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Will You Pick A Multi-Vitamin That Works?

Friday, February 26th, 2010
The year was 2002 when the American Medical Association (AMA) reversed its stance regarding the use of vitamin supplements and advised every American to take at least one multi-vitamin a day! For the previous 20 years, the AMA had promoted an official anti-vitamin-supplement policy and offered their scorn to those who suggested that vitamin supplementation offered any health benefits.

Their 2002 announcement was vindication for the many health professionals who had advocated the use of vitamin supplements while for years enduring the criticism of the U.S. health establishment. Finally, the AMA was admitting that the American diet alone does not provide adequate nutrition for optimum health. However, their announcement stopped short of explaining what the true role of vitamin supplements should be.

Vitamin Amounts – How Much Is Enough?

Data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that a minimum of 40% of the American population consumes a diet that provides only 60% of the RDA of ten selected nutrients. This means that half (maybe more) of the U.S. population has a deficiency of at least one vitamin. Now, this by itself sounds startling, but consider this.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration established the RDAs to give guidance for the avoidance of the symptoms of deficiency diseases. For example, the RDA of 60 mg. for vitamin C is the daily amount needed to avoid the symptoms of diseases like beriberi or scurvy. The RDA of 60 mg. is not the amount of vitamin C needed for optimal bodily function. Health professionals routinely recommend a minimum daily intake of 1,000 mg. of vitamin C and 3,000 – 5,000 mg. daily is common.

The RDA for vitamin B-1 is 1.5 mg.; amounts of 50 – 100 mg. daily are recommended by health professionals. The RDA for vitamin B-6 is 2 mg.; amounts of 50 – 100 mg daily are recommended. The RDA for vitamin B-12 is 6 mcg.; amounts of 200 – 400 mcg. daily are recommended.

A similar finding is true for all the RDA amounts established for vitamins and mineral supplements. This means that an ordinary OTC “multi-vitamin” promoting the old RDAs will offer only minimal benefits. When you select a multiple-vitamins supplement, you will want to choose one that offers a high enough daily dosage to provide nutrient amounts that enable good health.

Before using any supplements, you should consult with your doctor or health care professional, but here is a partial list of nutrient amounts you can use as a guide: Vitamin A (5,000 to 10,000 I.U.), Vitamin B-1 (50 – 100 mg.), Vitamin B-2 (15 – 50 mg.), Vitamin B-3 (15 – 50 mg.), Vitamin B-5 (50 – 100 mg.), Vitamin B-6 (50 – 100 mg.), Vitamin B-12 (200 – 400 mcg.), Biotin (400 – 800 mcg.), Choline (50 – 200 mg.), Folic Acid (400 – 800 mcg.), Inositol (50 – 200 mg.), PABA (10 50 mg.), Vitamin C (1,000 – 3,000 mg.), Vitamin D-3 (400 I.U.), Vitamin E (200 – 400 I.U.), Vitamin K (100 – 500 mcg.).

Natural Vitamins or Synthetic?

You will find that vitamin supplements are divided into two groups: synthetic and natural. The synthetic vitamins are produced in laboratories from isolated chemicals and mirror their counterparts found in nature.

Natural vitamins are derived from food sources. Chemically, there may be no difference, but synthetic vitamins contain only the isolated vitamin while natural supplements may contain other synergistic nutrients not yet discovered.

Generally, it is believed that synthetic and natural vitamins perform the same, but two noted exceptions are vitamins D and E. The synthetic forms are different than their natural counterparts. Most health care professionals recommend only the natural forms of these two vitamins. Natural vitamin D is identified as Vitamin D-3 and Natural Vitamin E is identified as d-alpha (not dl-alpha) tocopherol.

Synthetic supplements may also contain coal tars, artificial coloring, preservatives, sugars, and starch and other harmful additives. You should also be aware that a supplement may be labeled “natural” and still have these harmful additives. Read labels carefully.

Vitamins found in nature do not exist in free form. They are protein-bonded. Nutritional studies have revealed that protein-bonded vitamins, such as found in whole food supplements, are best absorbed, utilized and retained in body tissues better than vitamins that are not protein-bonded. Vitamins and minerals found in food are bonded to proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and bioflavonoids. Chemically derived vitamins are not protein-bonded.

What About Minerals?

Excesses of isolated vitamins or minerals can cause the same symptoms as the deficiency of vitamins or minerals. Therefore, having the correct balance of vitamins and minerals is very important.

It is best to select a broad spectrum multi-vitamins / minerals supplement because there is a cooperative action between certain vitamins and minerals. For example, the following shows the relationship between a listed vitamin and the nutrient(s) required for assimilation: Vitamin A (plus choline, essential fatty acids, vitamin C, D and E), Vitamin B complex (plus calcium, vitamin C and E), Vitamin B6 (plus potassium, vitamin B complex, vitamin C).



By: Tom Nuckels

About the Author:

Tom Nuckels is health articles author and owner of the LpVitamins.com web site. His readers and customers range from children to the elderly and from carpenters to doctors. To learn what liquid vitamins, phytonutrients, homeopathic medicinals and spaQuality Skin Care can do for you, visit www.lpvitamins.com .



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Liquid Vitamins Are Better For Your Health

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
The American Medical Association now recommends that everyone take a daily muli-vitamin. You are probably one of the individuals doing what your doctor tells you to do, but are you taking vitamin pills?

Maybe you should be taking your daily vitamins in liquid form, instead. Liquid vitamins work better than pills. Vitamin tablets are the original and most prevalent form for vitamin supplements, but as you know, original is not always best.

Liquid vitamin formulas are different. Unlike tablets they do not require binders to keep them together, disintegrators to help them breakup or artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or wax coating materials.

Binders are great for making a tablet stick together, but they are not so good for digestion. You have to be able to digest the pill those vitamins are packed into to get the benefit your doctor wants you to have from taking a vitamin supplement.

When a vitamin company makes a pill they are trying to accomplish at least two things. They want to pack in as many vitamins as they can, and they want to keep the pill as small as possible. These two goals are contradictory.

This results in many vitamin pills being very dense or large. Many vitamin pills exhibit both characteristics; they are both hard and big. Simply put, many vitamin pills are hard to swallow and just as hard to digest.

Liquid vitamin supplements have a reduced surface tension (below 58 dynes) and can be especially beneficial to senior citizens who often experience difficulty assimilating nutrients from pills.

Many people who do not take their daily vitamins report they don’t like taking pills. They find pills hard to swallow. They also find they have to take too many pills to get all the vitamins and minerals their health professionals recommend.

It is difficult keeping up with all those pills and swallowing them is just too much hassle; by contrast, a liquid vitamin formula can contain most all the vitamins and minerals you need. Just one ounce a day mixed in water or your favorite juice. That’s an easy way to get nutritional supplementation!

Taking vitamins in pill form is wasteful. Vitamin pills may be only 10 – 20% absorbable according to the Physician’s Desk Reference. By contrast, liquid vitamins are up to 98% absorbable. This means that if you spend $100 a month on vitamin pills, you may be literally flushing $90 a month down the toilet!

Take the same vitamin formula in liquid form, and you flush only $2 a month. What could you do with the $88 saved? A doctor friend of mine told me about a liquid vitamin and minerals supplement that cost less than $40 for a month’s supply. Taking the equivalent supplements in pill form cost him over $300.

Compare the supplementation recommendations of leading health professionals to what is available in pill form, and you find it impossible to find a single vitamin pill that contains all the vitamins in their recommended dosages. Add in the recommended minerals and their dosages, and you find yourself taking handfuls of supplement tablets.

A liquid formula can contain the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids in a balanced dosage ration that allows them to make their maximum contribution to your health. All this can be combined into a single supplement formula that is easy to take and easy to assimilate.

Liquid vitamins provide a better vitamin formula for less money. They are more convenient than pills and easy to take. A liquid formula can give you more nutrition for less money.



By: Tom Nuckels

About the Author:

Tom Nuckels is health article author and owner of the LpVitamins.com website. His customers range from children to the elderly and from carpenters to doctors. To learn what liquid vitamins and phytonutrients can do for you, visit www.lpvitamins.com .



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Vitamins – the Basics

Friday, February 12th, 2010
Vitamins are micro-nutrients. They were discovered by Eijkman (1897) in Indonesia, Java, while studying a disease called beriberi common among natives whose main diet was rice. He noticed that fowl fed on polished rice, developed beri beri, but not when fed on crudely milled rice.

In 1911 Funk obtained an alcoholic extract of the outer husk of rice which cured beri beri. This was thought to be a vital amine introducing the name vitamine. The “e” was later dropped to read “vitamin”.

Vitamins Functions And Sources:

As micro nutrients, vitamins are required in small quantities. Generally your body cannot manufacture or synthesize vitamins from scratch. So you need to get them from the food you eat or from supplement pills. Though, vitamins can be synthesized by some bacteria, yeast, mould, algae and some plant species. Some vitamins like vitamin B5 have been found to be synthesized by bacteria in the human large intestines. However it is not clear if the vitamins are available for absorption and use by the body.

Vitamins are required by the body for a variety of biological processes. These include growth e.g Vitamin B6; mental alertness e.g Choline, Niacin; resistance to infection e.g. Vitamin C and Vitamin E. They also act as catalysts in the body chemistry as well as precursors to vital body factors. This enables the body to use carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Vitamins in themselves do not have calories and therefore do not give energy to the body. Natural vitamins are found in living things that is plants and animals and are organic food substances. There are many artificially synthesized vitamins.

Vitamins exist in varying quantities in an array of food sources from yeasts, wheat bran, cooked egg that provides Biotin, citrus fruits and milk that provide Vitamin C, green leafy vegetables and legumes that supply Folic acid .

Vitamin Classification:

There are mainly two types of vitamins classified based on their solubility. These are water soluble and fat soluble vitamins.

i) Water soluble vitamins include : Vitamin C also called citric acid, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B9 (folic acid), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), Cholin, Biotin.

Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body in any appreciable amounts. The surplus is washed out mainly through urine. They requires consistent replenishing using the diet we consume. This makes them safe because they do not collect in the body toxic levels, making large doses of vitamin supplementary safe. But caution should still be practiced because mega doses have side effects and even can be fatal.

For example, there is a low risk of vitamin toxicity from nicotinic acid with mega doses. Nicotinic acid a derivative of vitamin niacin, one may experience flushing, itching, nausea and vomiting, liver cell damage. So supplement with daily value doses. Do not use megadoses unless under ongoing expert advice.

ii)Fat soluble vitamins includes: Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Being fat soluble these vitamins are stored in the fat in our bodies. They can easily accumulate to toxic levels so if you choose to supplement be cautious.

Vitamin Deficiency:

The lack of these food factors i.e vitamins results to deficiency diseases. Vitamin defiency diseases are a manifestation of malfunctioning bio-chemical processes due to lack of the vital vitamins. Since the same vitamin may be used in a number of processes, deficiency in some vitamins can be quite serious and even fatal. For example over two hundred enzymes require the niacin vitamin coenzyme. So a lack of niacin makes this two hundred enzymes malfunction.

Vitamin deficiencies have been associated with long term latent deficiency diseases. These diseases occur after a long time of deficiency of some nutritional factors like vitamins. Long term latent deficiency diseases can be as severe as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. In our society today, these diseases are becoming the highest health concern.

The situation is grave because they are not only preventable but also cheaply preventable. A proper nutrition is all it takes to get all required nutrients including sufficient quantities of vitamins. General health benefits of vitamins include protection from a variety of diseases and conditions.

In case of a nutritional gap between what your body and what your diet provides, supplementing is necessary.

Whole foods are and will always be the best source of vitamins. This is because whole foods provide a combination of nutrients to the body including minerals and phytonutrients.

But many people do not receive all nutrients they need from their food choices. Either because they cannot or will not eat enough, or they cannot or will not eat right foods. This may be because of medical or physical conditions, your lifestyles, i.e. job, time, availability or even due to poverty. In such cases, supplementation is necessary.

Vitamin Supplementing:

Today’s lifestyles make it more necessary to supplement our diets. There are groups of people to whom supplementing may really not be a choice.

This will include you if;

i) You are sixty five years and older:- At this age some vitamins are not easily absorbed by your body system. Multivitamins may improve your immunity and lower risk of some infections.

ii) You are a post menopausal woman:- Supplement with calcium and vitamin D to help against osteoporosis.

iii) You do not eat the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

iv) You are on a low calorie diet. E.g. You are trying to lose weight

v) You smoke The tobacco interferes and diminishes vitamin uptake of vitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid and even niacin.

Ps: This will not make up for the health risk of smoking.

vi) You drink excessively that is more than a bottle a day. Long term excessive drinking will reduce absorption of vitamins. Vitamins affected are thiamin (Vitamin B), Folic acid, Vitamin A & D, as well as Vitamin B12.

vii) You are pregnant or trying to be pregnant.

There is a wide choice of vitamin supplements in the markets to choose from. When choosing vitamins, consider the following:

a) Bioavailability of the vitamin: Choose vitamins supplements whose source of ingredients is from the human food chain. Many vitamins are extracted from “natural sources”, like algae, which we do not normally eat. This may not be easily available to your body.

b) Wide spectrum of vitamins: Prefer to use multivitamins that give a number of positively interacting vitamins. Remember we require all nutrients in varying quantities. It is better to have a multivitamin providing daily values instead of megadoses of a single or few vitamins.

c) Expiry date of the vitamin: Vitamins do expire. Buy to use only for the month. When you need more you can always purchase again.

d) Store Vitamins safely: Store in a cool dry place away from sunlight and children

e) Health concern: If you have a health condition e.g diabetes or having medication, please first consult your physician.

