A Few Words About Supplements

Why are supplements used, when should they be used and how do they benefit your body? Supplements available on the market today differ and you should know which ones to take to optimize your health.

If you don't have a perfectly balanced diet just like every one in five Americans, you could be suffering from a deficiency of all of the essential nutrients your body needs to perform at 100 percent. You're lacking what is called the Recommended Daily Allowance of nutrients or RDA.

In addition to that, The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that it takes seven cups of today's spinach to equal the nutrition that a single cup provided in 1960. Even if you think you're diet is perfect, you still might not be getting all of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

So what to do? How can you correct this to reap the rewards of feeling your body at its maximum potential? You can take supplements. Everyone should take a multivitamin according to Mary Holt a nutritionist who writes for Energetic Nutrition.

"A multivitamin is a nutritional supplement containing many different types of vitamins, as the name suggests. However, many brands of multivitamins also contain minerals, trace elements, and other nutritionals," says Charles Hopkins.

Ryan Cote explains the four forms of multivitamins you can buy. They are "capsule, tablet, softgel, and liquid. Avoid tablets at all costs because they are the hardest for your body to breakdown and absorb. Liquid multivitamins are the easiest for your body to absorb because there's nothing for your body to breakdown, but capsules and softgels are also good forms of multivitamins in reference to absorption rate."

For a chart of what vitamins provide to the body, visit Fitness.com. Everyone's body is different, so it would be wise to talk to a health professional about your specific needs. Know thy body.