Vitamin supplements is it worth it?- Bianca Mendoza

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Do you have enough magnesium, calcium, iron, folate, antioxidants, or B-12 in your diet?
Micronutrients are important to the human body and lack of necessary micronutrients like iron, folate, and B-12 help our red blood cell development(***).  Sever(***) inadequate iron intake from foods from animal products, leafy greens, beans, and legumes can cause anemia (***).
Vitamin C, B6, E also performs a significant role in the body's immune system(***). With all the micronutrients that the human body requires it can become overwhelming. Vitamin supplements have become easily become accessible in today's society and people have relied on them to obtain their micronutrients(***). The truth is that most of our micronutrients are best absorbed by consuming raw foods(***). That isn't to say you should not completely disregard taking supplements. Supplements are known to represent a complementary way of health(***). Vitamin supplements are an effective way to maximize your nutrients(***). Notably, those who have intake an inadequate number of vitamins and minerals. For instance, vegetarian or vegan are more susceptible to definiens (did you mean deficiency? (***)   

Benefits:
According to the latest research vitamin supplements that are made of whole foods can be the most beneficial(***). Fruits, vegetables, berries, and omegas can help impact gum health, heart health, immune system, DNA, oxidative stress, and healthy skin to name a few. Phytonutrients from plant food adequately provide numerous antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to help the immune system fight out possible infections. Antioxidants are typically found in nutritious foods like spinach, kale, broccoli, garlic, and cabbage, blueberries to name a few. When consuming vitamin supplements that typically contain plant-based it can help enhance the immune activation of antioxidants in your body. Although there has been research that vitamin supplements that contain antioxidants don’t help to reduce the diseases (***). In an article published by the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health (2013) “Rigorous scientific studies involving more than 100,000 people combined have tested whether antioxidant supplements can help prevent chronic diseases, like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and cataracts. In most instances, antioxidants did not reduce the risks of developing these diseases.” (***)

Are vitamin supplements worth it?
To invest and rely completely on vitamin supplements are likely not the most effective way to progress in terms of receiving the benefits however, if you are looking to enhance or maximize your nutrients that you aren’t entering an everyday base or simply obtain a vegan or vegetarian that needs to typically rely on supplements then I would say it’s worth the try (***). Go back to eating whole foods if you are able but if needed. Make sure you aren’t self-diagnosing on taking vitamins that you might not need. For instance, talking iron supplement or intaking an excessive amount can be toxic(***).

Now the hardest part… Supplement shopping!
Supplement shopping can become very confusing especially since multivitamins have recently become a billion-dollar industry and can be typically found at almost any grocery store or vitamin shop.

Don’t buy nutritional supplements that state: health claims, nutrient content claim, structure/function claims  Vitamins supplements that merely state this anywhere must be approved by food and drug administration. Excessive amount of vitamin supplements can be toxic (***).

If you’re looking to maximize your nutrition intake, do buy natural vitamins with whole and untampered foods. Natural and whole food vitamins focus on appropriate balance and not potency. (***)

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Work Cited ​(***)
Antioxidants: In Depth. (2016, May 4). Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants/introduction.htm.
Antioxidants: In Depth. (2016, May 4). Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants/introduction.htm.
Natural vs. Synthetic. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sonnes.com/natural-vs-synthetic/.
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Best Healthy food-Juice plus-I started today-30-7-2018 images in 2019: Juice plus, Juice, Whole food recipes. (2019, November 1). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/anneemonts/juice-plus-i-started-today-30-7-2018/.
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Best Healthy food-Juice plus-I started today-30-7-2018 images in 2019: Juice plus, Juice, Whole food recipes. (2019, November 1). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/anneemonts/juice-plus-i-started-today-30-7-2018/.
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“Vitamin Supplements.” NaturoFAQs, https://naturofaqs.com/vitamin-supplements.