nutrients you need simple from the foods you eat alone which is how supplements can help.

They are also used for people who need to be on a restrictive diet that does not allow then to get all the nutrition they need from their meals. They are frequently recommended for the elderly as a means to help them meet their nutritional needs. However, anyone that does not eat healthy well-balanced meals can greatly benefit form adding multivitamins to their diet.

Things to Consider

If you decide to add multivitamins to your daily routine there are a few things that you need to consider. For example, you need to take the proper amount of vitamins and be careful not to overdose on them. Many people have the misconception that you can’t take too many vitamins. This simply isn’t true. Multivitamins can be dangerous to your health if taken in large enough doses, especially for an extended amount of time.

If you suffer from any medical condition it is advised that you consult with your physician before taking a multivitamin because it could interact with your condition or present medications. They can also have a bad reaction to certain medications as well. Special prenatal vitamins are usually given to women that are pregnant so, if you are expecting a baby you should consult your doctor before taking a multivitamin.

Anyone that may be suffering from a severe vitamin deficiency should consult with their physician before taking multivitamins because they may need a specific vitamin at a higher dose than what can be found in these. It is also good to keep in mind that multivitamins have been labeled as a dietary supplement by the “Food and Drug Administration”. What this means is that most of them are not required to be tested in the way that other pharmaceutical drugs are required.

Basic Information Concerning Multivitamins

Most people today do not eat healthy, at least not on a regular basis. We live busy lives and we eat fast food and processed meals that don’t have the nutrients that our bodies need. Due to this fact, multivitamins can be a great benefit to help you get the proper amount of vitamins your body needs to stay healthy. Multivitamins come in a variety of forms and strengths to fit the needs of every individual.

Below is a list of the different forms of multivitamins:

• Caplets
• Tablets
• Chewable tablets
• Capsules
• Oral liquid

Regardless of which form you choose to take you must use them only as directed. This normally means one dose within a twenty-four hour period. If you forget to take a dose and it is nearing the scheduled time to take another one, just wait and resume taking them at your regular time. Never take a double dose as this can create complications. If you have any questions about your supplements, you should be sure to consult your physician for advice.

Some people do experience some side effects when they use a multivitamin which includes an unpleasant taste in their mouth or an upset stomach. These are not normally severe but if they persist or do become serious, then discuss this problem with your physician.

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When it comes to important vitamins for the body, you don’t want to forget this one. Vitamin K is closely associated with blood clotting and is an important vitamin for the body. In fact, vitamin K is directly linked with the function of several proteins that are necessary for your blood to clot correctly. It is a fat-soluble vitamin which means that it is stored by the fatty tissues of the body.

Today vitamin K is distinguished by two forms that occur naturally. Vitamin K-1 is the plants synthesize phylloquinone. Vitamin K-2 is bacteria synthesize. There is an MK-4 that is being studied more at this point that appears to be synthesized by animals and humans but, it still requires much more research at this time.

Vitamin K Functions

The main biological function of vitamin K is to aid in the calcium-binding function of proteins that are needed for blood clotting. This is a very important aspect as clotting is the body’s natural way to prevent a person from losing to much blood in the event of an injury. When you receive a cut or other type of open wound, the blood should clot on its own preventing a person from bleeding to death with minor or moderate wounds.

Uncontrolled blood clotting is also dangerous for a person as this can form clots which block the flow of blood to arteries resulting in heart failure, stroke and so forth. Vitamin K helps to regulate the proteins that prevent this from happening as well. Vitamin K may also play an important role when it comes to cell growth and the aging process of the nervous system. However, more studies are needed to determine its exact action concerning these functions. 

Known Vitamin K Deficiencies and Food Sources

There are a few obvious signs that would indicate that a person is suffering from a Vitamin K deficiency, they include the following:

• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Bruising easily
• Excessive nosebleeds
• Bleeding gums
• Blood in the urine or stool
• Tarry black stools
• Extremely heavy bleeding during menstrual cycle

It is very unusual for a healthy adult to have a vitamin K deficiency but, infants that are breast-fed are at a higher risk than newborns that are not. This is due to the fact that compared to baby formula breast milk has a very low amount of vitamin K. It is also contributed to the fact that a newborns intestine may not be colonized with bacteria that synthesize this vitamin or it may not be fully functional at birth.

You can find vitamin K in many different types of foods. Some of them are listed below:

• Cabbage
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Brussels sprouts
• Wheat bran
• Fruits
• Meat
• Dairy products
• Soy products

Vitamin K-2 can be found in chicken, butter, cheese, egg yolks and some types of mayonnaise. Because vitamin K is found in so many different types of food, it is rare for a person to not get the required amount needed to stay healthy. Never forget the importance of Vitamin K when you are considering a vitamin supplement plan.

Vitamin H is commonly known as Biotin and aids in the process in which energy is released form the foods that you eat. It also is used in the production of fatty acids and the metabolism of fats. This is an important and often overlooked vitamin.

