The benefits and harms of vitamins for the body of women and men
Before you buy all those bright bottles at the pharmacy, you need to know which vitamins help your body and how to take them.
Contents of the article:
- History of the discovery of vitamins
- The benefits of vitamins for humans
- Are vitamins harmful?
- What vitamins are needed
- Why you need to know when to stop
- Is an overabundance of vitamins dangerous?
- Scientists” opinion about vitamins
- Three in one: what are multivitamins
- Lack of vitamins in the body
- Sailors and scurvy
- Is it possible to live to 100 years old by taking vitamins?
History of the discovery of vitamins
For a long time, people did not know which vitamins would help and which would not. Unlike fatty acids, amino acids and carbohydrates, vitamins do not provide energy value for the body, but at the same time contribute to the normalization of tissue and cellular metabolism. The main ways to obtain the necessary vitamins are sun exposure, food consumption and individual supplements.
Vitamins are substances that have a specific effect on the human body. They enter the body with food and special supplements. Thus, vitamins belonging to group B contribute to the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems, as well as cell renewal. However, if the food is not saturated with vitamins, they are obtained from the outside from special supplements.
Vitamins were not discovered by random scientists. Because I tried to find a way to salvation. After all, many people suffered from dangerous diseases due to an unbalanced diet. Dr. J. Lind became famous for his experiments on people, but he created them in the hope of solving a problem. On the ship on which Lind was sailing, a severe epidemic of a dangerous disease arose — scurvy. Lind conducted a study — all sick sailors were divided into two groups and fed different foods, one group was given cider, another — vinegar, the third — citrus fruits. The sailors who ate the citrus fruits became the only survivors.
But another scientist, Nikolai Lunin, first thought about vitamins. It was he who appointed them as batteries. It is interesting to note that at that time the doctor”s hypothesis about vitamins was not taken completely seriously by the scientific community. Despite the fact that at that time vitamins did not yet have their own name, Lunin proved that they should be included in the human diet and included in it along with certain foods. Studies have been conducted on mice. The experiment was simple — the mice were given artificial and natural milk. Those who received the artificial substance died immediately. Therefore, Lunin concluded that natural milk, in addition to nutrients, also contains other elements beneficial to the body.
The benefits of vitamins for humans
What vitamins are good for the body? First of all, these are natural, not synthetic vitamins. Benefits include.
- Prevention of certain diseases;
- Reducing cholesterol levels;
- Prevention of skin diseases;
- Stabilization and improvement of the functioning of some organs.
Vitamins are consumed in a variety of forms, including foods, tablets, and dietary supplements. If the usual daily diet does not contain a large amount of natural products, in order to avoid a deficiency of vitamins important for humans, they should be additionally consumed in tablets.
There are also multivitamins, which are supplements that help improve the balance of vitamins in the body.
Each type of vitamin has a specific effect on the body.
Retinol — vitamin A — is very important for the skin and eyes. It promotes wound healing, eliminates some infections and improves hair condition.
- Thiamine, a B vitamin, prevents the development of serious heart disease and vitamin deficiencies. Promotes brain development and improves blood circulation. This vitamin is especially important for older people.
- Riboflavin — vitamin B2 — increases metabolic activity in the human body and prevents the development of cataracts.
- Vitamin D — treats diabetes, rickets and arthritis, restores blood pressure.
- Vitamin K is very important for preventing internal bleeding in the body. Helps reduce menstrual cramps. It improves the function of cells in the nervous system.
Thus, vitamins bring enormous benefits to the body — they prevent the occurrence of serious and life-threatening diseases and promote the restoration of certain types of cells. Although there are various pills and supplements available on the market, it is recommended that you get your essential vitamins from natural foods, as they are most beneficial in natural rather than synthetic forms.
Are vitamins harmful?
Before using dietary supplements, you need to know which vitamins are useful and which can cause serious harm to the body. Thus, natural vitamin A does not exist in tablet form, and pharmacists have learned to synthesize only another element — beta-carotene. This compound is very important for the eyes, but frequent and unintentional use can lead to very bad consequences — an increased likelihood of developing colon cancer. Smoking also increases the risk of developing heart disease.
Excessive intake of natural vitamin A can also cause side effects such as dizziness and nausea, so supplements of any kind should be used with extreme caution.
Even with vitamin C, not everything is as simple as it seems. People tend to call it “ascorbic acid” and swallow it like candy, but vitamin C contains many elements, an overdose of which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and even increases a person’s chances of premature death.
Vitamin D is formed in the human body under the influence of sunlight. Excess of this vitamin is very dangerous for children. This happens because it causes the skull to stop growing and the brain to increase in size, leading to very unpleasant consequences.
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What vitamins are needed
For normal functioning, the human body must receive a certain amount of vitamins from food every day. Vitamins A, B, C, K and D are essential for good health.
If a person eats only canned food without natural products, the body will feel it after a while. Even if you eat regularly, you will always feel hungry. In cold weather, you should always eat foods containing vitamin C — these are root vegetables: carrots, celery, beets — they can be found in any store.
If your diet is not balanced, you will inevitably lack vitamins. You can keep it to a minimum by adding natural foods and eliminating rice and flour, which are actually junk foods.
Why you need to know when to stop
For normal functioning, the human body must receive a certain amount of vitamins from food every day. Vitamins A, B, C, K and D are essential for good health.
If a person eats only canned food without natural products, the body will feel it after a while. Even if you eat regularly, you will always feel hungry. In cold weather, you should always eat foods containing vitamin C — these are root vegetables: carrots, celery, beets — they can be found in any store.
If your diet is not balanced, you will inevitably lack vitamins. You can keep it to a minimum by adding natural foods and eliminating rice and flour, which are actually junk foods.
Is an overabundance of vitamins dangerous?
Excess vitamins can be more dangerous than deficiencies. Due to the multitude of several elements, the functioning of the heart, lungs, brain and blood-forming organs is hampered.
The general health of a person is hampered by symptoms such as nausea, weakness, emptiness, headache and dizziness, vomiting and pale skin. All these signs indicate severe poisoning, which does not occur immediately, but gradually, with constant use of the vitamin in increasing doses.
Additional signs of poisoning include trembling throughout the body, chills, upset stomach, dehydration and swelling. If you detect at least one of these signs, especially when using vitamin preparations, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Vitamin poisoning does not happen overnight, but in most cases the body is exposed over a long period of time. Diagnosing such conditions is not easy. Excess vitamins are noticeable only during analysis. Smoking, which overuses vitamin C, can lead to the development of lung cancer.
Excess vitamin is a disease (hypervitaminosis) and requires serious treatment. Doctors select a special diet that eliminates the consumption of this substance for a certain period of time.
Zinc deficiency: symptoms ► what does zinc deficiency lead to in the human body?
Scientists” opinion about vitamins
Modern scientists regularly conduct research, uncovering new facts about minerals and dietary supplements. It has been proven that taking some supplemental vitamins and minerals can cause serious harm to the body. The study was conducted at the University of Birmingham Medical School.
Extensive work was done to collect all known data on each vitamin and mineral. According to the results of this study, people do not need additional supplements if they adhere to a balanced diet containing fruits, vegetables, legumes, and other foods.
At the same time, doctors do not recommend completely eliminating synthetic vitamins. They only recommend that doctors take them consciously. Therefore, the doctors who conducted the study note that “it is very important for pregnant women to take folic acid.” Doctors also recommend taking vitamin D if the body is deficient.
Iron supplements should be taken by women who lose large amounts of blood during menstruation due to its biological properties. Three in one: what are multivitamins?
Three in one: what are multivitamins
Multivitamins are combinations of common vitamins, selected to achieve a specific effect. The danger is that if chosen incorrectly, some vitamins may be deficient and others may be in excess.
Vitamin E itself is not harmful, but taking it as part of a multivitamin and simultaneously consuming foods containing natural vitamin E can lead to cancer development, as the daily dose is 18 times higher. Generally, if your diet is balanced, you don”t need to take a multivitamin. It is recommended to select several synthetic nutrients individually.
Vitamin deficiency
Lack of vitamins in the body
There are specific types of diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies: scurvy (C), night blindness (A), rickets (D), beriberi (B1), and pellagra (PP).
Only a doctor can decide on treatment for vitamin deficiency. Dietary supplements should be taken only in strictly recommended doses and not exceeded.
Sailors and Scurvy
Sailors and scurvy
Following James Lind”s example, James Cook set sail with a hold full of sauerkraut and miraculously returned from the voyage with his entire crew. Thus, in 1795, hidden diseases were discovered, and lemons, oranges, cabbage, and plant products became an essential part of the sailors” diet. Is it possible to live to 100 years old by taking vitamins?
Certainly, eating vitamin-rich foods properly can prevent serious illnesses and increase life expectancy. However, synthetic vitamin supplements alone are not enough to ensure life.
Is it possible to live to 100 years old by taking vitamins?
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Benefits and harms of vitamins, body, women
