Liquid Vitamins And Minerals

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Find out about the link between vitamins and health.

The Link Between Vitamins and Health

The link between vitamins and health is one that has only very recently been brought to light by science.

While researchers and scientists have been studying the effects of nutrition on human health for centuries, it is only within the last century or so that vitamins have actually been scientifically identified under controlled conditions in the laboratory.

Years before, however, it had been proven that certain types of foods could prevent certain diseases from developing, most notably scurvy and beriberi.

Now scientists, doctors, and dietitians know that balanced nutrition is a requirement for good health.

Not only are vitamins required for the prevention of many diseases in the human body, they are also essential for many routine functions that are necessary to life.

Without proper nutrition in our diets that includes the 13 essential vitamins and various essential minerals, our bodies could not function properly. Here is a list of all the essential vitamins, and what health functions they perform in the body:

Vitamin A - Also known as retinol, vitamin A is necessary for healthy bones, teeth, skin, and vision. Vitamin A can be found naturally in dark green vegetables and orange fruits and veggies.

Vitamin B1 - Also known as Thiamin. This vitamin is crucial for converting carbohydrates to energy, and for keeping your nervous system and heart healthy. You can get vitamin B1 from eating pork and beef, liver, lamb, peas and beans, seeds, whole grains, and oatmeal.

Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin is necessary for energy metabolism in the body, helps form red blood cells, and along with vitamin A assists in the maintenance of healthy skin and eyesight. You can get it from milk, yogurt, cheese, whole-grains, green leafy veggies, eggs, meat, and beef liver.

Vitamin B3 - Niacin helps your body convert food to energy. It has also been found to be useful for controlling cholesterol, but consult your physician before replacing your statin meds with this vitamin. Also, be aware that in high doses, it can cause flushing of the skin and a prickling sensation, which is harmless but can be quite uncomfortable. As always when taking any vitamin supplement, take it according to the manufacturer’s label. To get it naturally, eat eggs, beef, poultry, fish, peanut butter, milk, and whole grains.

Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic Acid is necessary for the metabolism of energy in the body (are you noticing a trend here with these B vitamins?) You can get it from eating whole-grains, beans, eggs, meat, and royal jelly (a supplement that comes from honey bees).

Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine helps your body use proteins and amino acids. It assists in keeping your brain healthy, and in the formation of red blood cells, insulin (helps control blood sugar), and antibodies (necessary for your immune system to function properly). You can get it in your diet from eating fish, white meat, beans, raisins, green leafy veggies, corn, whole grains, bananas, and mangos.

Vitamin B7 - Biotin helps your body use fats and aminos, and also plays a part in the production of some hormones and neurotransmitters (they send messages from nerve cell to nerve cell; without them your body can’t function normally, or at all if they’re completely absent). Good sources of biotin are liver, beans, swiss chard, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, royal jelly, and carrots.

Vitamin B9 - Folic acid is used in cell growth and DNA formation. It has also been shown to be a factor in preventing certain birth defects. You can get it from eating liver, spinach, beans and peas, asparagus, oranges, brussels sprouts, collard greens, and avocados.

Vitamin B12 - Also known as Cobalamin (say that fast three times staring in a mirror at midnight), this vitamin serves a similar function to other B vitamins, as it is used in the formation of red blood cells, DNA, and assists with proper nervous system function. The following foods are high in vitamin B12: meat, fish, poultry, clams, eggs, and dairy products.

Vitamin C - Ascorbic acid performs a number of functions in the body, as it is used from everything to maintaining teeth and bones, to creating collagen (used in skin and connective tissue), to helping the immune system, to keeping blood vessels healthy, to healing cuts and scrapes. You can get vitamin C from berries, melons, tomatoes, potatoes, citrus fruits, mangos, kiwi fruit, papaya, yellow peppers, and broccoli.

Vitamin D - Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin when exposed to sunlight. It is necessary for your body to absorb calcium, so of course it contributes to strong and healthy bones. Some research indicates that vitamin D may prevent autoimmune diseases, and may also decrease the risk of cancer. Just be aware that vitamin D (along with vitamins A, E, and K) is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that your body may not be able to excrete excess amounts of it as easily as the water-soluble vitamins. So, there is some risk of over-dosing on fat-soluble vitamins; use care when supplementing with any fat-soluble vitamin.

Vitamin E - Vitamin E helps your body grow new tissue, muscle and blood cells. You can get it in your diet from eating grains, green leafy veggies, seeds and nuts, peanuts, vegetable oils and salad dressings containing those oils, and wheat germ.