Also note, if you are in a weight loss program you need to consider your vitamin intake and find out if you your meal plans have any deficiencies. If there are, supplement.



By: Mark Kimathi

About the Author:
© Mark Kimathi writes about Weight Loss-Top 4 Reasons for Failure at Health-eMark.com and related topics like weight loss supplements .



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Tips On Using Good Reliable Liquid Vitamin Supplements

Friday, February 12th, 2010
As more and more people realize the importance of consuming health supplements, they have turned to the liquid form of vitamin supplements. Also, as the technology of manufacturing and refining processes becomes more sophiscated and moving, there goes the same for the health supplements food industry.

This is definitely true in the body building and healthcare industry. Having said that, one of the latest advancements in healthcare research has been the way in which liquid vitamin products are being processed.

Are all the claims that liquid vitamin supplements really true as they are being claimed.

Too be honest, how much hype and craze has be given for this popular form of vitamin health food.

Let us share the methodology of liquid vitamin supplements and hopefully you will be able to decide if they are right for you, or if you can trust your old, traditional multi-vitamin food, and that’s fine with us.

What are the advantages of using liquid form of vitamin?

The first advantage of taking liquid vitamin supplements is the ease of consuming it. More people are having an issue of swallowing tablets, capsules and even vitamins pills, which in this case the liquid form is a good alternative.

Also there are even flavored versions starting to come out so that the liquid form are actually pleasant to take.

One more advantage of the such form is that they are absorbed easier from the body than the pills. The reason for this is that the vitamins do not need to be broken down to be absorbed. They are taken up directly through the digestive process.

However, please take note that when using good reliable liquid vitamin supplemets, one major drawback is that up to 90% of the it may be destroyed in the stomach. Whereas, when taking this type of pills you will not have this problem as they already have a protective coating that lets them enter the intestines where they are being absorbed properly.

Thus, consuming good reliable liquid vitamin supplements may end up wasting this health supplement or even your daily vitamin intake allows it.

What are the various forms of liquid vitamin health supplements?

Consuming effervescent tablets

This type of supplement appear to be in the form of tablets. But in order to drink them you need to put the vitamins in a cup of water. Usually, these vitamins have different flavors can actually be a pleasure to drink. Still there are many contradictory opinions about whether they are effective or not due to the initial issues raised above.

In the health supplements market, some products actually work perfectly fine like this (think energy drinks and caffeine related drinks) as they work through a different body function. But for normal macro nutrients and vitamins, the stomach will destroy most of it.

Personally speaking, it is best to continue to take good and reliable liquid form health supplements as an alternative to replace the pill form of vitamin supplements. Having said that, many people that may include you, do not really fancy taking this new alternative, which may suspect whether such supplements will actually work or not.

Besides knowing what are tips of consuming good reliable liquid vitamin supplements, this should give you another choice of health supplements thus should enable your health to get a good booster. Before you are going to consume any type of liquid vitamin health food, you need to first consult your physician.

However, many people sometimes tend to forget that even though there may be many types of good reliable liquid vitamin health food around, but having the right knowledge to use the right type of vitamin supplements to the max for various kinds of chronic of illnesses is crucial. Therefore, without a proper understanding of using various kinds of health supplements to treat various anxiety and anger management system, there will not be much panic attack free lifestyle to hope for.

Apply this effective tips together with an thorough understanding of vitamin supplements is important so that you enjoy your life once again.



By: anonymous

About the Author:

Eddy Kong WW is the author of the 17 Minutes Vitamin Supplements Tips and Resource. Drop by at Using Good Reliable Liquid Vitamin Supplements Tips for more details.



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What You Need to Know About Dietary Supplements

Thursday, February 4th, 2010
People need dietary supplements for a variety of reasons. Bodybuilders, for example, would need supplements to aid muscle buildup and strengthening of muscles such as concentrated protein, glutamine, creatine and weight gain powders. Athletes take in supplements to optimize or enhance their performance.

People with illnesses often require dietary supplements such as concentrated iron for anemia. And those on a diet also take supplements to ensure they get the required amount of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, herbs, enzymes and other nutrients. Most however take supplements for optimum overall health. A lot of people also take them to relieve stress and to boost their energy.

What are dietary supplements and how are they different from medicines and over-the-counter drugs?

The Congress in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which was enacted into law in 1994, defines dietary supplements or nutritional supplements as supplements to the diet. These supplements contain one or more ingredients or their constituents. These are taken orally in the form of liquid, capsule, pill or tablet and are labeled as dietary supplement in the packaging.

