By Mario SK Churchill


When you're young and healthy, you probably don't need a lot of vitamin supplements to ensure you get the complete nutrition required to keep your body healthy. But as you get older and your body changes, so will your needs. If you don’t meet the required vitamin dose you need, your body will use up its store and you'll end up experiencing the symptoms of a vitamin deficiency.

Vitamin deficiency can cause a lot of trouble so why wait until it happens to you? They can range from mild to annoying and can easily turn serious if uncorrected in time. If you want to know what vitamin supplement is best for you, find out what deficiencies you want to avoid and which you want to correct.

What's your deficiency?

If your body is not working as well as it did before, there's a big chance you have some form of vitamin deficiency. Here is a list of vitamins and the deficiencies they prevent or help correct:

Vitamin A

Problems with the eyes and eyesight such as macular degeneration, dry and hard eyeballs, retinal detachment, conjunctivitis and color-blindness. Vitamin A is also good for treating acne, jaundice, skin infections like cold sores, impetigo and boils, warts, skin cancer and scleroderma.

Vitamin C

Cataracts, dim vision, glaucoma and myopia. Vitamin C is also effective against acne, Addison's disease, stress, dry skin, bed sores, jaundice, gangrene, skin itching, prickly heat, rashes, hematoma, wrinkles and shingles.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is indicated for people who are at risk of bone diseases and degeneration such as osteoporosis. Vitamin D is usually found in sunlight and a deficiency may occur due to limited exposure. This vitamin is usually taken with Vitamin C for maximum absorption.

Vitamin E

A very effective antioxidant like Vitamin A, Vitamin E is also used to treat and prevent blisters, bed sores, hot flushes, scar tissue, stretch marks, wrinkles and aging skin.

Vitamin B group

This group of vitamins is sometimes referred to as Vitamin B-complex, composed of 8 B vitamins including B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6, B12, biotin, folic acid and pantothenic acid. The vitamins in the B group, whether alone or in combination are effective against wounds, cataracts, glaucoma, retinitis, night blindness, photophobia, Addison's disease, skin ulcers, eczema, dermatitis, seborrhea, pale skin, rosacea, dandruff, graying hair and other problems with the skin and nails.
Certain vitamin groups, such as antioxidants like A, E, D and K, are important for preventing free radicals from affecting body cells. Antioxidants effectively maintain the health of cells to prevent damage.

These antioxidants are also fat-soluble vitamins. They are absorbed by the body along with fat sourced from other foods. The vitamin-rich fat is then broken down by the bile and used by the body. If you take too much, the excess vitamins are stored in your liver and kidneys.

Water-soluble vitamins like Vitamins C and B, on the other hand, are easily absorbed. If you take more than your body needs, these vitamins are simply excreted through urine.

The danger of too much of a good thing

You don’t have to worry about overdosing on water-soluble vitamins because your body knows how to take care of them. It is the fat-soluble type that you should be careful with. Vitamins A, E and D are toxic in high doses for long periods while too much Vitamin K can increase the risk of hemorrhage. If you must use a vitamin supplement, the best thing for you to do is to keep within the recommended daily allowance.

By Ian Wallace


Almost from birth we begin adding vitamins to our diet. Why? If we eat well, do we not get every conceivable vitamin our bodies might need? Therein lies the kicker. First, vitamins are biochemicals or organic compounds, such as vitamins A through E; these substances are needed in very small amounts. However, an organic compound is a vitamin if, and only if, our bodies cannot make it. Rather, we must either get those compounds from the foods we eat, or buy them as vitamin supplements.

Different kinds of animals can make different kinds of organic compounds. Therefore, a vitamin for us might not be a vitamin for our pet dog or cat because they can make that substance and we cannot.

If we need that substance to carry out normal metabolism, but cannot make it ourselves, then where do we get it? Under natural conditions we would get it from one or another of the many foods we eat, but today most likely we would buy it from our local pharmacy or grocery, even when some of the vitamins we need are in our diet. In either case, that substance is a vitamin, but if we buy it in the form of a pill, it becomes a food supplement or dietary supplement. That is how most of us get those essential organic compounds we cannot make ourselves; that is how we get our vitamins.

The Common Vitamins: The most common vitamins provided by diet supplements are: Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12, Biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, and Vitamin K. There are others, but these are the thirteen that you will find in a bottle of multivitamins.

The Roles of Vitamins in Our Bodies: Vitamins serve different functions in our bodies. For example, Vitamin D is a hormone that plays an important role in bone formation and growth. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that slows down the aging process in cells. Biotin plays a role in making fatty acids, which are key components of every cell in our bodies. Vitamin A regulates chemical signals that pass from one cell to another when new tissues are growing and forming organ systems.

Vitamins in the Vitamin B Complex are all precursors for molecules called enzyme cofactors. That is, most enzymes are proteins, but in order to do their various jobs they need additional molecular parts; these are called cofactors.

Natural Sources of Vitamins: Vitamin A comes in two different forms called retinoids (found in our retinas) and carotenoids (powerful antioxidants), but is destroyed by exposure to sunlight. The most important source of retinoids is liver from a variety of animals including beef, pork, chickens, and fish. Kale, spinach, and collard greens are also good sources of retinoids.

The best sources of carotenoids are the yellow, orange, and red vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, peppers, squash, melons, apricots, mangos, and papayas, but shellfish are also a source of cartenoids.

Good sources of foods rich in Thiamin (Vitamin B1) include: yeast, oatmeal, flax, brown rice, whole grain wheat and rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, pork, liver, and eggs. Thiamin is essential to having a healthy brain.

The following foods are rich in Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) which plays a key role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins and the transfer of energy: milk, cheese, leafy green vegetables, liver, kidneys, legumes (especially soybeans), and almonds.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) is found in high concentrations in whole-grained cereals, legumes, eggs, and meat. This compound is essential to the metabolism and synthesis (manufacture) of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which are themselves basic building blocks of human bodies.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is found in meat and meat products, whole grain foods, vegetables, and nuts. However, vitamin B6 is easily destroyed by drying, and in the processing of food. Therefore, it should be obtained either as a vitamin supplement or as fresh food. This compound plays a key role in amino acid metabolism and in the release of sugars (glucose) for conversion to energy (we burn glucose to power our bodies).

Excellent sources of Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid or Folate) include a variety of leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, as well as dried beans and peas. Liver, liver products, and baker's yeast also contain high concentrations of folate. Among other critical body functions, Folic Acid is essential to the formation of healthy red blood cells.

The ultimate source of Vitamin B12, which is essential for normal brain function, is from bacteria that live in the hind and mid-guts of animals that are ruminants. We also get Vitamin B12 indirectly from liver, milk, and eggs. The most reliable secondary source is from vitamin supplements.

Biotin is found at low levels in a variety of foods including almonds, eggs, onions, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, goat's milk, cow's milk, raspberries, strawberries, halibut, oats, and walnuts, but the most reliable sources are Swiss chard, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and carrots. Biotin plays a key role in making cell walls.

Many different citrus fruits are good sources of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), but the best are a few exotic plants. The highest concentration of ascorbate per gram of plant tissue is found in the Kakadu plum of Australia. It is 100 times that found in a lime or grapefruit. The fruit of American roses (rose hips) is in third place at 20 milligrams/gram of plant tissue. From there the concentration plummets in other commonly used fruits to around 1 mg ascorbate/1 gram of plant tissue. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant, but a deficiency of Vitamin C causes scurvy in humans.

Other than the Vitamin D we produce ourselves when our skin is exposed to sunlight, the next best natural sources are fish oils from cod liver, salmon, sardines, and tuna. Vitamin D is essential to the formation of strong bones.

Vitamin E is a generic name for eight related organic compounds called tocopherols, which are all powerful antioxidants. The best sources are spinach, wheat germ, milk, asparagus, and the oils of avocados, almonds, and hazelnuts.

Vitamin K is naturally produced by bacteria (Escherichia coli) that live in our large intestines. These are "good" E. coli, and their Vitamin K production is absorbed by our bodies. There are other food sources that can supplement this natural production, however. These include: spinach, Swiss chard, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, avocados and kiwifruit. Vitamin K plays a key role during the clotting of blood following a wound to the skin.

In summary, vitamins are essential for a healthy and fit body, and most of them can be obtained from the diversity of foods that are normally in our diets. We do not produce them ourselves, and if we do not get them from the foods we eats, then our diets should be supplemented by nutritional products that are readily available in today's marketplace.

By Sandra Wilkins


The use of prescription drugs is often overlooked as a major factor that contributes to nutritional deficiencies. Typically, the focus is placed on diet and perhaps some lifestyle issues, but many are unaware that the medications they use are possibly creating additional health problems that may not become apparent for a long time. Drug-induced nutrient depletion is a health threat that is not acknowledged by the majority of health care practitioners and it's not because of a lack of information about the subject, because many studies have been published that document the drug-induced depletion of nutrients.

Nutritional deficiencies do not become obvious quickly. A marginal nutrient deficiency, referred to as a "subclinical deficiency," indicates a deficiency of a particular vitamin or mineral that is not severe enough to produce a classic deficiency sign or symptom. In many instances the only clue of a subclinical nutrient deficiency may be fatigue, lethargy, difficulty in concentration, a lack of well-being, or other vague symptoms.
Deficiency-related health problems may never be diagnosed, and the patient may end up taking additional medications for complaints that are really the body's signal for nutrition therapy.

Drugs can deplete nutrients by decreasing their absorption, or by hindering the way nutrients are transformed by the body. They can also affect the storage of nutrients or the way the body excretes the end products of the metabolism of nutrients.

The key to preventing this kind of deficiency is to know what vitamin or mineral can be affected by the drug prescribed to the patient.

If the drug will be used for a lengthy period of time the patient should simply increase intakes of the specified nutrient for the duration of the use of the drug. This simple step will help prevent deficiency-related health problems and help improve the chances of achieving the desired health outcomes for patients.

Some examples of nutrient depletion are as follows:

Antacids deplete calcium and phosphorus

Antibiotics deplete B vitamins (all of them), intestinal flora and Vitamin K

Antidiabetics deplete Coenzyme Q10

Anti-inflammatories deplete Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and iron

Cholesterol-lowering drugs deplete Coenzyme Q10

Cardiovascular drugs deplete calcium, folic acid and zinc

Ace Inhibitors deplete zinc

Beta-Blockers deplete Coenzyme Q10 and melatonin

Sandra Wilkins, D.T. has extensive experience in natural health and clinical nutrition. As a Dietetic Technician Sandra works with hospital staff dietitians, performing patient nutrition assessments,food and drug interaction education, and patient diet education. In a different capacity she writes guide books on nutrition and wellness. Her background includes 14 years experience in natural health practices, so her combined natural health and clinical nutritional experience makes her uniquely qualified to help clients to tackle health issues. http://www.easystepsfordiabeteshealth.com