Posts Tagged ‘Nutrients’

Synthetic Vitamins vs Natural Vitamins – What Are the Differences?

April 27th, 2010



Are you concerned about the ingredients that may be contained in the vitamins you and your family use? Today an increasing number of consumers are growing worried about the preservatives, artificial colors and other ingredients that may be present in their vitamins. As a result, there has been a strong demand for natural vitamins and minerals in the last few years.

What are natural vitamins and minerals? Perhaps the most important thing to understand about natural vitamins and minerals is that they contain no artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives. One element that many consumers fail to understand about non-natural vitamins is that synthetic vitamins are made in a laboratory setting from coal tar derivatives. Certainly this is not something that consumers would willingly introduce into their bodies with prior knowledge.

Natural vitamins and minerals have no co-factors present. Unfortunately, most of the food supplements sold on the market today are synthetic and as a result are often less expensive to produce than natural vitamins. While synthetic vitamins are cheaper, consumers should understand that there is a price to pay for that cheap price and it is their health.

A good multivitamin is the foundation of strong health and nutrition. This is not an area of your budget that should be sacrificed for cost because ultimately the costs are simply too high in terms of compromised health. A high quality liquid multivitamin can be naturally based and contain none of the worrisome elements as synthetic vitamins.

Do you really need a multivitamin? Many people would answer no but the simple truth is that as a result of today’s modern lifestyle most people can benefit from a healthy multivitamin. There are many reasons for this. The stress and on-the-go lifestyle that many people experience today can take a heavy toll on your health. This can easily deplete vitamins and nutrients that are essential to good health. In addition, many people never consume the right amounts of proper nutrients.

One reason for this is the fact that a significant portion of the population eats on the go and consumes a large amount of take-out foods. Even when an individual tries to eat healthy it can be difficult to obtain the proper amounts of nutrients unless they are consuming strictly organic foods. Much of the food grown today is lacking critical nutrients.

By: Sharon Wright

Building Muscle Power Through Vitamins and Minerals

April 24th, 2010



The muscles of the body actually depend heavily on the vitamins, minerals as well as on the other nutrients that we take in so as to ensure that they’re always well taken care of. Consciously taking care of your body through the proper exercise, a well-balanced diet and a stress-free mind all contribute greatly towards keeping healthy and building a good set of muscles.

Muscles actually serve a far more important physical function apart from making fit people look good as well as the ability to lift heavy objects. Actually unknown to most people, the heart is the most important muscle of the body, as it runs the circulatory system. Our muscles help keep our internal organs in place and gives us the ability to perform each and every movement we make, from chewing and swallowing to controlling our bladder to sitting, standing and walking. Healthy muscles are essential to our day-to-day lives. Several vitamins and minerals actually work well together in keeping us fit and having stronger muscles.

Such vitamins and minerals that contribute to this are potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus which all greatly work together in making sure that our muscles are able to contract smoothly and effectively, as they should. This is, of course, essential to keeping the heart beating in a regular and efficient fashion. It is also important to take note that while the heart is the most important muscle in the body, each and every muscle in a person’s body deserves to be treated with equal importance and care since they work as a group.

Vitamin C is highly essential to the health and performance of muscles because it works alongside potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus in their muscle regulation tasks. Vitamin C is also necessary to the formation of collagen and elastin, which are important connective tissues of the body that helps build muscle structure. Vitamin C is also responsible for the well-being of the blood vessels, which support the muscles need for oxygen and nutrients.

Naturally, as with most of the important processes and systems of the body, the vitamins that make up the powerful and essential Vitamin B complex have a role in the health and function of the muscles. In fact, deficiencies in the B vitamins can even lead to all sorts of muscle problems, including a lack of muscle coordination. The B vitamins are greatly responsible for the creation of the red blood cells that support the entire body.

Proper nutrition is a good way to ensure that one’s muscles have what they need to function efficiently and to be strong. Daily exercise also plays an important role in muscle health and strength and should never be left out of any endurance strengthening health plans. Exercise is what actually helps the body to stay in shape and helping keep the jiggling flabs away. But before you start rushing to the nearest gym and start picking up the various exercise equipments there, it is highly important to note that even though it’s a good thing that you’re actually on your way to improving your health.

One must not be a brash, eager beaver. From zero exercise to lifting 50 pound weights can cause your muscle to tear and ache. You probably won’t even be able to get up from bed the following day. Have patience that even though the road to good health is still a long way to go for a beginner like you, it’s highly commendable that you’ve made the conscious decision to actually get there.

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By: Charlene Nuble

Female Hair Vitamins – What Vitamins Are Best For Shiny Female Hair?

April 15th, 2010



Vitamins are one of the least understood areas in terms of helping women to achieve their very best shiny female hair! In terms of hair loss for example, which fortunately affects women much less than men. It is a fact that certain vitamins, or more accurately a lack of them can actually lead to hair loss. Amongst these the B vitamins are particularly important. If you are deficient in vitamins B12 or vitamins B6, than it can often lead to hair loss. So a good start in terms of achieving beautifully shiny hair, is to stock up with a B complex vitamin supplement. Why B complex? Well, because the B vitamins tend to work together, synergistically, and so a lack of any of them tends to affect the others in a detrimental way.

When exploring female hair vitamins, a question arises as to which foods to include in your diet which are particularly good to get those essential vitamins. Three good sources are Soya beans, fish, and chicken, which are some of nature’s very best natural healthy hair treatments! Foods are a very protein rich tend to also be rich in vitamins B6 and B12. So if you are seeking shiny female hair, then you will want to make sure that you have sufficient levels of these vitamins in your diet.

The hair tends to be the last place that the body sends nutrients. This is because it is essentially (for survival purposes at least!), not nearly as important as essential organs like the heart or lungs, and so they get first call on any nutrients that you bring into your body. And so this tends to explain, why when you are feeling rundown, that often your hair will also look lank and lifeless. So to have beautiful shiny female hair it is essential to really look after yourself and diet plays a key part in this.

Other female hair vitamins that some studies have indicated may be useful in terms of having vibrant, healthy and shiny hair is Saw Palmetto. The reason behind this is that Saw Palmetto has been shown to lower levels or a substance called DHT. Now, DHT is known to cause hair loss in both men and women when its levels are high, and so it would seem that Saw Palmetto, because it is able to lower the levels of DHT could well be a useful female hair vitamin. (It should be pointed out here, though, that this is in the early stages of research, and is by no means conclusively proven.)

Two other vitamins that are useful in promoting healthy female hair are vitamins A and C. The reason behind being similar to that of Saw Palmetto. Namely, that vitamins A and C tend to inhibit the production of DHT, and hence tend to promote healthy and vibrant hair growth.

So, in conclusion, if you are looking to explore female hair vitamins and wish to know what vitamins are best for shiny female hair, then simply seek out your ABCs! (With a healthy dose of saw Palmetto thrown in for good measure ;) ) And remember to take a look at the links below for more great vitamin tips.

By: Stuart Brown