Vitamin Supplements: Partners in Regulating Body Functions
Vitamins and vitamin supplements are important for all people, but they are especially important if you’re trying to lose weight and get fit. In order to achieve your fitness goals, it’s imperative that each of your bodily processes are functioning at their best. An easy way to ensure that is to supplement your diet with vitamin supplements. The question always asked is, which vitamins should I take and how much of each should I take? Well, that depends on several factors such as your current health, weight and fitness level, and your overall health and fitness goals. We have provided general information on each of the vitamins to help you determine that for yourself.
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We hear a lot about vitamin supplements these days, on the news, in fitness magazines and of course in those annoying infomercials. It’s easy to get the idea that they are magical pills that allow you to eat and drink whatever you want while becoming healthier and more fit. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Vitamin supplements are never a substitute for a healthy diet and a balanced workout plan. You should always strive to get as many vitamins from your diet first and then supplement those vitamins lacking in your diet. Unfortunately, the typical diet today is severely lacking the necessary vitamins for our body to function at its peak capacity so taking vitamin supplements is necessary for the majority of guys reading this.
So what are vitamins exactly? Well, they are essential organic substances called, micronutrients, which are needed in small amounts to sustain life. They are needed for a variety of bodily process such as growth, digestion, mental alertness, and resistance to infections and diseases. They also enable the body to metabolize the three macronutrients – carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This is particularly important for guys wanting to lose weight and get fit because the macronutrients play a key role in determining whether your body composition is made mostly of lean muscle or fat!
Fat Soluble vs. Water Soluble As you read about vitamin supplements you will run across the terms fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins require a certain amount of minerals and fats in order to be properly absorbed into the body. They are also stored in the liver. Water soluble vitamins, on the other hand, aren’t easily stored in the body and must be replenished regularly since any excess is excreted in urine. The fat soluble vitamins are:
The water soluble vitamins are:
Synthetic vs. Natural There are natural vitamin supplements and there are synthetic vitamin supplements. Most supplements found in drug and health food stores are actually synthesized from chemicals, or, less frequently, from plants. Synthetic vitamins are vitamins that have been developed in the lab, and they are actually isolated chemical versions of those vitamins. Crystalline vitamins are those that had an original natural source but have been extracted through chemical means. Vitamin supplements called natural only need to originate from a natural source, and they can actually be as little as 10% natural. Some companies do grow their vitamins, but even these vitamins actually start out synthetic. It is important to determine the true source of any vitamin supplements you buy.
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