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If you are constantly under stress, grabbing hit-or-miss meals and not
exercising regularly, you may feel you need vitamin supplements. This need may
be heightened by the constant indoctrination of vitamin manufacturers who tend
to promote their products for economic rather than health reasons. But what are
vitamins, and are supplements really necessary ? Vitamins are metabolic
catalysts that regulate the biochemical reactions within your body. The body
cannot manufacture the chemical substances known as vitamins. To date,
scientists have discovered 13 vitamins, each with a specific function. For
example, Vitamin B1 helps convert glucose into energy while Vitamin D controls
the way your body uses calcium in bones.
If you have a vitamin deficiency, it may cause impaired performance and a
supplement can correct that problem. Sometimes poor eating habits are
responsible for your vitamin deficiency. A hearty eater who generally enjoys a
balanced diet with occasional binges can rest assured that a nutritional
deficiency will not develop overnight. You can survive in spite of deprivation
of every vitamin every day because you store vitamins in your body -- some in
stockpiles that can last a year. The average, healthy person, for instance, has
enough Vitamin C stored in the liver to last six weeks. Hence, a weekend without
orange juice will not result in a nutritionally unsound body. Fat-soluble
vitamins (A, D, E, K) which accumulate in body tissues, have as a rule, large
reserves. Therefore if you eat regularly and adequately, you're more likely to
become deficient in water-soluble vitamins (B-complex, C) which are excreted in
urine.
But how much vitamins does one really need ? The Recommended Daily Allowances
(RDAs), first developed by the Americans in 1943 during the second World War are
broad guidelines for planning and procuring food supplies for the troops as well
as standards for good nutrition. They include a large (about 30 percent) margin
of safety to account for individual differences and to cover the nutritional
needs of 98 percent of all healthy Americans, including those with
higher-than-average needs. For example, while the RDA for Vitamin C is 60
milligrams, the amount in a six-ounce glass of orange juice, the minimum daily
requirement is only 30 milligrams. It is on this basis that the RDAs may have to
be revised soon.
Regardless of the government's rules, regulations and RDAs, you as an
individual, are responsible for nourishing your body with a variety of wholesome
foods. According to current thinking, if you exercise regularly, burn off
calories and replace them with at least 1,500 calories daily from a variety of
nourishing foods. You'll get the vitamins you need. However, if you are one with
a limited food intake, you may risk marginal vitamin deficiencies. For you, a
standard multi-vitamin and mineral supplement might be a wise idea. take the
supplement in moderation and consider them an 'insurance policy'; not an
alternative to wholesome food choices.
While sufficient amounts of vitamins is needed for the body to function
optimally, an excess of vitamins offers no competitive edge. No scientific
evidence exists to prove that extra vitamins enhance performance. Despite
commercial claims to the contrary, supplements will not increase strength or
endurance, prevent injuries or illness, provide energy or build muscle. On the
contrary, an overdose of some of the vitamins, especially of the fat-soluble
Vitamins A and D, may cause severe bodily harm. The body cannot eliminate excess
Vitamin A quickly and this can cause damage to the bones, skin, liver and
various other organs. An overdose of Vitamin D may lead to increased calcium
deposits in the large blood vessels, the heart, kidneys, lungs and other organs.
An excess intake of the vitamins of the B-complex and Vitamin C has fortunately,
little effect on the body because these vitamins are soluble in water and can
easily be expelled from the body through the kidneys. This is a blessing for the
ardent followers of some quacks and food fad advocates who never tire of
advising us to take an additional supply of the Vitamin C in our daily diet.
Whatever your choice, you must recognize and take responsibility for the needs
of your body. |