Dietary supplements come in different forms, thus the confusion with over-the-counter drugs. The market is flooded with different types and forms of supplements such as capsules, tablets, drinks, energy bars and powders. Most can be purchased even without a prescription. They are available in drug stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, natural food stores, merchandise retailers and in health stores. One can even buy supplements on line. In order to distinguish these supplements from over-the-counter drugs, always read the Supplement Facts label.

Unfortunately, most of these dietary supplements are not regulated. Unlike with drugs, the US Food and Drugs Administration does not check the safety and effectiveness of supplements before they are sold to the public. In fact, the FDA only has authority over supplements once they have already entered the market. Usually, actions are taken by the FDA once a complaint against a certain brand has been received.

Many dietary supplements are guilty of false claims. Testimonials and so-called proofs of the efficiency and effectiveness of supplements abound in print, broadcast and on line media.

Worse, some are even unsafe. And so, extra precaution must be taken when choosing which dietary supplement to take. Always check with the manufacturer for more information. With the tons of promotional materials that abound, always be wary of the information being presented.

Keen in mind that dietary supplements are not intended to cure or prevent illnesses. In addition, although some supplements have beneficial effects, a significant number of them have potential health risks. Some supplements contain active ingredients that can have negative effects on the body, specially when taken in large doses and with other supplements and medicines. Supplementslike calcium, for example, interact with heart medicines like Digoxin, vitamin K counteracts with blood thinners etc.. In addition, too much intake of certain vitamins and minerals such as oil-soluble vitamin E and A, can be toxic to the body.

Pregnant women, nursing moms, those undergoing surgery and people with chronic illnesses should take extra care in deciding whether to take dietary supplements or not.

And so, when choosing supplements, it is always best to consult with a health care provider to avoid serious side effects. Remember, safety first!

The very first step is to undergo a nutritional assessment or evaluation with a health care provider. This will find out what your nutritional needs are and what dietary supplement is best suited to your medical condition.

Dietary supplements are supplements and not are not meant to replace some of the food needed in a healthy daily diet. Thus, bear in mind that no supplement can ever replace a healthy diet.

Never assume that “natural” is always safe. Some natural ingredients, specially if taken in large doses, can interact with medicines and may even result to life-threatening situations.

In addition, there are certain considerations in purchasing dietary supplements such as the quality, availability, your nutritional needs and price.

On a final note, dietary supplements are meant to supplement the body’s nutritional needs. It can never replace the overall health benefits of regular exercise and a healthy diet. And in choosing supplementary diets, safety should always be the main consideration.



By: Lee Dobbins

About the Author:
Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.a2z-vitamin-and-herbs.com where you can learn more about dietary supplements and learn how vitamins can help keep you healthy.



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12 Sources of Natural Vitamin Supplements

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
Taking vitamins has long been considered as a prerequisite to good health. In fact, health experts are in agreement, that these organic molecules are needed to be taken by the human body in minute quantities, to ensure proper health. According to these experts, a person deprived of a particular vitamin would eventually exhibit disease symptoms particular to the said vitamin.

The importance of vitamins for good health is a fact well known to everybody. Even children at the primary school level are well aware of this because they are being educated on the importance of vitamins for their body. But while everybody knows how important vitamins are, not everybody knows where to get them. In fact, many believe that the only source of vitamins is the medicine bottle.

Vitamins, however, are not limited to those that are sold on drug stores as food supplements. In fact, vitamins do exist naturally. To give more light on this topic, it may be better if we give you first a background on the basic types of vitamins available today.

The Basic Types of Vitamins Available in the Market

There are three general types of vitamins being sold in the market today. These three types are the natural vitamins, crystalline vitamins, and synthetic vitamins.

• Natural Vitamins

Natural vitamins are those vitamins that can readily be found in natural foods. If processed into a commercial food supplement, the vitamin must have all of its components intact, including its enzymes, co-enzymes, minerals, mineral activators, and co-vitamin helpers.

• Crystalline Vitamins

Crystalline vitamins are those vitamins that are extracted from natural food sources but were already treated with various high-powered chemicals, solvents, heat and distillations to separate the specific vitamin from all other synergistic components attached to it. As such, these vitamins have a very simple structure compared to the complex structure of natural vitamins.

• Synthetic Vitamins

Synthetic vitamins are those vitamins that were chemically formed in laboratories by scientists. While they are not derived from any natural source, the structure of these vitamins would usually resemble that of their crystalline counterparts.

As you can see, vitamins are not limited to those found on drug stores and medicine bottles. In this article, we’ll concentrate on those vitamins that can be found on natural food sources—the natural vitamin supplements.

