All of us want to be healthy, and as we get older, we become more and more concerned with it. When we're young, we take a lot of risks. Many people eat unhealthy foods, don't exercise sufficiently, drink to excess, and engage in other activities that put strain on the body. As we get older, we try to make up for our youthful excesses. We read all the labels on all of the vitamin supplements, looking for how they will help us take care of our health.
There are different vitamin benefits listed for each ingredients, as if by taking a specific vitamin, you can improve a specific aspect of your sat health. Vitamin B6 benefits, for example, include improved nervous functioning and decreased stress. Vitamin C benefits the immune system and cuts down on free radicals, helping you avoid cancer. And so on. But how much does the vitamin benefit health in reality?
The problem is that there is no incentive to research vitamin benefits in this country. You see, because anyone can sell vitamin supplements, no one owns them. If a company pays to research the benefits of a particular vitamin, that research can be used by anyone. Because of this, we mostly have to rely on anecdotal evidence of vitamin benefits.
I can't speak scientifically on the subject, but in my experience there seem to be great vitamin benefits from taking high quality supplements. Since I developed some serious health concerns a few years ago, I have been on a daily course of vitamins and minerals under the advice of my medical practitioner. I don't know how much was from the vitamins and how much was from changes in my diet and lifestyle, but whatever the cause, my health has gotten much better. The vitamins have played at least some role in that.
It is known that vitamins benefit a healthy lifestyle, but there is a lot of debate on whether supplements make a difference. In my own experience, it seems like taking supplements helps, but there is no substitute for a healthy diet. After all, vitamin absorption is much higher through natural foods. The vitamin pills you buy may contain the nutrition you need, but your body won't necessarily be able to absorb it. Eat healthy, take a few supplements if your doctor recommends it, and let nature take its course. Until we get better science, this is the best that any of us can do.
|