Health Benefits of Vitamins and Supplements

There are many health benefits of vitamins and supplements. One of the major questions is just how many you should take. What conditions should you take supplements to help. These are questions that have been answered by professionals and nutritionists with as many opinions as there are supplements.

I want to share with you how I obtained my information. I have been writing about health and health related conditions for many years--with at least 500 articles under my belt. Judging from the huge amount of supplements on the market, people are often tempted to try different supplements without knowing whether they need that particular vitamin or not.

Sources are as follows:

• A recommendation from a friend
• Read in a magazine
• Heard or saw an advertisement
• Read about the supplement online
• Popular newsletters that circulate

Before starting any new supplement or vitamin regimen one should get the green light from a health provider.

I am not presenting an in depth discussion of each vitamin, but an overview with what I personally feel is safe and prudent. I have a few favorite supplements that have gotten really good results, and will share at a later date and another hub. Remember to use caution ingesting different supplements, as there are way too many claims out there by reputable doctors and nutritionists. Remember what works for one person may not work for another.

My Sources:

• Institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic
• Government sites
• Well known popular physicians who report daily online
• Anecdotal
• Personal experience

The different between fat and water soluble is simple. Fat soluble vitamins stay in the body and water soluble travel on through. You have to be extra careful not to overdose on the fat soluble vitamins to avoid toxic levels. Fat soluble vitamins: Vitamin A,D, E and K.

44 percent of the population take vitamins of some sort.

85 percent of the population feel all vitamins are good for you.

Vitamins are not classified by their structure, but are classified by biological and chemical activity.

All vitamins have different functions.

• Vitamins and mineral capsules will lose their effectiveness after a period of time, When you purchase your supplements from drugstores and grocery stores you have no idea how long they vitamins have been on the shelves. A good suggestion is to purchase vitamins that have conception dates instead of expiration dates.
• Capsules and gels far outweigh effectiveness than taking regular solid pills, as they dissolve quickly. As we age the hydrochloric acid in the stomach decreases, making it more difficult to digest pills. Capsules, gels, liquids and powders break down in our system to get full benefit.
• Don't economize on cheap vitamins, however don't get taken in by high price vitamins sold by specific boutique vitamin companies. Do your homework about different companies to see what they offer, price and reliability.
• The public is bombarded by way too many claims of promising good health, reduction in pain, and major health problems disappearing.. Many supplement companies promise they offer the best and purest products, and they can often convince you that their products will solve all medical conditions. The bottom line is that no matter how good the supplement may be there is generally no magic bullet to cure medical conditions.
• The health benefits of different supplements vary greatly.

Getting your vitamins and minerals by eating nourishing food is the most advantageous and safest way to get what your body needs. Many fast food junkies think that by popping a lot of supplements will keep them healthy. The body has a great storage unit for all the unhealthy foods and these foods stay in the bloodstream a long time which can often cause unhealthy reactions.

Since I am not a professional in the health arena. I am going to share with you what we do at our household and works well for us.

I personally believe in taking vitamins that address specific health conditions or issues that you may have. Both my husband and I are blessed with not having to take prescription drugs.

One of the reasons I like taking gels and capsules is from a personal experience we had. My husband's Ophthalmologist gave him some eye vitamins to take to keep his eyes healthy. I looked at the ingredients ingredients and found they contained Carnuba wax. I researched out a capsule with all the eye nutrients we wanted.

What We Take:

• Vitamin B complex with vitamin C. Even though we eat a lot of healthy protein and many veggies and fruits this is an insurance policy for days we may miss a little.
• Krill Oil: This is good for bones, brain and joints.
• Vinpocetine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine for brain function
• Alpha Lipoic Acid-Helps regulate blood sugar
• Lutein--My husband has mild AMD in one eye and it hasn't gotten worse in ten years.
• Eye supplement to ensure good vision
• Turmeric pill--good for brain and muscle function
• Vitamin D--even though we live in almost total sunshine, my husband had a deficiency.
• Astaxanthin--This one is for good measure, thought to be the new miracle supplement

I take Vitamin C in powder form and add it to fruit juice.

I divide the supplements into half in the morning and half in the afternoon.

I am not a big fan of mult-vitamins. I personally feel they have too little of some things and too much of things you don't need. And I also think that the minimum daily requirement for most vitamins, minerals and supplements is way too low. Now you notice I am saying "my opinion" and it is to be taken that way only.

I order my products from a company called Swanson. They represent many different companies ahd have everything you could possible need.There are many reliable and reasonably priced vitamin catalog companies you can purchase your supplements from.