Weight loss is the goal for millions of adults in the United States. Every day, you get bombarded with information about the latest and greatest gimmick that will help you find the answer to losing weight. The concept is easy: Take in fewer calories than your body needs and you lose weight. Getting the essential vitamins and minerals that you need through your diet is difficult, so supplementing with the right ones can help you in your diet process.
Food is Not What it Used to Be
The nutritional value in your food has diminished over the last 50 years so that it is now hard to obtain the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs. In 2004, Dr. Donald Davis and his colleagues at the University of Texas analyzed the nutritional value of 43 fruits and vegetables using USDA data for the period 1950 to 1999. The researchers found that the nutritional value in six of the 13 nutrients had diminished over the last 50 years.
Begin with a Good Daily Multivitamin
As a good source for primary health, the American Medical Association advises adults to take a good multivitamin daily. A 2002 article in "The Journal of the American Medical Association" states that "Suboptimal levels of a vitamin can be defined as those associated with abnormalities of metabolism that can be corrected by supplementation with that vitamin." Good multivitamin supplements are readily available in your supermarket, health food store or local pharmacy.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B complex is made up of eight water-soluble vitamins including thiamine, or B-1; riboflavin, or B-2; niacin, or B-3; pantothenic acid, or B-5; pyridoxine, or B-6; cyanocobalamin, or B-12; and folic acid, biotin. According to Dr. George Obikoya in his article "Vitamin B: The Energy Vitamin," people on a weight loss program are even more vulnerable to having vitamin B deficiency. According to James B. LaValle, R.Ph., C.C.N., stress can be a serious obstacle to weight loss and that "The B vitamins can be deficient in the food supply, so a multivitamin and B-complex supplement is recommended for most people."
Vitamin C
According to a study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," people with adequate levels of vitamin C utilize 30 percent more fat for fuel during exercise compared to those with low levels of vitamin C, and that those with depleted vitamin C levels have a harder time losing fat mass. Making sure that you have adequate levels of vitamin C can enhance your efforts at losing weight when you exercise.
Vitamin D
According a study by Shalamar Sibley, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota and his colleagues, 38 participants engaged in an 11 week weight loss program and those with higher vitamin D levels lost more weight than those with lower levels of vitamin D. "Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss," said Sibley.
Check with Your Doctor
Check with your physician or health-care provider before undertaking any serious diet or exercise program. Also, ask what vitamins and mineral supplements and the correct dosages are right for you to help to boost your weight loss program.
References
- San Francisco Chronicle:Organic fruits and vegetables work harder for their nutrients
- Journal of the American Medical Association:Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults
- The Vitamins & Nutrition Center:Vitamin B: The Energy Vitamin
- Nutrition Science News:Stress: The Hidden Factor For Weight Gain
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Strategies for Healthy Weight Loss: From Vitamin C to the Glycemic Response
- Pro Health Library:Vitamin D Levels Predict Weight Loss Diet Success - U of Minnesota
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