Want more energy and vitality? You may be deficient in some essential vitamins. Today’s guest blogger, Tom Channell, shares with us 5 of them and provides potential sources so we can live a healthier lifestyle.
Vitamins and other nutritional supplements are all over the news and on store shelves worldwide. But how do you know which ones are essential to optimum health and which ones aren’t? Here are five vitamins that your body shouldn’t live without.
This essential vitamin offers numerous health benefits. It’s known for boosting the immune system, helps improve blood circulation, helps prevent cataracts, assists in regulating blood sugar, and it’s even made headlines for its ability to aid in cancer prevention. So start eating more fresh citrus, cherries and berries, or grab some chewable vitamin C supplements.
It’s likely that you’re not getting enough vitamin B in your diet, so listen up. Individuals that are living with anemia are often lacking in B-12 (as well as iron, which we’ll discuss later). Deficiency in B-6 is also common. So, to make sure you’re getting enough, start adding in some natural vitamin B by eating more dark green vegetables, whole grains, seafood, poultry, eggs or bananas. There are so many health benefits of vitamin B, but some of the main ones include reducing risk of heart disease, treating anxiety and depression, reducing stress levels, increasing your energy and enhancing memory ability. In addition, your body needs solid amounts of vitamin B in order to keep making robust blood cells.
The food you’re eating is probably not giving you every vitamin that you need on a daily basis, so a multi-vitamin is a great way to help meet those nutritional requirements and keep your body functioning at its best. Taking these regularly can keep your body from being depleted in certain vitamins and minerals that you might not even know you’re missing out on. Because of this, your immune system will be stronger and you’ll probably be less stressed.
Vitamin D is recognized as the “sunshine” vitamin, so if you live in an area that doesn’t get much sun, or you simply don’t go outside enough, vitamin D in your body is probably under-supplied. This vitamin helps absorb calcium and recent studies have shown that it can also help protect against osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Many foods on the market today are marked as vitamin D-fortified, meaning vitamin D has been added to it. Other foods like tuna, salmon, egg yolks, cheese or mushrooms are high in vitamin D and can help bolster your intake.
If you don’t have enough iron, you’re probably continually lethargic and lacking the motivation you need to get through the day. Iron helps your body make hemoglobin in the blood, which brings oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If you need a boost in iron, eat more clams, beans, liver, red meat, egg yolks or dried fruit. Combine these foods with a diet rich in vitamin C and you’re on the track for good health, as vitamin C can help your body absorb iron better and faster.
Give your body what it needs. You’ll be stronger, healthier and have more energy. There’s nothing better than that!
About the Author
Tom Channell is a marketing executive at Freedom Health Insurance; a leading provider of private medical cover, travel insurance and comprehensive health insurance. He regularly blogs about the health industry, fitness tips and tutoring.
Vitamin Bs are a bigger for me – the more stressful your life is, the more vitamin Bs you need. Besides taking a complex in supplement form, I eat as much food from Tom’s list as possible. What about you?