Should You Take Daily Vitamin and Mineral Supplements?

Many people wonder whether vitamins and nutrition supplements are really necessary?

Vitamins are organic substances that are necessary for the proper growth and functioning of our bodies. Unlike protein, fat, and carbohydrates, vitamins provide no calories. They are, however, needed for the normal chemical reactions inside our bodies.

Vitamins must be obtained from food because the body cannot produce them. The exception is vitamin D, which can be produced by the skin when it is exposed to the sunlight. Diseases in the body can occur when the intake of vitamin(s) is insufficient due to poor nutrition, restricted diets, or inadequate absorption of the vitamins.

The problem is that today the nutritional value of our foods has been declining for many years due to the depletion of our soil, and our foods no longer have the high vitamin and mineral content they once had. So today it is much more difficult to get all the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need from our normal diets.

For example virtually every major health organization now recommends eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain health, and the USDA recommends consuming 2-1/2 cups to 3 cups of vegetables a day. Yet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, less than nine percent of American adults consume the recommended number of servings.

So in reality, most adults just do not consume anywhere near these minimum amounts, and thus the need for high-quality nutrition supplements for optimum health.
High quality nutrition supplements are also much more than just your normal vitamins and minerals.

The bodies of both women and men also need a number of anti-aging natural supplements such as amino acids, antioxidants, bioflavanoids, neuronutrients and specialized substances such as L-Carnosine, alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L-Carnitine.

As we live longer we want those added years to be active ones full of energy and health. The basis for good health is a lifestyle that includes a good healthy diet along with vitamins, minerals, and nutrition supplements.

We are very fortunate that today, there are many manufacturers that provide high quality vitamins nutrition supplements at reasonable prices. There are also very good low cost distributors of high quality vitamins and minerals on the internet.

For optimal health it is therefore necessary to combine a good health diet with a good compliment of supplements to make sure that you have all the necessary building materials your body needs to fight off disease, maintain good health, and help you stay younger longer.