It's likely that your diet doesn't look like the nutritional pyramid the government agencies and nutrition magazines talk about. But you are not the only one: the majority of people can't get all the nutrients they need just from their diet.
The Importance of Daily Multivitamins
This is a big problem mainly for children, whose bodies are still forming, since a lack of adequate nutrients in childhood can cause lifelong health problems. While parents usually get concerned about how healthy their kids are, they often don’t think of a multivitamin as something to use to complement their child’s diet.
The fact is that multivitamins are important for both adults and children. Multivitamins can provide you with the nutrients that are lacking in your diet. Of course the dosages change depending on the user, but many manufacturers have multivitamins that are specific for children, women or men, offering even gender-age specific products.
About Vitamins and Minerals
The list below contains the 13 essential vitamins and 7 major minerals that your body needs daily. You will be able to see what the function of each major nutrient in your body is and how a deficiency of it can affect your health.
Essential Vitamins
Vitamin A
Important for the maintenance of strong bones and teeth, clear vision and healthy skin. It's believed that Vitamin A boosts the immune system as well. It also works together with carotenes, which are plant-based forms of Vitamin A. Deficiencies in this vitamin may lead to acne, psoriasis and eye problems, such as dry eye and night blindness.
Vitamin C
Very important for the production of collagen, a protein that helps skin's elasticity and prevents wrinkles and saggy skin. Vitamin C is important for the immune system because it increases the production of white blood cells and antibodies, helping the body to recover faster.
Because there are so many sources of Vitamin C in the typical Western diet, it's quite rare to have a deficiency in this vitamin. However, if there is a lack of vitamin C in the person's body, this individual may experience frequent infections, colds that take longer to pass, pain or swelling of the joints, nose bleeding and some anemia symptoms, such as fatigue and fading of skin color.
Vitamin D
Helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, making it a great aid for stronger bones. If there is deficiency of this vitamin in the body, the person may develop osteoporosis later in life.
Vitamin E
Has antioxidant properties, thus helping to slow down cells from aging, since antioxidants neutralize free radicals and protect the body against its damaging effects (aging is one of them). Vitamin E also helps in the control of bad cholesterol (LDL), keeping its levels low.
This is another vitamin that is very rare to lack in our system, because it is present in many foods and the body can actually store it. Although rare, deficiencies might happen and the results are a gradual degradation of the kidneys and also reproductive problems, including infertility and miscarriage risks.
Vitamin K
Helps blood clotting by regulating and forming the coagulator factors that clot the blood. Vitamin K also prevents heart and coronary disease because it is a calcium regulator, not letting calcium stay in the arteries. On the other hand, it helps to stick calcium to the bones and teeth, thus enhancing bone density.
Because Vitamin K is so closely related to the blood clotting process, a deficiency in this vitamin would lead to difficulties in clotting the blood and bruises.
Vitamin B1
Helps the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Vitamin B1 is very important in the process of converting blood sugar into glucose. It also helps the body to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Deficiency in this vitamin can lead to a condition called Beriberi; some of the symptoms of this disease are that the person feels rapid heartbeat, mental confusion, problems with the nerves and muscle decay.
Vitamin B2
Involved in the formation of red blood cells and production of antibodies. Helps to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats, besides taking part in cell respiration and growth processes.
When you don't have enough Vitamin B2 in your body, you tend to feel weak, develop swelling or soreness in the throat, find sores in the corners of your mouth, develop skin problems and you can suffer from anemia. Your eyes may also get sensitive to light and start watering.
Vitamin B3
Important for blood circulation, lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and prevents formation of plaque in artery walls. B3 aids the nervous and digestive systems, and is an enhancement to healthy skin as well. On top of all this, B3 helps metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
You will know very quickly if you are getting deficient in Vitamin B3 because the lack of this vitamin causes many symptoms: fatigue, memory problems, nausea and vomiting, lack of appetite, skin problems, mouth sores, headache, anemia and gastrointestinal problems.
A severe deficiency can lead to Pellagra, a serious disease in which the skin gets lesions if exposed to sunlight. Other symptoms are dermatitis, problems with the nervous and gastrointestinal systems, depression and inflammation of the mucous membranes.
Vitamin B5
Helps metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats, besides being involved in lowering bad cholesterol levels and preventing arthritis. Increases the production of cortisone and helps to reduce fatigue, elevating the levels of stamina.
It's very rare to develop a deficiency in this vitamin and the symptoms are very similar to the overall symptoms of deficiencies in the B-complex vitamins.
Vitamin B6
Besides helping in the metabolism of fat, proteins and carbohydrates, B6 helps to produce hemoglobin and more than 60 types of hormones and enzymes, including serotonin. It lowers levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and it is an important vitamin for the immune system.
Deficiencies in this vitamin can lead to a breakdown of the nervous system.
Vitamin B7
Used in the production of DNA, RNA and nucleic acids, B7 is important for cell growth and production of fatty acids. Also important for metabolism and processing of glucose, Vitamin B7 helps to control blood sugar levels and promotes strong fingernails and healthy hair and skin.
Vitamin B7 is the same as Vitamin B5 when it comes to deficiency: it is really rare for it to occur and the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of deficiencies in other B-complex vitamins.
Vitamin B9
Important in the formation of DNA and nucleic acids. Helps in the creation of red blood cells and heme, which is the part of the red blood cell that carries iron. Also creates the amino-acid homocysteine and, as all the other B-complex vitamins, helps the metabolism of fat, proteins and carbohydrates.
B9 deficiency can lead to memory and nerve function problems.
Vitamin B12
Increases alertness and an overall feeling of wellness. Important for the functioning of cells, blood and nerves. B12 also works in the production of DNA and the division of red blood cells.
B12 deficiency can cause anemia, memory and concentration problems, fatigue, poor circulation, brain damage and degeneration of the nervous system.
Essential Minerals
The 7 major minerals you should ingest daily are:
- Calcium: helps in the development of strong bones and teeth, in the muscle activity, heart and nerve functions, blood pressure and clotting.
- Phosphorus: interacts with calcium for the health of bones and teeth, participates in the DNA/RNA structure, important in the transfer of nerve impulses
- Magnesium: extremely important for the biochemical processes that occur in the body, it helps synthesize proteins and is present in the metabolism process and heart and nerve transmissions, besides being important in the absorption of other minerals and Vitamin C.
- Sodium: this mineral is also used for the osmosis processes inside the cells, and governs fluid retention and muscle contraction, besides taking part in the transmission of nerve impulses.
- Potassium: necessary for muscle and nerve control and protein synthesis; also very important for muscle contraction.
- Sulfur: Important for cell respiration
- Chloride: controls the fluid balance in the body and helps digestion
As you can see, lacking the essential nutrients could cause severe health problems to your body, hence the need to add daily multivitamins to a balanced diet.
