Vitamins for Your Health

Vitamins, sometimes referred to as macro-nutrients, are significant in keeping you healthy and strong. It’s important to incorporate them into your diet by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and a variety of other healthy foods that your body craves and needs. Vitamin supplements are also available over-the-counter at any pharmacy and at many stores.

Though most people know that vitamins are great for you, the majority of people you ask probably don’t know what each vitamin actually does for your body. While some may help with keeping your immune system up, others are in charge of keeping your bones strong. Each individual vitamin has its own roles to play, each one as significant as the next.

Vitamin A: This vitamin performs a variety of tasks for your body. It’s an antioxidant that keeps your immune system strong. Basically it works to help produce white blood cells referred to as lymphocytes – blood cells that battle and prevent bacteria invasion and build-up. Vitamin A is also a great way to keep your eyesight strong. You can easily get vitamin A by eating both animal-based and plant-based foods. This includes: beef liver, carrots, spinach and milk.

Vitamin B: Vitamin B isn’t actually one vitamin, but rather a group of vitamins. In fact, they’re typically called B vitamins. B vitamins are: B1 (thiamine), B 2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (folic acid), B12 (cobalamin). Each of them work to keep you healthy, but some common jobs among this group include giving you energy from the food that you consume, and boosting your metabolism. Be sure to include foods such as pea and beans in your diet, as these are naturally rich in B vitamins.

Vitamin C: Another antioxidant, vitamin C battles what are called free radicals. Free radicals are components that negatively impact your health and can lead to problems such as cancer and disease. Over time, most people are affected by more and more free radicals due to aging, as well as unhealthy habits such as drinking and smoking. Vitamin C – found in many citrus fruits like strawberries, oranges and grapefruits – are the key to neutralizing these free radicals before they can really do damage, thus vitamin C is a great immune system booster.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is needed to keep your bones and teeth strong and healthy. Without it, you can develop osteoarthritis. It’s sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” and there’s a reason for this; this vitamin is naturally synthesized by your own skin when exposed to the sun. This is why it’s important to get enough sunshine! Unfortunately, not everyone lives in a sunny place, particularly during the colder seasons. If you don’t think you’re getting enough vitamin D, supplements are available, and be sure to look for vitamin D fortified milk.

Vitamin E: Yet another antioxidant in the vitamin family, vitamin E is significant when it comes to fighting off free radicals. In doing this, it can help to prevent health issues like diseases and cancers. It’s also needed to keep your skin healthy as well. Vegetables like asparagus, olives and spinach are all rich in vitamin E, as are sunflower seeds, almonds and pine-nuts.

Vitamin K: Vitamin K is found in beef liver, but it is also rich in green veggies such as kale and broccoli. Be sure to include these foods in your diet to get enough of this vitamin, as vitamin K is necessary for strong bones. It’s also needed in order for your blood to clot in case you get a cut that needs to scab up and heal.

Source:
MedlinePlus


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