Natural Vitamin Supplement

A question that many people frequently ask today is if we really need vitamin supplements.

This is a good question, and you would think that there would be an easy answer, but the problem is that it seems scientists just can't agree on whether vitamin supplementation is necessary or not. One thing they all agree on, though, is that to obtain the micronutrients your body needs, your best possible source is food, especially fruits and vegetables. But the reality is that most of us do not eat the minimum required fruits and vegetables to meet our daily nutritional needs and this is where natural vitamin supplements can play a key role in our overall health and well being.

Vitamin supplements are "not a substitute for getting your vitamins from fruits and vegetables, but everyone should take them as more of an insurance policy," said Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. "Realistically, people don't always eat healthily enough to get all the vitamins they need."

"Katz said that people should take vitamins tailored to their needs. Women should take vitamins formulated for women and everyone should make sure that they take vitamins that are easily absorbed into the body.

Absorption is the key to a good multivitamin, so it's important to get a pill that dissolves well," he said.

A standard multivitamin supplement doesn't come close to making up for an unhealthy diet. It provides a dozen or so of the vitamins known to maintain health, a mere shadow of what's available from eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Instead, a daily multivitamin provides a sort of nutritional safety net."

In one of the most recent articles out of Harvard School of Health, they state "most people get enough vitamins to avoid the classic deficiency diseases, relatively few get enough of five key vitamins that may be important in preventing several chronic diseases.

These include:

• Folic acid

• Vitamin B6

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin E

Here is the bottom line: multivitamins are extra insurance for your health. They are not the end all and be all of a healthy diet, but they can be a part of an overall healthy living strategy.

BUT if you are not eating a healthy diet and exercising, don't bother. The benefits of vitamins pale compared to a healthy diet and daily physical activity.

If you would like to learn more about the vitamin supplements that I use read my article on Vitamins and Herbs

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1580193&page=

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