Are You Taking Your Vitamins?

Vitamins are very important for your overall health, and I didn’t realize it until just a few months ago. I went to get blood work done, and my doctor looked at the results and told me that I was deficient in a few vitamins. I want to take this time to educate you on the importance of taking vitamins daily, and I want to give you tips for how to get started if you’ve never taken them before.

According to Livestrong, there are 13 key vitamins that are essential for your body:

• Vitamin A: improves eyesight, immune system, skin, bones, teeth
• Vitamin B***: improves metabolism and brain function, supports hormone production, nervous system, cells, and the heart functions
• Vitamin C: helps absorb iron, offers immune protection, supports healthy tissue
• Vitamin D: supports bones, increases body defense system
• Vitamin E: supports body’s use of Vitamin K
• Vitamin K: helps prevent blood clots, supports bones, encourages red blood cells to form

*** There are eight types of these: B-6, B-12, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folate

 

Now, if you’ve never taken vitamins before and have no idea where to start, I can help. Dr. Mehmet Oz, also just known as Dr. Oz, suggests that there are 5 key vitamins that we need to take:

1. Multivitamins — make sure it has vitamins A, C, D, E, K, potassium, zinc, and iodine in it. He also encourages splitting the vitamin in two and taking half in the morning and half in the evening to maximize absorption.

2. Calcium with Magnesium — of course calcium helps the bones, and the magnesium prevents constipation that can occur with calcium. He suggests taking 600mg of calcium with 400mg of magnesium every day, but do not take it within 1-2 hours of taking the multivitamins because it could have a negative impact on its absorption.

3. Vitamin D — sun exposure is hard to come by unless you are going to the beach every day and soaking up a lot of sun. Dr. Oz encourages taking 1000 IU of vitamin D every day.

4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids — you can find this in fish oils, some plant oils, and some nut oils. It can lubricate your joints, protect your heart, and help your brain. There are three types: DHA, ALA, EPA, but you want to take DHA. He recommends taking 600mg of DHA every day.

5. Folic Acid — this one is only key if you plan on having children one day. It prevents neural tube defects in babies, which is something that can actually start developing before a woman knows that she’s pregnant. You can get folic acid from vegetables and grains, but Dr. Oz says that women who might want children one day should take 400-800 micrograms every day.

 

Please be sure to consult with your doctor before taking anything! It’s important to take vitamins, but it’s even more important to take what’s necessary for your body and to take them correctly.

 

“All those vitamins aren’t to keep death at bay, they’re to keep deterioration at bay.” – Jeanne Moreau