Introduction
Mineral supplements and vitamins are considered essential nutrients because, working in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body: strengthening bones, strengthening the immune system, healing wounds, converting food into energy, and repairing cellular damage.
Vitamins affect the absorption of nutrients, promote normal cell growth and development of the entire body. As an integral part of enzymes, vitamins determine their normal function and activity. A deficiency, and especially the absence of any vitamin in the body leads to metabolic disorders.
Vitamins are vital for humans, and their deficiency can lead to a wide range of negative consequences. For example, with a lack of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), metabolic processes slow down, immunity and vascular permeability deteriorate.
The most important mineral supplements for humans are calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The following trace elements also play an important role: iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, and chromium. To maintain health, it is also worth consuming vitamins A, D, E, K, C, and B vitamins.
- The first reason to take mineral supplements is that it is impossible to get everything you need from food. To meet the body’s daily needs for most of these substances, a diet with an energy value of at least 3500-4000 kcal is required. But such caloric content will certainly lead to the appearance of extra pounds. However, caloric restriction is fraught with insufficient intake of essential nutrients and biologically active substances into the body.
- The second reason is balance and accessibility. It is difficult to get all the vitamins and mineral supplements from food not only because of the excess caloric content of the diet, but also because balancing the menu on your own will be extremely problematic, and the content of micronutrients can vary significantly in vegetables and fruits depending on the season. That’s when biologically active food additives (BAA) come to the rescue – concentrates of natural substances isolated from food raw materials of animal (including marine), mineral, plant origin, or substances obtained by chemical synthesis that are identical to natural analogues.
- The third reason is appearance and well-being. If you are not happy with the reflection in the mirror – your complexion, the condition of your skin, hair, nails, morning awakenings turn into torture, fatigue and loss of strength are constant companions, and besides, you are a resident of a metropolis, there are bad habits, stress, and in the yard – end of winter – beginning of spring… It’s time to think: isn’t hypovitaminosis the reason for everything?
- The fourth reason is the appearance of symptoms of avitaminosis. Avitaminosis is a state of deficiency of the corresponding vitamin, which can occur latently or have a pronounced character (this circumstance depends on the depth of the vitamin deficiency), manifesting itself as a corresponding disease with vitamin deficiency. Those who suffer most from a lack of vitamins (avitaminosis) and other important substances are children (due to rapid growth), long-term or frequently ill people, those who have problems with the digestive system, the elderly, and those exposed to long-term stressors.
- Reason five you need to take vitamins during pregnancy. Specialized ones differ from ordinary vitamin complexes in their composition and dosage, which are created considering the characteristics of a pregnant woman’s body, and considering the optimal maintenance of the processes that are launched in it. A natural source of vitamins and other valuable substances is food, but getting microelements in sufficient quantities only from food is problematic. Then a woman would have to consume huge amounts of high-quality food every day: 2 kg of cabbage, 0.5 kg of walnuts, 5 avocados, 10 oranges. And at the same time completely absorb folic acid! It is worth considering that the content of vitamins in products is negatively affected by heat treatment, long-term storage, violations of growing or production technology and many other factors. It is obvious that even with a complete and balanced diet, a standard diet often cannot meet the increasing needs of a woman and fetus during pregnancy, so it is advisable to use vitamins for expectant mothers.
- Reason six – Disease prevention. Scientists studying vitamins and their role in the body have conducted a number of studies on the effect of taking vitamin supplements on the development of various diseases. The list of diseases studied even included cancer and atherosclerosis. As a result of the study, the benefits of vitamins as a means of preventing diseases or as a means of facilitating their course were not identified. At the same time, earlier data confirming the important role of vitamins for the body as a prophylactic agent were refuted.
Thus, for a long time there was a hypothesis that a high level of vitamins A, C and E in the body allows one to cope with oncology and a number of cardiovascular diseases. Over time, it was refuted. It has also not been possible to prove the benefits of vitamin C in fighting colds and viruses. Scientists are constantly conducting new research that should reveal the roles of these substances in our lives, but at the moment there is already a fairly complete picture.
Should I take mineral supplements and vitamins or not?
Doctors unanimously claim that the daily requirement can be covered by vitamins obtained from food. Most of them can be obtained from plant foods, while some require the consumption of animal foods.
It has been proven that the role of vitamins obtained from vitamin complexes is overestimated. They do not serve any specific function for well-nourished people. But at the same time, if a patient takes medications and believes in their miraculous effect, doctors do not try to convince him if he does not harm himself.
Most vitamin complexes are safe provided that they contain no more than 2500 IU of vitamin A and no more than 30 IU of vitamin E.