Vitamin K - A greatly under-appreciated vitamin, vitamin K is necessary for blood-clotting. While much of your daily needs are met via vitamin K being made by the friendly bacteria in your gut, if you’ve recently been on antibiotics you may not have enough bacteria left to perform this duty. Of course, you can take probiotics or eat plenty of yogurt and kefir to replace those good bacteria, and eat plenty of greens, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and spinach to ensure you’re getting vitamin K in your diet.

So, there you have it – now you know the specific links between vitamins and health! And, while it is possible to get all the vitamins above by eating a healthy, balanced diet, why not take a good liquid vitamin daily to ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs?

Click here to get a balanced liquid vitamin that tastes great!

Information on choosing the best multivitamin for men.

Choosing The Best Multivitamin for Men

Is there a best multivitamin for men? To answer this question, first you have to look at what the unique nutritional needs are for men. Then, you need to evaluate your own unique nutritional needs, based on your health, age, activity level, and any medical issues that need to be addressed in your diet. Once you determine the differences, from there you can look at the choices in men’s multivitamins and decide which one is best for your needs.

Evaluating The Nutritional Needs of Men

The nutritional needs of men do in fact differ from those of women. However, most of the differences are in the amounts of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) that men need. More specifically men require more calories than women due to their increased muscle mass proportionate to height and weight. In addition, all that extra muscle requires more protein to maintain – that means men need to make sure they’re getting enough protein in their diets. (An oft-used rule of thumb is one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, per day – you can use a quality protein supplement to make this easier to achieve.)

However, neither of those requirements has anything to do with the micronutrients – vitamins and minerals – that are found in multivitamins for men. So what’s the deal with all the multivitamin formulas you find on the shelves of your local health food store? Most of these formulas contain added herbal ingredients that are purported to help men with specific health needs as they age.

Typical Ingredients Added To Mens Multivitamins – Are They Necessary?

For example, some multivitamins for men may contain added saw palmetto, which reportedly offers benefits for prostate health. Another popular added ingredient in men’s multivitamin formulas is tribulus terrestris, an herb that is said to increase testosterone production in the body. The obvious health benefits for men taking these herbs are widely accepted; however, it’s questionable whether you can get adequate amounts of either in a multivitamin, since a pill that contained enough of either combined in a balanced multi vitamin would be large enough to choke a horse.

The Conclusion…

So, the obvious common sense answer to this dilemma is to choose a multivitamin that is balanced and complete, and to take any herbal supplements in a separate supplement to ensure you are getting adequate amounts. This would indicate that, instead of looking for the best multivitamin for men, you should instead look for the best multivitamin overall – that will be your best choice for a mens vitamin.

Click here for a great-tasting, easy to swallow, balanced and complete liquid multivitamin…

The Skinny On Weight Loss Vitamins

The dirty little secret about weight loss vitamins that many supplement manufacturers and retailers don’t want you to know is that most weight loss supplements aren’t vitamins at all. Nope – in fact, most of them contain stimulants and not natural vitamins and minerals.

So, what does this mean to you? For starters, that it really pays to read labels when buying supplements. Also, it means that some people should avoid weight loss supplements entirely, since certain stimulants can contribute to high blood pressure and may interact with certain medications.

Having said that, there are some weight loss formulas that are not half bad when taken according to the instructions by healthy adults who are only moderately overweight (Kids: Don’t take this stuff, no matter what those ads say). So, if you just need a little boost to help you lose 10 to 15 pounds, the right weight loss supplement could help you do it.

How Weight Loss Supplements Work

Most weight loss supplements work in one of two ways:

1. They suppress your appetite.

2. They work on the theory of increasing your metabolism.

Appetite suppressants have been around for a long time, and there are several prescription medications that are prescribed as appetite suppressants to patients who are very overweight.

Losing Weight Safely

Weight loss of more than 1 to 2 pounds a week can be unsafe. Set reasonable goals and lose weight at a sensible pace. It seems contradictory, but you MUST eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism up while losing weight. Simply NOT eating will actually stunt your weight loss efforts.

As long as you’re eating enough calories, you’ll keep your metabolism up and continue to lose weight. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so if you lower your daily caloric intake by 500 calories a day you’ll lose about a pound a week as your body converts fat to energy to make up the difference.

Use this calorie calculator to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight based on your weight, age, and activities. Then, simply subtract 500 from that amount to get the number of calories you should be eating daily to sustain continued weight loss.

Also, if you intend to lose more than ten percent of your body weight, or if you have any medical conditions that may affect your ability to exercise, or if you are on any prescription medications, you should consult your physician before starting any weight loss program.

Many stimulants that are supposed to help speed up your metabolism (so you burn more calories) are also appetite suppressants. So, when you take them it seems like you have more energy and your appetite may decrease.

