The Best Daily Vitamins for a Healthier, Longer Life

Vitamins are very essential to a person's overall health. The good news is that vitamins are not hard to procure. In fact, they are part and parcel of our daily intake: food! Depending on the what we feed our body, the food we eat may cause us health problems, instead of making us healthy.

Fruits, vegetables and poultry produce have certain vitamins that help promote our health. They contain the vitamins and minerals that our body needs. However, a problem arose with the kind of farming techniques applied in this modern time. Pesticides and other chemicals are used to grow these produce, which lessen the amount of nutrients we can get from the crops. Because of this dilemma in the farming industry, vitamin supplements sprouted like mushrooms. These supplements have health benefits, yet, eating fresh produce is still the fundamental source where we can obtain the best vitamins our body needs.

Check these ABCs of vitamins for daily health benefits and the food sources where you can get them.

Vitamin A (Beta Carotene)
Strong bones, glowing skin, and clear eyesight are the benefits a person can get with Vitamin-A in his daily diet. It is an anti-oxidant which helps our cells fight against cancer diseases. It lowers blood cholesterol level, prevents stroke, heart illness, night blindness and respiratory problems. A great source for youthful beauty, Vitamin A eliminates dry, flaky skin and reduces the formation of fine lines from aging. Best sources of this vitamin are liver, egg yolks, margarine, fortified milk, orange and dark green fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin B (Folic Acid)
Folic acid plays a very important role in the maintenance and growth of our cells, the metabolism of amino and nucleic acid, and the production of red and white blood cells. People who are Vitamin B deficient are prone to develop heart defects. Daily supply of folic acid prevents diseases like colon cancer, anemia, nerve damage and depression. This vitamin is very beneficial for pregnant women because it prevents infant neural tube defects. Major sources of folic acid are asparagus, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, avocado, cereals, legumes, lettuce, and oranges.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
Get colds often? Start including Vitamin C in your daily diet. Vitamin C prevents viral infections such as cold, flu, sore throat, and sinusitis. It aids the body to fight against toxicity and bacterial infections because of its antioxidant components. Taking Vitamin C everyday helps you from encountering problems like bleeding, gum and dental disease, bruising, anemia, hair loss, and skin disease. All kinds of vegetables and fruits contain Vitamin C, but major sources of this vitamin are citrus fruits, broccoli, white potatoes, tomatoes, strawberry, pineapples, blueberries and cantaloupe.

Vitamin D (Calcium)
When it comes to bone growth and density, Vitamin D is the most essential supplement our body needs. Taking Vitamin D daily prevents you from bone diseases like rickets (for children), osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, bone deformities and multiple sclerosis. If you have low exposure to bright sunlight everyday, this vitamin helps your calcium metabolism working properly. Sufficient sources of Vitamin D are dairy products, sardines, tuna fish, egg yolk, liver and cheese.

Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol)
Because of its powerful antioxidant properties, Vitamin E is the most popular vitamin when it comes to skin care and health. It is the primary ingredient of every skin care products like lotions, creams and products taken orally to fight aging. Another important role that Vitamin E plays in our body is the maintenance of our heart and sex organ functions. Foods that are rich in Vitamin E are beans, egg yolks, nuts, spinach, soybean oil, vegetable oil, kiwi, mango, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.