Vitamins

From the time we are born we take vitamins every day to help us keep healthy. There are baby vitamins that supplement the diet of very young babies who are basically on a milk or formula diet and may need some additional and beneficial ingredients included in the diet to promote growth and both physical and mental development. As we age we still require additional vitamins to keep us in top health and physical condition. Eating a well balanced diet helps our body contend with all the viruses like flu and common colds that we are constantly surrounded by. As we come into contact with a virus our body calls for additional resources like white blood cells to fight off the harmful germs but these resources must be bolstered by beneficial supplements which are contained in fresh fruits and vegetables. But it’s difficult to take in all that we need in the way of healthful ingredients so we find that we must supplement on a daily basis.

Each of the vitamin and mineral supplements we should take on a daily basis are part of nature’s medicine cabinet and they have proven to be beneficial for our health. The A B C’s of vitamins should be taken in sufficient quantities to provide our body with enough of their good qualities. Certain vitamins simply wash out of our system because they are what is called “water soluble”. They don’t remain in sufficient quantity to be of much benefit so need to be taken daily. Others will remain in the body but that can cause problems because they tend to build up over time and can be harmful. Following directions when taking daily vitamins can help keep us healthy without over doing it for the sake of our good health.

Vitamin A, found in animal sources like meat, eggs, cheese, milk, liver, cream, cod, halibut, and kidney helps maintain teeth, soft tissues, skin, mucous membranes, and bone. Known as retinol due to the fact it helps produce pigments of the retina of eyes, promoting vision quality. It is an antioxidant so is valuable for its ability to protect our cells from free radicals that steal oxygen from our body and promote various diseases.

Responsible for a wide variety of body functions including growth and development, the B vitamins complex is considered a necessary addition to the diet. The B complex are found in animal as well as plant sources and are invaluable for turning the food we eat into energy and for regulation of chemical reactions within the human body. Some of the more important of these include B1(thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B9 (folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin). As vitamin C is considered to be a water soluble vitamin it needs to be replenished in a daily supplement.

When it comes to healing wounds and prevention of bleeding vitamin C shows it’s value. Many doctors recommend it as a method of fighting off common colds and flu and it’s also beneficial when it comes to the prevention of scurvy.