The Problem With Stimulants

The problem with taking stimulants to artificially increase your metabolism is that, over time, your body becomes accustomed to the effect they have on your system. That means you have to take more and more to get the same effect. In my experience, I get the best results by taking a weight loss supplement for two weeks, then taking two weeks off from it, then two weeks on again.

In the mean time, I eat a sensible diet, and the whole time I make sure I get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day that gets my heart rate up to 65 – 85 percent of my target heart rate (220 minus your age). But, I never take a diet supplement for longer than two weeks at a time.

Things You Should Be Aware Of…

We already discussed that you shouldn’t take weight loss vitamins if you have a medical condition or if you are on prescription medication. However, there are a few other things you should be aware of when taking weight loss supplements:

1. Some weight loss supplements can cause difficulty with going to sleep. So, don’t take them after 3 PM in the afternoon.
2. Some weight loss vitamins can have an after-effect that is commonly known as “crashing” – meaning all that energy wears off and you start feeling like you’re dragging. Everything has it’s price, and diet pills are no different. So, plan ahead to make sure you aren’t going to crash at the wrong time.
3. You may forget to eat when you’re taking a diet supplement. So, plan ahead and set your watch to remind you to eat a snack or a small meal every 3 hours. So, you’d eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up, eat a mid-morning snack (make sure it combines protein and carbs), eat a healthy lunch, eat a mid-afternoon snack, eat a healthy dinner, then if you need a snack before bed limit it to protein only (carbs will store more easily as fat, and protein can help you sleep better).

And there you have it… a simple plan for using a weight loss vitamin supplement to assist you in losing a few unwanted pounds.

Click here for a liquid weight loss vitamin that tastes great…

Is There A Best Multivitamin?

The quest for finding the best multi vitamin is a confusing and difficult process for most people. The reason is that there is a lot of conflicting advice as to what your body needs, how much you should take of each nutrient, and in what form.

Thankfully, there are some very bright and educated people who have taken care of all that for the consumer. I’d like to get to that in a minute, but first I’d like to talk about the benefits of taking a quality multivitamin, and how exactly it can benefit your body.

Cell Damage, Free Radicals, and Anti-Oxidant Supplements

Free radicals are molecules or fragments of molecules that contain a free, unpaired electron. Without getting into a review of high school chemistry, basically what that means is that the molecule or particle is unstable and highly reactive to it’s environment. Picture them like little sparks that jump out of a fire and burn holes in your clothing – in a manner of speaking, that’s pretty much what they do to your cells.

Now, free radicals occur in everyone’s body, mostly due to the presence of oxygen, but also due to other environmental hazards like unhealthy foods, chemical pollutants, toxins, pesticides, smoke, and even radiation from the sun. Your body is in a constant state of trying to repair the damage done by free radicals.

That’s where anti-oxidants come in… when present in sufficient amounts in the body, they can act to prevent some of the damage done by free radicals to our cells. Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E, CoQ10, beta-carotene, selenium, zinc, l-glutathione, NAC, ALA, OPCs, bioflavinoids, and many other chemical compounds that are typically found in healthy foods and a well-rounded diet.

Unfortunately, most people don’t eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as lots of green leafy veggies. So, we miss out on all that anti-oxidant goodness those foods provide, which leaves our body at a disadvantage when it comes to preventing damage to our cells from free radicals.

That’s why it’s important to select a multi vitamin with a high ORAC value. ORAC stands for “oxygen radical absorbance capacity”, and it’s how scientists determine how effective a food or supplement is at fighting free radical damage.

High ORAC Value Foods and Supplements

Did you know that foods with some of the highest ORAC values are blueberries and red kidney beans? So, you can boost your body’s ability to fight free radicals by adding these foods to your diet.

However, if you find it inconvenient to eat these foods every day, you can take a multivitamin with a high ORAC value everyday as a sort of “added insurance” that your body is getting the antioxidants it needs. You can order our pick for the best multi vitamin in liquid form by clicking here…

Other Considerations For Choosing The Best Multi Vitamin

Of course, one of the main reasons most people choose to take a multivitamin is to make sure they are getting all the 13 essential vitamins and 22 essential minerals your body needs to function properly. Essential vitamins are Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E, and K. Essential minerals include potassium, chloride, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, selenium, and molybdenum.

The fact is, you wouldn’t want to take the entire RDA of every one of these vitamins and minerals everyday, because you’ll be getting some of them in your diet. In addition, some of these vitamins and minerals can be harmful if you take too much and get an excess stored in your body.

Therefore, it’s probably best to find a multivitamin supplement that has adequate amounts of the key vitamins and minerals in a balanced formula, without overdoing it on any particular nutritional substance. Also, taking a multi vitamin in liquid form can help increase you body’s ability to absorb your vitamins – that’s why we suggest that you buy a liquid multivitamin for the best result.