Most healthy eaters are familiar with the three macronutrients that garner the most media attention within the diet world: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Indeed, some highly regarded eating programs, such as the Isometric Diet?, are designed to deliver an optimal balance of these three macronutrients.
Yet what is often overlooked in a nutrition vocabulary dominated by talk of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, is the plain fact that vitamin supplements play a critical role in an overall healthy eating program. It is a neglect that, ironically, derives from scientific misunderstanding.
Until recently, the scientific community firmly maintained that vitamin supplements were unnecessary and potentially even dangerous. This claim was based on a position that the body's vitamin needs could be met through diet, and that vitamin supplements are largely created from synthetic, low quality ingredients.
However, evidence to the contrary has emerged; or to put things more accurately, the scientific community is finally accepting a new view. Clinical studies clearly show that high quality vitamin supplements can be produced from all natural sources, and that taking them can prevent serious health ailments such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer [i].
It has also been accepted that vitamin supplements help the body effectively regulate how energy is utilized. In this sense, they ensure that the energy delivered by macronutrients ? in the form of calories ? is directed properly to promote growth and development [ii].
However, despite the scientifically proven importance of vitamin supplements, some key concerns have been raised. Specifically, the nutrition community has raised questions with respect to the potential toxicity of supplements that contain "fat-soluble" vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins are not easily and swiftly eliminated by the body. Instead, they are stored in organs and tissues. Over time, there can be a build-up of fat-soluble vitamins [iii], which can lead to adverse health effects such as nausea, diarrhea, unhealthy weight loss, bone density loss, and digestive tract disorders [iv].
Fortunately, to avoid this potential damage, there are vitamin and nutritional supplement products on the market that offer water-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins travel smoothly through the body and the excess is excreted through the kidneys. As such, there is little to no risk of toxic build up [v].
At the same time, these water-soluble vitamin and nutritional supplements can be derived from all-natural sources. This is important to note, because, synthetic vitamins can only replicate a fraction of the beneficial nutrients found in natural sources. As such, the holistic positive impact that can only come from several nutrients working together cannot be reproduced synthetically [vi].
These scientific acknowledgements of the value of vitamin supplements -- and the accessibility of water-soluble, all-natural products -- bode well for the average consumer, and especially well for dieters.
Some diets irresponsibly advise dieters to take diuretic pills that create weight loss through water loss. As a consequence to this short-term strategy, dieters often become dangerously deficient in water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Biotin, and Folic Acid.
However, some well-designed nutritional supplements provide anywhere from 50% to 100% of these essential vitamins. As such, dieters who are currently subscribing to an unhealthy water-loss diet can responsibly transition to these products, and replenish their depleted water-soluble vitamin stock.
Similarly, dieters who are fortunate enough to have avoided these potentially dangerous diet pill/diuretic diets can wisely integrate these nutritional supplements into their current eating regimen.
Indeed, the scientific community, for all of the contributions it has made to diet and nutrition, has been unusually slow in accepting the fact that vitamin supplements are an essential part of healthy eating. Yet the consensus of this fact is now fairly widespread, as is the understanding that water-soluble and all-natural products simply outclass fat-soluble and synthetic products in terms of safety and efficacy.
It may have taken a decade or so too long to reach this "vitamin awareness", but now that it is here, it is reason for both dieters and non-dieters to celebrate a future of healthier and smarter eating.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
REFERENCES
[i] Source: "Dietary Insurance: A Daily Multivitamin". Harvard School of Public Health. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins.html
[ii] Source: "Vitamins and Minerals". McKinley Health Center. http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/vitaminmineral.html
[iii] Source: "Toxicity of Vitamins". Medicinal Foods News. http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol04/issue3/toxicity.htm
[iv] Source: "Fat-Soluble Vitamins". Colorado State University. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09315.html
[v] Source: "Vitamins". WebMD. http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/stv5441.asp
[vi] Source: "Natural Vitamins or Synthetic?". Olga Timbol. http://www.chiff.com/a/natural-vitamin.htm
Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
home cleaning services Wilmette ...Should I Take Vitamins With My Low Carb Diet?Most low... Read More
A lot of people actually pay a good deal of... Read More
Nutrition Supplement ? nutrition.Nutrition supplement is a term familiar to... Read More
GlutImmune? is a very convenient high absorption source of glutamine.... Read More
As I mentioned in Part 4 of my Real Health... Read More
1. What supplements do you take?A multivitamin, Glucosamine-MSM-Chondroitin, Odorless Garlic,... Read More
AMLA ( EMBLICA OFFICINALIS ) FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTYAMLA, proudly... Read More
In part one of this series, titled "Take Back Your... Read More
Vitamins are organic compounds that the human body cannot produce... Read More
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body... Read More
L glutamine is an amino acid occurring abundantly within the... Read More
"Anybody who tells you that disease has only one cause,... Read More
Your body produces over 20 separate digestive enzymes that are... Read More
Amino acid supplements and amino acid food intake can bring... Read More
There are two basic types of constipation - organic and... Read More
Carboloading of a different variety.Saturday in Tucson before the 1982... Read More
Whey protein is a high quality powder made from cow's... Read More
Lipovarin ReviewSince the ban on ephedra based products in April... Read More
Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid was first isolated from lemons... Read More
Vision is one of our most precious senses. Without it... Read More
For women, calcium is one of the most important nutrients... Read More
The Greek word "Glyco" means, "Sugar". Most people think of... Read More
Do you ever wonder why the experts keep saying that... Read More
Once again the "wisdom" of the FDA and the supplement... Read More
Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid plays a supporting role in... Read More
housekeepers near Mundelein ...Recently the news carried the story that a researcher had... Read More
Don't be overwhelmed by this big word, ... Read More
Hyaluronic acid, a key component of human tissue, aiding the... Read More
With a high cholesterol and heart disease in the family,... Read More
Considering that the Health and Wellness industry is currently a... Read More
I came across an article written by Dr. Ray Strand,... Read More
Part 1:A "better nutritional program" means the introduction of foods... Read More
Folic acid is actually just one of the many vitamins... Read More
1. Do not refrigerate vegetables and fruits (raw and uncut)... Read More
Most people believe that they are reasonably healthy. Exercise, having... Read More
At the moment we are in the grip of an... Read More
Whey protein concentrate popularity has increased dramatically in recent years... Read More
Liquid vitaminsHardly does a day pass without the liquid vitamins... Read More
VITAMINS:Vitamins are major for Healthy life. Vitamin D may reduce... Read More
Aging, a steady declineThe History of the world is filled... Read More
Ever wondered whether amino acid supplements really work? We reveal... Read More
Not All Supplements are Created Equal. There are more supplements... Read More
Before you read the rest of this article I want... Read More
Over the past few years, Coral Calcium has received a... Read More
Since the release of a book called" beat chronic fatigue... Read More
If you read my last article about bitter orange, it... Read More
A source suggests that there may be a new way... Read More
"They", the "experts" all say how important vitamins are -... Read More
At times, due to your busy and fast life, we... Read More
It is clearly evident that hyaluronic acid in its oral... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |