Five benefits of incorporating vitamins into your diet

Did you know there is a vitamin for nearly every function in the human body? Believe it or not, it’s true.

Vitamins and minerals are an essential part of the modern diet. The majority of diets are too rich in calories and poor in nutrients. Here are five benefits of incorporating daily vitamins in your diet.

Strengthen your immune system
A multivitamin will assist you in improving your immunity. Think of your daily vitamin supplement as a way to fill the gaps in your nutrition. Human beings aren’t perfect – even when we’re working to maintain a healthy diet there will be days we make mistakes. 

More importantly, cold and flu season risks are unavoidable. Taking vitamins helps the blow from a day of unhealthy choices less severe. 

Vitamin C is the poster child for daily immunity, but many vitamins like B6 and E also have their contributions to make towards immunity.

For example, many individuals take compound food supplements to improve their daily intake of vitamins. Sambucol Vitamins are a popular choice for immunity boosting. Sambucol is made from black elderberries and unlike most food supplements, has a great taste. This makes it a favourite among children and adults alike.
 
Lose more weight
A subtle deficiency of a nutrient is enough to mess with the hormones that control hunger. These deficiencies are intensified for women – which means taking daily vitamins can help women reach their weight loss goals. This article snippet from Better Nutrition puts the impact of vitamins on weight loss in the perfect light: 

Women taking multis were less hungry while losing weight on a diet and exercise program, and men on the program lost more weight with multis, according to a Canadian study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Researchers noted that subtle shortfalls of various nutrients may interfere with hormones that normally turn off hunger during and after meals, and multis can correct the problem.

Improve your memory and brain function
Memory and brain function should be at the forefront of daily health. Though you may be on top of your game now, daily maintenance will help you stay that sharp as you age. That’s not to say that it’s too late to start. Even if you’re already suffering from memory loss symptoms or know you’re at a higher risk for diseases like Alzheimer’s, make vitamins a part of your daily routine.

Certain fatty acids and vitamins are said to have an impact on improving and maintaining memory function. For example, scientists have said that deficiencies of B12 can have an impact on your memory. Taking vitamins that support that memory and brain function will help everything else you do to stay healthy make an impact.

Control your risk of heart disease
The leading cause of death globally is heart disease. In addition to making heart healthy dietary choices, taking vitamins has proven to help people control their risk of heart disease. The core vitamins surrounding this discussion are vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E.

Studies have shown that vitamin C helps reduce salt-induced hypertension in both those with and without high blood pressure. The same is believed of vitamin D and E though more research is needed to make scientific claims.

Though taking vitamins alone will not prevent a heart attack or other serious cardio ailment, vitamins can help you control your blood pressure and ‘fill in the gaps’ on days where you may not have taken in enough of the vitamins in your diet.

Get stronger bones
Calcium and Vitamin D are the vitamins most commonly taken to support bone health. Bone health may not be at the top of your mind but it should be. If you really think about it, your skeleton is what the rest of your body is tied to. It protects your organs, holds your head up and produces red blood cells. Take care of it.

Calcium is the foundation of your bones and teeth. It makes sense to make sure that your calcium intake is sufficient. Like a true sidekick, Vitamin D makes sure all the calcium you consume is able to be absorbed by the bones. Calcium supplements can help keep your levels of calcium healthy. For Vitamin D there is no better source than the sun, though you may be able to find some Vitamin D in vitamin supplements.

Though women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis, bone health isn’t gender specific. It’s important that everyone take care of their skeleton.

Conclusion
If you didn’t believe it before, you should now: there is a vitamin that can help improve nearly every function we have. From immunity to heart health, vitamins and minerals have an important role in the modern diet. That being said, take care of your body and purchase your vitamins the same way you would purchase your food: With your eye on the label.

What vitamins do you recommend and why? Share your thoughts in the comments.

CM