Natural Vitamin Supplements

According to studies, our body needs 13 vitamins for proper bodily functions. These vitamins are composed of the vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins. The B vitamins, on the other hand, are composed of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate.

Now, all these vitamins are available in drug stores in various concentrations. However, all of these 13 vitamins can also be found on natural food sources. In fact, a person having a variety of foods in his diet must already be taking minute amounts of these vitamins everyday. And as have previously been said, only a minute amount of all these vitamins are needed by the body to function properly.

So if you are interested on keeping your health at its prime, then you can bank on the natural vitamins that nature has to offer. Here is a list of the food sources from which you can extract natural vitamin supplements:

1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A can be found from meat sources and dairy products like milk, cheese, cream, liver, kidney, and cod liver. But since all of these are high cholesterol products, you may want to try getting vitamin A from its precursor, beta-carotene. Common sources of beta carotene are raw carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe, spinach, mango, broccoli and other red- or yellow-skinned fruits and vegetables.

2. Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

Common sources of thiamine are fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains, lean meats, fish, peas and dried beans. Some dairy products, fruits and vegetables are also rich in vitamin B1.

3. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Dairy products like milk and yogurt are the primary sources of riboflavin. Other sources are chicken meat, green and leafy vegetables, fruits and almonds.

4. Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Food products that are rich in niacin include dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts and eggs. Some legumes and cereals also contain traces of niacin.

5. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Vitamin B5 rich foods would include, fish, dairy products, poultry, lean beef, yeast and vegetables in the cabbage family. Also rich in vitamin B5 are white and sweet potatoes as well as peanuts and peas.

6. Vitamin B6 (pyroxidine)

Fruits like bananas, watermelons and tomatoes are known sources of vitamin B6. Other common sources are chicken, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, white rice, peanuts, oats and fortified cereals.

7. Vitamin B12

Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and dairy products comprise the rich sources for vitamin B12.

8. Folate

Green and leafy vegetables are the largest source of folates, although this vitamin can also be found on tomato juice, peas, wheat germ, oranges and mushrooms.

9. Vitamin C

The most common sources of vitamin C are the citrus fruits and their juices like strawberry, melon, cranberry, grapefruit and others. Most other fruits and vegetables also contain small amounts of vitamin C.

10. Vitamin D

The largest sources of vitamin D are dairy products, poultry, and cereals. Aside from these food sources, the body also synthesizes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the heat of the sun.

11. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is mostly derived from plant oils and products made from it, like margarine and mayonnaise. Other sources include peanuts, whole grains, wheat germ, corn, nuts, olives, spinach and other green and leafy vegetables.

12. Vitamin K

Leafy and green vegetables like cabbage and spinach are the primary source of Vitamin K. Other sources include soybeans, cereals, fruits, beets, potatoes, dairy products, meat products and poultry. Bacteria found in the stomach and in the intestines can also synthesize vitamin K.



By: Ben Adams

About the Author:
Ben Adams is the author of: ‘Vitamin Supplements Health Boosting Secrets’ an informative guide on how to naturally improve your health. Claim your free 5-part ‘Vitamin and Supplement tips’ course here: Free Vitamin Supplement Course



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Benefit Of Glucosamine Liquid Vitamins For Arthritis

Friday, January 15th, 2010
Nothing makes you feel old quite like the onset of arthritis. Painful joints that prevent you playing your favorite sport, taking long walks, or even simply getting out and about, can have a dramatic effect on your life. Taking a regular dose of liquid glucosamine can reduce the pain and swelling linked to arthritis, helping you to remain active and feel youthful and energetic.

Osteoarthritis is an inflammation of your joints which is caused by a reduction in the amount of cartilage that naturally supports and protects them. Arthritis suffers tend to limit their movement to reduce the amount of pain they feel, but this can actually make their condition worse and cause muscle atrophy. For this reason, arthritis treatment focuses on pain control to keep us active and keep our muscles working.

Although one of the benefits of glucosamine is a reduction in the pain of arthritis, it also has properties that can slow the development of the disease. It is a natural derivative of cartilage and is necessary to build healthy joints. There is some evidence that taking a glucosamine supplement orally can help to rebuild cartilage to cushion your joints more effectively.

Taking glucosamine as a liquid vitamin has many advantages. It is easier to swallow than a vitamin pill, tastes batter, and will be absorbed more easily because your body will not need to break down the solid particles of a tablet. Easier absorption means that the effects of the glucosamine will be felt more quickly, bringing more rapid relief from joint pain. Fewer doses are required to achieve the same effect, and liquid vitamin supplements can work out considerably cheaper than their tablet counterparts.

Glucosamine is available in many liquid vitamin supplements such as ‘Drinkables Joint Care’ and ‘Flexicose’. In these liquid supplements glucosamine can be combined with other substances that can contribute to healthy, pain free joints including Chondroitin Sulfate and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Although glucosamine liquid supplements are now widely used, there is little regulation on the advised dose or the purity of the glucosamine in the liquid. As a guide, you should make sure any one dose of liquid glucosamine supplement contains 1500mg of glucosamine. This should be Glucosamine Hydrochloride, rather than Glucosamine Sulfate to get the highest concentration of beneficial glucosamine. If you are unsure which supplement you should choose, you may want to get a recommendation from your doctor.

Having arthritis doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the active way of life you are used to. Taking a regular dose of liquid glucosamine can ensure that arthritis has a very limited impact on your life and you can stay as active as ever. There is even a suitable liquid glucosamine supplement for dogs if you find Rover can’t keep up with the new active you!



By: Rebecca Prescott

About the Author:

Naturopathy might support glucosamine supplements, but is the science there? Read more here, as well as other articles on joints and vitamins.



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Benefits Of Liquid Vitamin E For Women

Thursday, January 7th, 2010
If you ask the average woman what the properties of vitamin E are, she will probably reply that it is good for the skin. This is because we most commonly see this vitamin in moisturisers and face creams. Actually, research shows that the benefits of vitamin E when applied to the skin are limited, but actually there are many advantages in taking it internally, in supplements – particularly in liquid form.

Vitamin E is one of the antioxidant vitamins. These vitamins have the ability to neutralise harmful free radicals in the body that can cause serious disease such as cancer. In particular, the antioxidant E can also prevent blood clots that lead to blocked arteries and heart disease, although the American Heart Association suggests that more research is needed before they will recommend E vitamin supplementation to prevent heart disease.

Used externally in a liquid or oil, vitamin E may have some benefits for healing wounds, scars and stretch marks but this is not scientifically proven. It is actually this vitamin’s antioxidant properties, when used internally, that help to maintain healthy skin and improve the appearance of acne and scars.

Some other possible advantages of E supplements for women are yet to be substantiated. These include a reduction in the risk of a deadly stroke for post menopausal women, a decrease in premenstrual syndrome for younger women, and a lowered incidence of ****** disease in all women.

In America, the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E is 8 to 10 milligrams, but evidence suggests that we need at least 100 milligrams each day to get any tangible benefit. It can be found naturally in fats and oils, leafy vegetables, all types of nut, egg yolks, liver, and whole grains, but many of us should supplement our intake as we do not get enough in our diet.

Those that particularly require vitamin E supplements include people on low fat diets or those who have a medical inability to absorb fats. Being a fat-soluble vitamin, fat needs to be metabolized to absorb it. If it is indeed found that vitamin E really does offer the benefits that are suspected, most women should consider using a regular supplement as well.

Liquid vitamin E supplements are easier to swallow that tablet forms, and are absorbed more quickly and effectively into the blood stream. The liquid form works out to be less expensive than tablets, and you need to take them less frequently to get the same dose. They usually taste better too, and don’t leave an unpleasant aftertaste as some vitamin pills do. You should check that the vitamin E in your liquid supplement is natural and not synthetic to achieve maximum benefit.

Although vitamin E deficiency in itself does not cause illnesses, supplementing your intake can have a wide range of benefits from preventing heart and ****** disease, to maintaining healthy skin. If you take a combined liquid vitamin supplement, check that it has an adequate dosage of natural E vitamins to allow you to profit from these benefits.



By: Rebecca Prescott

About the Author:

If you’d like to learn more about vitamin E, click here. Rebecca writes on vitamins and minerals here.



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Is Your Dog Taking Any Vitamin Supplements?

Monday, December 28th, 2009
Just like humans, animals just like dogs, cats and many pets need a balanced diet with proteins, carbohydrates, fats and water, just like humans do. However, these are only the starting point for a healthy diet. Pets also need vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy.

However, it is not easy to find independent information online on the subject of canine vitamin supplements. If you are considering a vitamin supplement for your dog, be extra careful about getting caught up in the articles from the websites promoting such supplements.

What you demand is to have an objective and independent information regarding your own need for dietary supplements, your pet’s health can fall into the same category. Whoever sells the supplements says you need the supplements.

Just as we should check with our doctors before embarking on dietary supplements, so should you check hard by your veterinarian before you conclude on a supplement for your dog. Almost any website, store or publication that sells dietary supplements for pets will tell you that your dog does indeed need a supplement. However, just as humans can ingest toxic levels of vitamins and suffer dangerous side effects, so can your dog.

