Recently, both in social networks and on bigboards, there are a lot of advertisements for vitamin supplements, which are apparently necessary for every person. These supplements are bought without a prescription in pharmacies and are also available in various online stores or even in supermarkets. But does everyone need to take supplements?
An overdose can be dangerous
Vitamins are chemical compounds that the body, unfortunately, is unable to produce. At the same time, they are necessary for its proper functioning. As a rule, a person receives a sufficient amount of these substances with food, but there are situations when they are needed as much as possible, because a person works physically, plays sports, smokes cigarettes, drinks alcohol, takes certain medications, has certain diseases, is pregnant or has profuse menstruation.
Supplementing the diet with synthetic vitamins is necessary for some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including inflammatory processes in the oral cavity and esophagus, as well as chronic ailments related to the stomach, intestines, or liver. Most often, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency develops and, as a result, nerve pain conditions, including peripheral neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia. In this case, it is absolutely necessary to take cobalamin, for example, Nervz-G.
Women during menopause, patients with osteoporosis, men and women receiving corticosteroid medications in a 7.5 mg or higher prednisone equivalent dose who have low bone mass need to take vitamin D (for example, the drug Fosamax).
But the human body does not always metabolize them well. Therefore, it is necessary to choose vitamins in active and safe forms. An overdose of some vitamins, for example, such as A or D, can be harmful to the body. Therefore, each food supplement should be used in a moderate dose or after consulting a nutritionist.
Natural vitamins are more easily absorbed
Supplements available in pharmacies and supermarkets are manufactured in a laboratory. Regardless of how rich their composition is, synthetic vitamins will not completely replace those contained in food. Molecules of natural vitamins have higher bioavailability, in other words, they are better metabolized by the body. Of course, supplements should not be taken all year round, because the use of ready-made multivitamin preparations leads to the fact that the human body stops properly absorbing natural substances from food.
It is best to consume more vitamins that are found in natural foods, especially those that grow in your country, because they are more familiar to the body. For example, in winter, as a source of vitamin C, it is better to consume foods such as carrots, celery, and parsley, as well as frozen foods and homemade preserves.
Vitamin deficiency as a cause of excess weight
When a person lacks vitamins, the body immediately begins to demand more food, trying to compensate for the deficiency. This is very important to understand, because the lack of the required amount of vitamins causes constant hunger and regular snacks.