We all know the value of proper nutrition. We try to eat right and keep our weight down. But are we really getting enough vitamins, minerals and antioxidant protection? With our busy lives and meals on the go, it is hard to get the quantities and variety of micronutrients our body needs to perform at optimal levels. So what are the best supplements for your health? This article will address our basic nutritional needs and the top vitamins to buy.
Other than vitamin D, which our body can make if exposed to a few minutes of sun each day, our bodies cannot produce nutrients. We therefore need to obtain our supplementation from the foods we eat.
Even if you try to eat a healthy diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber, it is still likely that you are not getting all the micro-nutrients that your body needs. The good news is that there are a number of good quality multi-vitamins and supplements on the market that can fill in any nutritional gaps.
What are Vitamins and why take supplements?
Vitamins are micro-nutrients that are essential for normal chemical processes to take place in our bodies. A deficiency of one or more nutrients can interfere with the body’s ability to function properly and can lead to ill-health and disease.
Everyone should be taking a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement. There are many on the market today and formulations have even been customized to meet the different nutritional needs of men, women, seniors, athletes and more.
In addition, many of us should be taking specific vitamins, mineral and supplements to deal with specific health issues and stresses. Everything for skin problems to anemia and rickets can be traced back to vitamin deficiencies. Sometimes the effects of a deficiency are subtle such as a tired feeling or general malaise.
When it comes to vitamins and supplements, this is one time when you want to choose the best supplements for your health. Quality differs widely and it is wise to choose top vitamins to buy based on more than just price. Formulations differ widely in terms of the quality of their ingredients, absorb-ability and additives. Even processing and packaging can affect absorb-ability. In short, you get what you pay for.
What are the top vitamins to buy for your health?
If you want to find the best vitamins for your health, you need to do a little research. Read about products and their uses. Ask for recommendations from friends and health care professionals you trust. If you want to know what are the best supplements for your health, it will take a little research as everyone is different and has different needs.
Some vitamins are not stored by the body and need to be replenished every day. These water-soluble vitamins, C and the B vitamins, are not stored by the body and need to be replenished every day.
When it comes to the best supplements for your health, you really do get what you pay for.
A good place to start is a well established, health related website. A website such as the PureFormulas.com has an extensive amount of information and information about products for dozens of different companies. You can look at hundreds of quality products manufactured by dozens of companies and get an accurate picture of which are the best supplements for your health. I am supporting PureFormulas.com
because of their reviews, quality, and selection. Most of the time they will offer you free shipping on your order and they have very fast delivery.
What are the top vitamins to buy?
We should start by stating that all of the top vitamins to buy will come in tablet, capsule, liquid and even powder form. Depending on your circumstances you may find one more desirable than another form. some are more or less irritating to the stomach so if you have a digestive challenge, take this into consideration when deciding which are the best supplements for your health.
Any multivitamin you purchase should contain at least the minimum nutrient content established by the RDA. It is critical that you choose a good quality product that is produced under strict quality standards. A good quality multivitamin will help your body’s systems to function properly and provide you will at least a minimal amount of anti-oxidant protection.
In addition to a good multivitamin, most people, especially athletes need additional anti-oxidant protection. this is due to the additional oxidative stress that athletes are subject to as a result of stressing their bodies through exercise. As an athlete, you may need a higher potency product and extra anti-oxidants. It all boils down to which supplements are best suited for you.
What are anti-oxidants and why do we need them?
Even though they occur naturally as the result of metabolism, free radicals are a health issue that is garnering more and more attention. The stresses of our lives, in addition to the myriad of toxins in our environment, creates what is known as oxidative stress. This results in what are called “free radicals” being created in our bodies. Free radicals are simply molecules that have become unstable in our bodies because they have one or more unpaired electrons. When left alone, they will build up in our bodies causing more and more serious health issues.
Anti-oxidants are molecules (such as beta-carotene, lutein, vitamins A, C, and E) that will actually donate an electron in order to neutralize a free radical. These supplements can be referred to as nature’s little “bodyguards.”
As a basis for determining how much anti-oxidant protection we need, a measure was established that is known by the acronym ORAC. Current standards suggest that we get micronutrients into our bodies equal to a value of at least 3500. Recent scientific data suggests it needs to be at least 5,000. To give you an idea of how much food you would need to eat to get to a 5,000 goal let’s look at the ORAC value of some common foods:
Carrots 436
Banana 260
Pineapple 385
Peas 600
V-8 548
While it is possible to get the vitamins you need from food, most of us don’t eat the 10 servings of fruits and veggies we need. Nor do we eat the variety it takes to insure the right balance of nutrients. That is why supplementation is critical to our health and well-being.
While we are on the subject of toxins and stress, no conversation would be complete with out a discussion of liver health.
The liver is the hardest working, yet most under-appreciated organ in the body. It has several critically important jobs to do. These jobs include providing glycogen storage, decomposing red blood cells, synthesizing plasma protein, producing hormones and detoxification. It also plays a major role in our metabolism. Without the liver, we simply cannot survive. And that’s why liver support should be a priority in our lives.
PureFormulas has more than 400 liver support supplements, liver health supplements and vitamins for liver health. These products are designed and formulated by manufacturers all over the world whose goal is to improve liver function and support liver detoxification. These companies, as well as PureFormulas.com, have the extensive selection of quality products that will allow you to easily find the top vitamins to buy.
What else should I include in my supplement regime?
In addition to vitamins, organic oils are a vital addition to your nutritional arsenal. The health benefits of organic oils are immeasurable. Fats are broken down into fatty acids, essential elements of a healthy body. They are essential for normal brain function and many metabolic processes cannot happen without fatty acids. It has been shown, for example, that flax oil supports heart health and is a powerful anti-oxidant. Fish oil provides the omega 3s necessary to protect the body from numerous health conditions and diseases as well as providing anti-oxidant protection. Certain oils also aid joint mobility and flexibility.
Again, you get what you pay for so purchase only the highest quality oils. Look at the labels and buy oils that are pure and minimally processed. This is because processing tends to remove some of the properties that makes these oils most effective. Also avoid oils with additives.
One good brand to try is Barleans. Their quality oils come in the purest forms available, and their signature “cold pressing” method ensures quality and potency. You can find Barleans organic oils on online or at a local health store.
The latest science supports the need for good fats in our diets. Fat is vital to many metabolic processes and brain function. There are numerous essential fatty acids that your body needs in order to function. They are deemed “essential” because our bodies need them but are not able to produce them. We therefore need to get them through diet or supplementation., The two essential fatty acids the body needs are alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, more commonly known as Omega-3 and Omega-6 respectively. Because the body does not manufacture these essential fatty acids, they need to enter the body through diet, meaning by way of food or dietary supplements.
Fish oil contains a high concentration of DHA and DPA and has been shown to help in easing depression, lowering cholesterol and easing joint pain. Symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency include rash, decreased growth in infants and children, increased susceptibility to infection and poor wound healing. A deficiency can play a role in pretty much every degenerative disease.
While we all know that we need to maintain healthy diets, it is not always easy to get what we need solely from our diets. The science supports, beyond a shadow of a doubt that supplementation and additional anti-oxidant protection are vital to good health.
This is some really basic info about vitamins. When you browse online for health supplements remember to sort the results by the function they support. For example “liver support.” I myself take several vitamins everyday and after doing so for several months, I have noticed very positive results. Good Luck!