Your veterinarian can conduct a blood test to see if your dog is deficient in any vitamins and nutrients. Just as in humans there are medical conditions for which a supplement is warranted, there are medical conditions including mal-absorption issues that indicate a need for supplement for your dog.

In discussion with your veterinarian the possible need for a health supplement for your dog, you and your veterinarian should discuss the activity level of your four-legged friend.

Service dogs, such as guide dogs for the blind sometimes need health food due to their increased activity. Also, be sure to discuss the need for a supplement for your dog in conjunction with any ongoing medical condition your dog may have.

In modern years, there’s been a lot of controversy over pet supplements. At one point, pet owners were concerned the FDA was going to pull all pet supplements off the market. Instead, the National Animal Supplement Council was formed. It’s comprised mostly of pet supplement manufacturers whose mission is to forge compliance of supplement statutes.

The FDA regulates animal supplements the same way it does supplements for human consumption. Enforcement of the laws, though as in the human sector is lacking due to a shortage of resources. Some manufacturers take advantage of this knowing it will take a long time at worst, for the FDA to ***** down on them.

If you are considering a vitamin supplement for your dog, make sure you consult with a veterinarian who does not sell supplements. This will help ensure you get an unbiased opinion as to whether you need to purchase a vitamin supplement for your dog.

After knowing why and how to choose a good vitamin supplement for your dog, it is important to realise that more information in vitamins for humans is also crucial. Earlier you are going to swallow any type of vitamin health food, you need to first consult your doctor.

However, many people sometimes tend to forget the quality and quantity of swallowing vitamins, without realizing the dangerous effects of over-consumption it, level while various kinds of these can treat chronic diseases.

Ergo, without a proper understanding of using proper vitamins to treat many chronic diseases, there will not be much illness free lifestyle to craving for.

Apply these effective tips as being highlighted here, together alongside an thorough understanding of vitamin supplements is important so that you enjoy your life once again.



By: anonymous

About the Author:

Eddy Kong WW is the author of the 17 Minutes Vitamin Supplements Tips and Resource. Drop by at vitamin supplement stuff for your dog for more details.



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The Pill Vitamin Versus Liquid Vitamin

Thursday, November 5th, 2009
In recent years, a number of companies have introduced liquid vitamin supplements, some of them claiming that these products far outperform the traditional vitamin pill. While some companies took their claims too far (and were charged accordingly), the debate continues as to which type of vitamin is the most effective.

The main advantage of a liquid supplement is the speed and ease of absorption by the body. Since there is no need to break down a solid, the vitamins are absorbed immediately. Liquid fans also claim that the absorption rate is much higher, making the supplements more effective.

There are also those who **** swallowing big vitamin pills or simply can’t swallow them due to a medical condition. For instance, people who have had gastric bypass surgery find it hard to keep a pill down. Throat surgery can also make swallowing solids painful. For people like this, liquid vitamins are the only viable option.

But liquid supplements have their drawbacks. One of the main problems is that the vitamins and minerals do not keep their potency as well in liquid form. That means that the liquids have a shorter shelf life than pills.

There are also enzymes contained in some vitamin tablets that aid in the absorption of the nutrients. These enzymes can’t be included in liquid vitamins because they only last for a day or so in liquids. While with pills, the enzymes retain their effectiveness for the entire shelf life of the products.

The claim of faster and more complete absorption of liquids is also challenged by some experts. While it’s true that we digest liquids more quickly than solids, this does not necessarily lead to a more effective product.

The most effective place for vitamin absorption is at the beginning of the small intestine. There are some claims that much of the contents of liquid vitamins is destroyed by stomach acids before it even gets this far. Pills, meanwhile, are coated to keep them from dissolving completely before they reach the small intestine.

While we live in a world where immediate effects are usually considered a good thing, their relevance for vitamins is questionable. After all, our bodies don’t suddenly have vitamin emergencies. If one vitamin supplement is absorbed into our systems an hour sooner than another, it’s unlikely to have any noticeable effect on our overall health.

When it comes to our health, nobody likes to guess what is best. But until enough time has passed to show for certain whether there is a difference between the effects of liquid and tablet vitamins, you’ll simply have to go with the one that makes the most sense for you. As long as you are focused on a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition, the format of your vitamin supplement shouldn’t be a critical decision.



By: MIKE SELVON

About the Author:

The vitamins and supplements portal owned by Mike Selvon contains more great tips on liquid vitamin. Why not visit us to educate yourself further and leave a comment at our vitamins and supplements blog.



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