Why Vitamin Supplements Are Necessary

Life is often hectic. We rush from home, to work, to lunch, back to work, and finally back home again with stops for errands or maybe to pick up the kids after softball practice. Finding the time to eat a balanced diet is simply out of the question because we only have time to grab some fast food during the day. Home means a better balanced diet but there is often not even time for that. The vitamin supplements and valuable minerals our body requires are often found to be lacking in the diet of those who are actively enjoying life.

Vitamin supplements range from A to Z and are vital to health and energy

Each of the mineral and vitamin supplements our body requires has a purpose and a reason. Whether it is our bones or muscles, our blood or our brain, we need these ingredients because we are made of them. Not having those nutrients causes us to become ill or become unable to function completely.

Vitamin A for healthy bones

Vitamin A is actually a group of many different compounds vital to healthy bones, reproduction, vision, and our body's cells. It helps regulate our immune system as it manufactures white blood cells. These cells fight off viruses and bacteria that can prove harmful. Vitamin A aids our body by keeping the mucous membranes and skin remaining supple and healthy.

B-complex vitamins are the workhorse of all supplements

Of all the B vitamins we need to take daily, B6 and B12 may be the most important for daily maintenance of our body. Water soluble vitamins, they are not stored in our body and tend to wash away so must be replenished with a daily vitamin combination. B6 is vital for over one hundred enzymes that are involved the metabolism of protein we eat. Vital to the nervous system, it is helps regulate the metabolism of red blood cells and ward off anemia. B12 is found in meat, shellfish, diary products, and fish and works well in a combination of vitamin supplements. Helping both red blood cells and nerve cells, we can avoid anemia when getting plenty of B12.

Vitamin C keeps us healthy

A valuable antioxidant and nutrient, vitamin C does its job by helping wounds heal quickly and fighting off viruses, infections, and (according to some sources) even fights off the common cold virus. Deficiency in vitamin C may show up as scurvy and cause swollen or bleeding gums, tiredness, joint pain, loose teeth, and anemia.

Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin for good reasons

Beneficial to the entire body, vitamin D is manufactured by our body when exposed to the suns ultraviolet rays but that has been proven harmful to our skin and eyes. D can be found naturally in many food sources such as egg yolks, cheese, tuna, mackerel, beef liver, and mushrooms. A daily supplement including vitamin D is recommended to prevent brittle bones and muscle weakness.

Vitamin E is a valuable antioxidant

A fat soluble antioxidant, vitamin E works by neutralizing damaging free radicals in the body's cells, keeping them healthy and functioning normally. It has proven value in fighting off cancer and other damage to the cell structure of our body.

Vitamin K and the clotting factor

Without the benefits from vitamin K we might bleed too much. It provides a blood clotting factor that is also of benefit in keeping bones healthy and dense. It also helps the pancreas produce insulin to regulate our blood sugar levels.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral found in each cell of our body, stimulating enzymes needed for healing wounds as well as growth and development for all ages. Lack of zinc in the body causes an inability to taste foods, causing decreased appetite.