Vitamins and Minerals
Our health and the cost to
maintain it is probably the most discussed subject across
our culture today. Advertising for the latest miracle
gimmicks in diet and exercise pervade our printed and visual
media, promising quick and easy solutions to solve the
trends in obesity and poor health. As a society we seek
instant solutions and easy fixes for nearly everything and
tend to ignore the basics of good health; eating well and
exercising regularly and the roll of vitamins and minerals
in our diets. We cannot get either from a pharmaceutical
laboratory or an exercise gadget.
If there is any one thing that may
be magical for good health it is a proper balanced diet that
includes a balance of vitamins and minerals. There are some
14 vitamins and 16 minerals our bodies require to maintain
good health. They are essential to regulate our metabolism
through enzyme systems. They boost the immune system,
support growth and development of cells and organs to insure
they function normally. A single deficiency can upset the
whole body. Vitamins and minerals are not pep pills nor are
they a substitute for food. Neither are they substitutes for
the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that our bodies
require on a daily bases. Vitamins and minerals are the
organic substances and chemical elements required to sustain
life. Vitamins and minerals come from two sources, our diet or
from taking supplements.
It is nearly impossible to obtain
the proper level of vitamins and mineral from our sources of
food. Most of our vegetables and fruit are pick before they
reach maturity leaving them vitamin and mineral deficient.
The primary source for protein and fat are from red meat,
poultry, and fish grown on fish farms that are feed grains
that contain synthetic compounds for faster growth. Traces
of these syntactic compounds wind up being digested into our
bodies with hardly a clue of their long term effects. Most
importantly these foods are devoid of sufficient levels of
vitamins and minerals to maintain good health.
To insure a balanced intake of
vitamins and minerals we must resort to supplements.
Determining which vitamin or mineral you need is not an easy
task. It is strongly recommended that before beginning a
supplemental vitamin and mineral régime that a physician be
consulted.
There are many sources of vitamins and minerals
to choose from. Unfortunately it is an industry that is
poorly regulated with lots of false claims. It is best to
stay with the basics. By basic, I mean multi vitamins and
minerals that come in a balanced formula. For most people a
multi-vitamin such as Centrum is an excellent choice. In
addition, a vitamin B complex, 500 mg of vitamin C and 400 i.u. of vitamin E is suggested. A daily regime of these
vitamins and minerals is an excellent choice to supplement
your diet.
Pure vitamins and minerals (unbalanced formulas)
are not recommended as they can lead to difficulties unless
you are at least a novice pharmacist that is knowledgeable
in nutrition. In addition to a balanced diet, a weekly
exercise routine should be followed that includes at least
three thirty minute periods a week of both cardiovascular
and musculature exercises. For more information on vitamins
and minerals I recommend Earl Mindell’s "Vitamin Bible for
the 21st Century". He is one of the first to thoroughly
explain the secrets of vitamins and minerals.
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