The Only Vitamins You Actually Need On A Daily Basis

If you’re a health nerd like me, you know the recommended nutritional guidelines are always changing. Remember when eggs were bad? Now it’s okay to eat them again. It can be hard to keep up with what’s healthy and what’s harmful, especially when it comes to vitamins.

I’ll admit, as a nurse, I’ve always been a little leary of vitamin supplements. It just does not feel right that because supplement companies are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they can make wild health claims without proving their effectiveness or safety. We all have friends who swear by their vitamin routine. I often hear things like: “Now that I take vitamin C everyday, I don’t get colds anymore!” I can’t help but wonder if it’s the vitamin or merely the thought of doing something healthy that makes the difference.

So if the research is always changing and companies can say whatever they like, what’s the average health-conscious gal to do? We went to the experts to find out some background info, and then we’ll reveal exactly which vitamins you actually need to take.

Essential vitamins we need to live

The vitamins our bodies need can be broken down into two groups: fat soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins. Our bodies need both types to function properly.

Fat soluble vitamins need body fat to be absorbed and used by our organs. Vitamin A, vitamin E, and carotenoids are all fat soluble vitamins. Because these vitamins rely on fats to be used, we must eat a diet full of healthy fats. “A lack of healthy fats in the diet can lead to fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, leading further into disease and malnutrition,” nutritionist Amanda Henham of Vaga Nutrition tells us. “They can also become toxic, as they are stored in fatty tissue.”

The other class of vitamins, water soluble vitamins, cannot be stored in our tissues like fat soluble ones. They are found in food, and once our bodies have used them, they excrete the excess in the urine. Because our bodies can’t hang on to these vitamins, we need to take them in, either from food or supplements. Common water soluble vitamins include folate, vitamin C, and the B vitamins. According to Henham, everyone needs these vitamins in their diets everyday, and “the requirements increase in certain conditions such as immune disorders, poor kidney and liver health, chronic stress, and medication use.”

Why take a supplement?

Speaking with our experts, we found that they agree there are plenty of groups of people who could benefit from a supplement regimen. “With a huge increase in chronic disease and ill health, medication use, and poor dietary choices, we are seeing many individuals lacking basic nutrition from food,” says nutritionist Amanda Henham of Vaga Nutrition. “Therefore a need to supplement while implementing small and incremental healthy changes may be required.”

Dr. Scott Schreiber, a rehabilitation specialist, explains to his patients that it may not be possible to receive all our vitamins from food because of the soil they’re grown in. “With the current state of our soil, I recommend a combination of organic whole foods and a daily multivitamin supplement.” Registered dietitian Danielle Omar agrees. “Farmland soil is depleted of important vitamins and trace minerals, and our food sometimes travels thousands of miles to reach us,” she says. “So once that kale reaches your dinner table, it may be well over a week old and vital nutrients are quickly dissipating.”

The following slides provide details on certain crucial vitamins you need to consume every day. After you get through the list of vitamins, keep reading! We’ll answer some burning questions about which foods to eat to get certain vitamins, as well as why sometimes food isn’t enough.

Vitamin A and carotenoids

Vitamin A is crucial for our bodies, and it does a lot more than help our peepers. Vitamin A supports a healthy immune system, reproductive system, cell health, and vision. Because vitamin A helps produce healthy cells, it also affects our vital organs like the heart and lungs. Some research has even linked taking vitamin A with improving measles and some types of cancer.

Vitamin A comes in two forms, and we need to get them from our diets. First there is preformed vitamin A like retinol. This is found in darkly-colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cantaloupe, and squash. Once we eat those fruits and vegetables, our bodies convert the preformed vitamin A into vitamin A that our tissues can use. The other type is provitamin A carotenoids like beta-carotene. These carotenoids provide our bodies with vitamin A and are found in animal sources like dairy, fish, and meat. We can also get carotenoids from supplements, liver and fish oils, as well as palm oil, algae, and fungi. Mmm one order of algae and fungi to go please!

Most multivitamins contain vitamin A, and women should aim for about 770 micrograms of vitamin A per day.

Vitamin E

If you’ve been after glowing skin and shiny hair, make sure to load up on your vitamin E. Vitamin E is the fat-soluble vitamin that is full of antioxidants. Its antioxidant properties protect our cells from damaging free radicals. We are constantly exposed to dangerous free radicals from air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, or just walking though some cigarette smoke down the street. That is why it is so critical to have a steady supply of healing antioxidants to keep our cells from mutating and causing chronic disease. Vitamin E also supports our immune systems.

We can get vitamin E from our diets, as well as supplements. Foods with healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and vegetable oil are high in vitamin E. Green leafy vegetables and even fortified cereals are also good sources.

While vitamin E is available as supplements, we have to be careful to avoid high doses. If you have any kind of bleeding disorder or take blood thinners, vitamin E supplements can cause more bleeding. Some research has even linked high-dose vitamin E with an increased risk of death from any cause. Aim to get this vitamin from your diet or a multivitamin.

Folate

Folate is in the B vitamin group, and is crucial for everyone, not just the pregnant ladies. Folic acid decreases the amount of homocysteine in our blood. Homocysteine levels are used to evaluate if we’re at risk for heart disease, so the lower the better. Folic acid is also linked to improving our cognitive abilities, psychiatric illness, and cardiovascular health. Because folic acid is vital for the health of unborn babies, all women considering becoming pregnant need to ensure that they are taking in enough folic acid everyday.

We can get folate from our diets by eating leafy green vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, dairy products, poultry, meat, eggs, seafood, and grains. Some of the best sources include spinach, asparagus, and brussel sprouts. Break out the cheese and bacon – we’re cooking up some delicious veggies tonight! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also requires many packaged foods like breads, cereals, pastas, and flours to be enriched with folate. Folate is present is such a variety of different foods, but if you’re not into vegetables, fruits, grains or meat, fear not. Folic acid is also available in vitamin B supplements and in multivitamins.

Vitamin C

This is the time of year when many of us are loading up on vitamin C to avoid that inevitable cold or flu. While vitamin C may not prevent that cold, it may at least shorten it. It’s also vital to forming collagen. Collagen is that compound in your skin that keeps it elastic and young-looking. We also need collagen for our bones, cartilage, muscles, and blood vessels. Like vitamin E, vitamin C also contains powerful antioxidants.

Unlike other animals, we humans can’t make vitamin C, so we need to take it in everyday. Oranges are of course great sources of vitamin C, but so are other citrus fruits like grapefruits and lemons. Bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, kiwifruit, and cantaloupe are also rich in vitamin C. To get the most vitamin C bang for your buck, enjoy your fruits and veggies raw. Because this vitamin is water-soluble, heating and cooking your food can decrease the amount of vitamin that your body can absorb. Have a nice fruit salad in the morning, then fresh bell peppers dipped in hummus for an afternoon snack.

source: Thelist