Biotin is a big part of cell growth and is associated with the use of amino acids. Vitamin H helps your body to maintain a steady blood sugar level and aids in the transfer of carbon dioxide. It is indicated that biotin is good for healthy bone marrow and can even aid in relieving muscle pain.

There are even cosmetic reasons for getting enough Vitamin H. Vitamin H is believed to help strengthen your hair and nails and for this reason it is used in many hair and skin products along with some cosmetics. Biotin is also good for maintaining healthy nerve tissue and sweat glands

Vitamin H Food Sources

There are several foods that supply vitamin H for the body. However, in the event that there is a shortage of vitamin H in your body it can be manufactured by the body itself to a degree.

Some of the vitamin H food sources are listed below:

• Eggs
• Cheese
• Chicken breasts
• Beef liver
• Cauliflower
• Brewer’s yeast
• Salmon
• Mushrooms
• Nuts
• Spinach

If you are taking a biotin supplement then you should also take it with the vitamin B complex supplements. Many supplements work well when taken in combination as part of a regular dietary supplement. Sometimes vitamin C is also recommended to be taken in conjunction with vitamin H.

Biotin is not a vitamin that is easily destroyed in the body but if you take antibiotics for long periods of time you may need to take a supplement. Anyone who consumes food containing avidin such as raw eggs may also have a problem as avidin makes it difficult and in some case impossible for the body to absorb biotin. You should consult your doctor if you have any specific questions about this.

Someone suffering from a Vitamin H deficiency would notice a loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting along with excess fatigue. They may also notice tongue inflammation, fungal infections, rashes and dry scaly skin. It is not unusual for someone with a vitamin H deficiency to become depressed and have a problem with high cholesterol. Dry brittle hair of excess hair loss can also be associated with a vitamin H deficiency.

Benefits of Vitamin H

Vitamin H or biotin has many benefits for the body. Aside from aiding in metabolizing carbohydrates and the other benefits mentioned above, biotin is used to help with medical conditions. Many newborns suffer form a condition called cradle cap which is a dry scaly scalp condition that can be treated with vitamin H. People with dry brittle hair or a hair loss problem due to a biotin deficiency can be treated by taking a vitamin H supplement.

Since this vitamin helps to control blood sugar levels in your body it can be beneficial to diabetes. It helps fat to metabolize into energy more efficiently therefore, it is believed to be very useful for people who are trying to lose weight. Since any excessive amount of biotin found in the body is eliminated through feces or urine there is no known side effects or toxic levels to worry about.

You have probably also heard about Vitamin E but this is another nutrient that many people do not understand. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is considered to be a fat-soluble vitamin. This means that they are stored in the fatty tissues found in the body. An antioxidant protects cells from the effect that free radicals can have on them. A free radical is the by-product of energy created by the metabolism and they can damage healthy cells in the body. They have been associated with cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have also shown that vitamin E can help your immune system and aid in metabolic processes such as DNA repair.

Vitamin E is described as having eight different forms of antioxidants and each one has its own special function. There are four tocopherols called alpha, beta, gamma and delta. The next four are tocotrienols which are also called alpha, beta, gamma and delta. The most active form of vitamin E is the Alpha-tocopherol. It is considered to be a powerful biological antioxidant and is believed to help prevent cataracts from appearing.

If you are concerned with your weight and watching your fat intake don’t completely rule out foods that contain fat. You need to include sources of healthy fat in your diet to ensure that you receive the right amount of vitamin E needed to stay healthy.

Foods That Provide Vitamin E

There are synthetic forms of vitamin E but, they only provide about half the benefits as the natural forms do. You can receive natural forms of this vitamin from many different types of common everyday foods. 

Natural forms of vitamin E can be found in foods such as the ones listed below:

• Green leafy vegetables
• Nuts
• Vegetable oils
• Fortified cereals
• Sunflower seeds
• Peanut butter
• Corn oil
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Mango
• Soybean oil
• Kiwi
• Tomatoes
• Carrots

You can take supplements to receive vitamin E but it is best if you can get this vitamin from natural food sources. You may want to get part of your Vitamin E naturally and the rest from supplements to add up to your total recommended daily intake.  

Vitamin E Deficiency

What happens if your body does not get enough Vitamin E? Vitamin E deficiency is not very common but there are certain situations that can cause a person to have a deficiency of vitamin E. One situation would be when a baby is born prematurely with a very low birth weight. People that suffer from rare genetic abnormalities that leave them with an inability to secrete bile and people that cannot absorb dietary fat due to disorders of fat metabolism may also have a vitamin E deficiency.

Some creams and lotions are made with vitamin E as one of their ingredients because, it is believed that vitamin E can reduce scaring and aid in the healing process. Vitamin E is very important and should be a part of your diet. If you do not eat foods that contain this vitamin then you should consider taking a supplement.