Monday, 05 January 2009

• Dissecting The Vitamin Alphabet

  Guest blog by The_Prestigiator
  

  

  I don't know about others but I for one grow pretty confused when my physician begins prattling off a list of recommended micronutrients. There are so many and I never completely understand what they are meant for or what is the the appropriate daily dosage?

  So I decided to venture to my local library three weeks ago to borrow The Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals for Health. Here's what I learned:
  

  1. Vitamin A: This vitamin enhances eyesight by helping us distinguish shapes and colors in dimly lit places. It also keeps the immune system and the linings of the lungs and digestive tract healthy. Good sources of Vitamin A are fish oil, nectarines, mangoes, spinach, broccoli, carrots, whole milk, butter, and eggs.
  

  Just remember that an excessive intake of Vitamin A has been linked to low bone density which can lead to fractures.

  2. Vitamin B: comes in many forms (B1, B4, folic acid, et cetera et cetera) but I'll give you the general idea. Vitamin B plays an essential role in terms of our metabolic activities and energy rates. The different kinds of Vitamin B are responsible for transporting red blood cells and circulating oxygen throughout our bodies. Great sources are peas, beans, chili peppers, tuna, yogurt, bananas, oats, and Brewer's yeast.

  3. Vitamin C: This vitamin serves as an essential antioxidant. It aids in the formation of collagen, a protein that builds strong bones, cartilage, blood vessel, teeth, and etc. Moreover, it keeps teeth. skin, and muscles in good shape.
  

  Vitamin C interestingly enough helps wounds heal more quickly, which is definitely a plus! A common health risk for low levels of Vitamin C is scurvy, which is easily avoidable. Good sources are oranges, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cabbage,

  4. Vitamin D: A diet poor in Vitamin D can either lead to rickets in children or osteoporosis later in life. A diet rich in Vitamin D leads to strong bones and teeth due to higher levels of calcium and phosphorus. Sunlight will always remain the best source for Vitamin D but for those of you who burn as easily as I do, other commendable sources are sardines, eggs, and fortified cereals.

  5. Vitamin E: Just like Vitamin C, it's a great antioxidant and protects against certain cancers and heart disease by keeping nerves and red blood cells in tiptop shape. Additionally, it helps heal wounds and prevents scarring.
  

  When I was injured during my soccer season, the school nurse recommended that I spread lotion infused with Vitamin E over my wound and lo and behold scarring was minimal. Excellent sources of Vitamin E are avocados, nuts, sunflower seeds, whole grains, and vegetable oils.

  6. Vitamin K: (yea...they definitely skipped over a few letters when assigning names). Well, lucky for us, half our dose of Vitamin K is produced by the large intestine by good bacteria. Vitamin K is essential because it helps clot the blood when we cut or injure ourselves. Whole grains, oats, meat (unfortunately, liver has large amounts of this..blah), and parabiotic yogurts.

  Now that you know your vitamin ABCDE...Ks do take this little fun yet educational quiz.

  Truthfully speaking after I read up on vitamins, I realized taking them in pill form wasn't all that necessary as long I maintained a nutritional and balanced daily diet. Still, I try to take calcium pills (twice a week), fish oil pills (not daily though because they are pretty big), and vitamin D pills (specifically during the winter months).

  Do you have any tricks about how to stick to a good vitamin regime (it's so hard to remember!)? Do you take any vitamins? Have you noticed or felt any physical changes since you've begun taking them?

  
  

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