Vitamins, Health Products & Nutrition

Vitamins are organic substances in food that you need in small quantities for health and disease prevention. You can also obtain vitamins from supplements and health products. The USDA emphasizes that you should fulfill your vitamin needs primarily through food, while fortified foods and supplements can be beneficial in situations where you may need one or two vitamins that are deficient in your diet. Consult your doctor about vitamins and nutrition.

Vitamins

Your body utilizes two types of vitamins. Vitamins, A, D, E and K are fat soluble vitamins that your body can store in cells and tissues to use for future needs. The B vitamins and vitamin C are water soluble vitamins that your body needs to replenish each day. Vitamins A, C and E are antioxidants which protect your cells from free radicals, chemicals which can accelerate aging and cause cancer. Antioxidants may also stimulate your immune system to help protect you from infections. Vitamin D plays a vital role in bone formation. Vitamin K helps you stop bleeding. The B vitamins assist numerous enzymes in chemical reactions.

Health Products

Many types of health products contain vitamins. These include dietary supplements, specialty food products, such as sports nutrition products, functional foods and medical foods. Vitamin supplements are available in tablets, capsules, liquid and powders in both single vitamin and multivitamin formulations. Sports nutrition products include powders, drinks and bars that include high concentrations of certain nutrients, including vitamins. Functional foods provide basic nutrition plus health benefits from substances in the foods, such as tomatoes, lycopene and cancer prevention, fruits and vegetables, phytochemicals and cancer prevention and fish, omega-3 fatty acids and heart disease prevention. Medical foods are products formulated for the dietary management of a specific disease or condition.

Nutrition

Quality nutrition comes from eating nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, fish and low-fat dairy, according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines. These foods are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. A diet emphasizing nutrient-dense foods can reduce your risk of chronic diseases and conditions, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.

Considerations

Your best source of vitamins is from fresh, whole foods. Processed foods may contain substances that are unhealthy, such as excess sodium, refined grains and preservatives. Vitamins in supplements may decompose over time. Always read the ingredients on the labels of food and health products before making any purchase decisions.