healthy hot drinks with milk

While getting all your essential nutrients from natural foods is ideal, it may not be practical in today’s society and many people turn to vitamin pills to supplement their diets. Make no mistake about it however, vitamin supplements are big business and not all manufacturers have your best interests at heart.

There are thousands of supplements to choose from and consumers spend billions of dollars each year – many never get even a small fraction of their money’s worth.

How do you choose a vitamin supplement that won’t just go down the toilet?

There are 3 types of vitamin supplement delivery systems. Capsules, Liquid, and tablets. The trick is to pick one that dissolves properly and does not just “pass through” thus wasting your hard earned money.

The liquid would be the best, but unfortunately there are not many choices out on the market. Plus, the can be inconvenient and they taste like cough syrup. But, they are great if you can’t swallow pills and are good for kids as well.

Tablets are the most common form of vitamin supplement. They are made by mixing in an organic or inorganic cement and compressing them into shape. For the pills to dissolve properly, an organic cement should be used but this costs more and as you can imagine, many manufacturers skimp on this stel. There are also coated tablets that resemble little candy-coated M&M’s. These are very commonly found in the one a day cheap drug store vitamins.

Capsules are gelatin containers that dissolve quickly and in most cases the best choice. Because they’re not compressed like the tablets, you will typically have to take two of them to equal one tablet.

One important thing with vitamin supplements is that you want to make sure you absorb as much as possible, otherwise you are just wasting your money. Studies have shown that individual vitamin isolates found in supplements are only about 10% absorbed while vitamins directly from a fresh plant source are 77% to 93% absorbed. Minerals have an even lower absorption rate – 1% to 5%. But, from plants like raw broccoli, the minerals are 63% to 78% absorbable.

The reason for this difference in absorption is that in nature, each vitamin and mineral molecule is attached to a protein molecule. That’s why you must take your vitamin supplements with meals – unless stated otherwise on the label. During digestion, only about 10% of the vitamin and mineral molecules, aided by enzymes, will attach to the protein molecules found in your food allowing them to be absorbed and used by your cells. Without these accompanying proteins, the body will see the vitamin isolates as a foreign substance and filter it out. That’s why you might have noticed bright yellow urine after you take a vitamin – that’s your bodies way of getting rid of chemicals it thinks it can’t use.

When selecting a vitamin supplement, make sure it has adequate amounts of the vitamins and minerals you want. Remember only about 10% of what is in the supplement will be absorbed. Look for the BP (British Pharmacopoeia) or USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) designation on the label. You will find the USP or BP initials next the the vitamin and this designation means the vitamin isolates are of the highest quality and are easily dissolved in the digestion process.

When looking at the minerals section of the label, look for “chelate” or “chelated”. This indicates that the minerals are attached to protein prior to being added to the supplement. This increases absorption by 400% to 800%.

Look for a supplement with a “food base”. This is concentrated plant material to which the vitamins and minerals are added. Supplements with a food base will contain enzymes and nutrients that boost the absorption of the vitamins and minerals. This is probably the best type of vitamin you can buy but the tablets will be larger and you may have to take more of them.

Nutritional supplements can never take the place of food and should not be used as a crutch to supplement a poor diet. The best recipe for health is to eat a nutritious and healthy diet which can be supplement when necessary.

The long chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, found in the greatest abundance in fish and fish oil but also in some other foods as well, play a key role as components of cellular membranes. During the regular aging process, cell membranes become much more rigid. This can adversely effect the function of tissues throughout the body, including the brain.

Perhaps the top asset to the brain of them all is DHA, the principal polyunsaturated fat in the central nervous system. DHA is appears to have a very direct effect on brain chemistry, development and functioning. DHA is essential for both kids and adults, but DHA is as vital to a kid’s diet as sitcoms are to prime time television. The top source of omega-3 fatty acids of them all is cold-water fish and fish oils, but omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in varying quantities in other foods such as certain vegetable oils walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, flaxseed and also eggs.

The bottom line is, Omega-3 fatty acids appear to protect the brain, which is why many physicians recommend taking an omega-3 supplement, usually fish oil because of it’s high concentration of readily absorbed dha and epa (flax and other sources have to be converted in the body instead of being directly assimilated).

Even our President and Governer Shwarzenagger take omega-3 supplements. There have been a considerable amount of clinical research studies conducted related to the benefits of omega-3 dietary supplements (especially fish oil) in certain inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in people, including but not limited to arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and heart disease. This research goes back to 1970′s Greenland and beyond. Some if not most of the placebo trials of fish oil in inflammatory conditions show substantial benefits such as for example a lessened disease activity and a lower overall requirement of various anti-inflammatory drugs.

Because omega-3 fatty acids are a very key component of development during the entire course of a person’s life cycle, they should be included in the diets of each individual.

People today do not eat as well as they did even 30 years ago and many of us are starved for essential nutrients and don’t even realize it. With today’s fast paced lifestyles, it’s more convenient to grab a fast food meal or energy bar then to cook up a balanced meal full of the nutrients our bodies need to work their best.

Our diets are woefully lacking in fruits and vegetables which provide us with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber that help your immune systems fight off illness and disease. And when we do eat fruits and vegetables chances are they are full of pesticides and chemicals. No wonder our health on the whole is declining!

Below are several essential nutrients that are probably missing from your diet. Going for the quick fix and replacing them with supplements won’t make up for the synergistic effects of these nutrients found in food and if you want to avoid the harmful effects of pesticides then it’s best to go with organic foods when possible.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A gives us healthy eyes as well as helps to maintain the linings of the intestinal, respiratory, and urinary tracts. It also helps keep our skin healthy. To get more vitamin A in your diet, eat darkly-pigmented foods such as spinach, carrots, winter squash, kale, and sweet potato.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is needed in order for our body to create collagen, which is basically the glue that holds our skin, bones and blood vessels together. It also aids in making brain chemicals, neutralizing damage from free radicals, and metabolizing cholesterol. Vitamin C has also been shown to help reduce arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. To add this vitamin to your diet, drink add a glass of orange juice or eat an orange every day. Other foods that contain vitamin C are strawberries, kiwifruit, red bell peppers, cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals and protect cells from damage. It plays a key role in the immune system and can even help prevent the common cold as well as lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Foods high in vitamin E include sunflower kernels, almonds, and sunflower oil especially when used in salad dressings, which helps you get nutrients from the vegetables as well as carry the vitamin E into the bloodstream.

Fiber
Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that is not digested. Whole grains can lower your heart disease risk by 30 percent. It is recommended that you get 14g of fiber for every 1000 calories you eat. To get more fiber in your diet have a 1/2 cup serving of Fiber One cereal and add more beans to your diet. Switch to whole grain bread and eat lots of fruits and vegetables with your meals.

Calcium
Calcium helps us build and maintain healthy teeth and bones. It prevents bone-thinning osteoporosis and also contributes to healthy blood pressure. Recent studies have shown that calcium can reduce the risk of colon cancer. To get enough calcium, drink three glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk a day, or eat eight ounces of fat-free yogurt along with 2-3 ounces of low-fat cheese evert day.

Magnesium and Potassium
Magnesium works together with calcium and along with potassium it is linked to healthy blood pressure. These two nutrients are also though to help protect against osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. To get more magnesium, add a half-cup of bran and cooked spinach each day. For more potassium, eat sweet potatoes, white potatoes, bananas, and white beans.