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Welcome to our Main Vitamins/Minerals section. Find valuable nutrition advice such as diet tips, fitness guides, and general health info.
Before vitamin and mineral supplements, people either ate properly or they suffered from a myriad of health disorders brought on by inadequate nutrition. Today we have the pharmaceutical industry to thank for the plethora of dietary supplements that are available to help correct bad dietary habits. Aren’t we lucky!
Most of our synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements however contain only those compounds we’ve been able to identify and manufacture, and which are deemed most essential. The fact remains that obtaining essential vitamins and minerals from a healthy balanced diet is still the optimal way to get them. Plants contain many many organic compounds we have yet to figure out how to artificially duplicate. Many of these are also important to our overall health and well-being, which is why health and nutrition experts recommend including a variety of different plant foods in our diet. This allows us to reap the benefits of all these different nutrients.
That being said, topping up an inadequate diet with a vitamin and mineral supplement is still preferable to going without. And the reality is that for many of us, our diet is inadequate even though we may think we’re eating well. It’s just the extent of the inadequateness that varies!
Our soils for example are no longer as fertile as they were even 2 or 3 decades ago. This means many of today’s foods are likewise not as rich in vitamins and minerals as they were. There have been numerous studies conducted into how on-going soil depletion is leading to a reduction in nutritional value of so many of the fruits and vegetables we rely on as mainstays in our diet. Even though these studies have been conducted in different countries by different research teams, the finds are consistent. And consistently worrying. Protein, minerals like calcium, phosphorus, zinc magnesium, potassium and iron as well as important vitamins like B2, B6, C and E are no longer as plentiful in many of the fruits and vegetables we eat. Just as an indication of how significant this problem is – one particular study made the remarkable point that our grandparents would probably have received the same amount of nutrition from ONE orange as we now get from eating EIGHT oranges. The solution? Again, experts believe this lies in enriching our soils so they once again produce nutrient rich crops.
Soil depletion isn’t the only thing responsible for this problem though. It’s also been brought on by the race to develop bigger, better, brighter, more pest resistant strains, often at the expense of nutritional value. Climate change is also doing its fair share of damage! The way plants are adapting to the increasing levels of CO2 in the environment has been referred to as the ‘junk-food effect’.
However, nutritionally diminished though they may be fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains are still pivotal in a healthy balanced diet. It’s just that perhaps a top up of a vitamin and mineral supplement is more beneficial now than it would have been in our grandparents’ day.
If you’d like more information about nutrition and vitamins, or you’re interested in a comprehensive guide to minerals and vitamins, check Planet Supplements Health and Fitness blog!
Magnesium is a solid, inorganic element; inorganic means it does not contain carbon. Many foods are natural sources of magnesium, and when in its pure form, it’s a shiny grey solid that resembles many of the other alkaline earth metals. It is an incredibly abundant element everywhere in the universe. Ironically, many people are magnesium-deficient. […]
Vitamins are essential to our body function. Without them everyone would be very sick on a regular basis, and not be able to survive for very long. In fact, millions, if not billions, of people around the world are vitamin deficient on a regular basis. Everyone knows that vitamins are great for your health, but […]
Unlike vitamins, minerals are inorganic and come from the earth and are stored mainly in bone and muscle tissue, but also in blood, enzymes and some vitamins. Unfortunately due to poor soil quality and nutritionally low diets, most of us are unlikely to be taking enough to maintain optimal health. There are two types: Macronutrients […]
Vitamin D is also called cholecalciferol. It is a fat soluble vitamin that is found in some foods but it is unusual in that it can also be manufactured by your body after exposure to sunlight. What is Vitamin D used for? Vitamin D is mainly used by the body to maintain the levels of […]
Ubiquinone is a naturally occurring part of the electron transport chain (ETC) in the mitochondria (power houses) of cells. It is also found within lipid membranes including the plasma membrane and intracellular membranes. Being a mobile part of the inner mitochondrial matrix where ATP is formed, its biological significance has been well studied. In addition […]
Whether vitamin needs differ among athletic and sedentary individuals has been an intense area of debate. Coaches, athletes, and parents often search for ways to produce bigger, faster, and stronger athletes. In ancient Greece, this was accomplished by using paidotribes or gymnaste (trainers) and later by the advice of Celcus (24 AD).Celcus has written eight […]
Vitamin K is an essential vitamin because it aids the body to avoid any excessive blood flow. The presence of Vitamin K makes the body system avoid excessive blood flow, especially during a cut. This is one of the most significant Vitamin K Benefits, which is the ability of people to heal after they cut […]
What you need to know about vitamins? Vitamins are organic micronutrients essential for good nutrition and are found in plants and animals in small amounts. With depleted nutrition caused by our diet, it is unlikely that we are receiving anything like the levels we need. Along with minerals, they are necessary as co-enzymes (in conjunction […]
Whether vitamin needs differ among athletic and sedentary individuals has been an intense area of debate. Coaches, athletes, and parents often search for ways to produce bigger, faster, and stronger athletes. In ancient Greece, this was accomplished by using paidotribes or gymnaste (trainers) and later by the advice of Celcus (24 AD). Celcus has written […]
Antioxidants Facts Want to know some cool antioxidants facts? There is solid evidence from several studies that the antioxidants we consume when eating Five to Seven servings a day from most fruit and vegetables can help us avoid or stall most ailments caused by ill-health. This includes slowing the ageing process, keeping energy levels high […]
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which plays a key role in growth and strength of our bones. It promotes absorption of calcium in the gut and helps in maintaining adequate calcium and phosphorus concentrations for normal mineralization of the bones. Vitamin D, together with calcium, serves as the best treatment for osteoporosis in […]
MSM is short for methylsulfonylmethane, so we will just call it MSM for short. It is naturally occurring sulfur mineral, and is beneficial to the body in many ways. We usually do not associate sulfur when it comes to protecting our health. But truth is, sulfur is actually one of the most common minerals found […]