Vitamins: Vital for Life

Modern society is concerned that everybody obtains adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals - essential nutrients for optimal function of the body. The word vitamin is derived from "vital mineral" although vitamins are not actually minerals at all; they are nutrients that act as catalysts and coenzymes in biochemical reactions.

Without the proper vitamins present in the cellular environment, biochemical reactions can slow down or not even occur at all. Certain diagnosable conditions occur when vitamins are not in adequate supply:

• Scurvy - deficiency of vitamin C
• Rickets - deficiency of vitamin D
• Beri Beri - deficiency of vitamin B₁
• Pellagra - deficiency of vitamin B₃
• Pernicious Anemia - deficiency of vitamin B₁₂
• Neural birth defects - deficiency of B₆, B₉ (folic acid), and B₁₂

It is vital to have an adequate supply of vitamins in the cellular environment to prevent disease and keep the body functioning optimally. The best source on earth for vitamins and minerals is whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are packed with phytonutrients - enzymes, vitamins, and minerals - in addition to carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. As foods are processed, cooked, and modified, the phytonutrient content decreases.

In order to help consumers feel better about purchasing processed foods, manufacturers will lace processed foods with "essential vitamins and minerals". The problem with these "fortified" or "enriched" foods is that these vitamins and minerals are not in chelated or whole food form and are not readily absorbable. Thus, the vitamins and minerals are present in weight but are not assimilated into the body for adequate usage.

Vitamins sources that are readily absorbed and utilized in the body come through the consumption of raw, whole foods. Salads, fruit salads, sandwiches, and green smoothies are all an excellent choice to obtaining more vitamins. Vitamin supplements can be beneficial to ensure an adequate balance of vitamins in the body, but remember that a supplement is just that - a supplement. Essential vitamins should not only be acquired through a supplement - they should be acquired from regular staple foods.

When a vitamin supplement is purchased, a whole food, professional-grade multivitamin is recommended. Many vitamin products at the supermarket or vitamin shops are cheap counterfeits of vitamins that the body does not easily absorb. When a consumer purchases such a vitamin, they are virtually purchasing a tablet that will provide no or little health benefits to their body. Whole food, professional-grade multivitamins are usually more expensive than synthetic multivitamins, but the benefit outweighs the cost as the vitamins are actually absorbed and utilized by the body. Many synthetic vitamins are derived from petroleum based sources, never was produced by a living plant or species, and are rarely dissolved in the body for adequate absorption.

When searching for whole food based multivitamin supplements, I recommend NutriWest's product line. Multibalance for Women, Multibalance for Men, and Total Children's Chewable are excellent formulations that include many of the daily vitamin and mineral requirements from whole food sources as well as synergistic herbs to assist the important functions of the body.