Metabolism & Multivitamins

Metabolism & Multivitamins
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Your cells require energy to perform the thousands of chemical reactions and functions that take place in your body. The process of converting and using energy is referred to as your metabolism. Multivitamins are healthy additions to your diet because they provide you with the essential vitamins and minerals that support your body's metabolism.

Function of Multivitamins

Your food choices play a key role in how well your body creates and uses energy. When you eat, you supply your body with the nutrients it uses to contract muscles, circulate blood, eliminate waste, control body temperature, digest food and keep your nervous system functioning. Your diet should include a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, seeds and some dairy products. If you do not eat a balanced diet, you may need to take a daily multivitamin to ensure your body receives the essential vitamins and minerals that it needs to support a healthy metabolism.

Vitamins to Include

Thirteen vitamins are essential to your health. Of these, the ones important for metabolism are vitamins B-6, B-12, biotin, pantothenic acid and thiamine. These vitamins are essential in the function of certain enzymes, and they help your body convert food to energy. If you are thinking of adding a multivitamin to your diet to improve your metabolism, it should contain these vitamins. It should also contain the remaining essential vitamins: A, C, D, E, K, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid.

Choosing a Multivitamin

The Harvard School of Public Health states that a daily multivitamin is a good addition to a healthy eating plan. It cautions to choose one that does not contain megadoses. Instead, choose a multivitamin that meets the recommended dietary allowance of each of the essential vitamins.

Considerations

If you do not supply your body with the proper vitamins and raw materials, you can develop deficiency symptoms such as lack of energy, poor immune function, pain, muscle weakness and overall poor health. If you are on medications, talk with your doctor about any side effects that may occur if you add a multivitamin. Some vitamins can interfere with how certain medications work.

References

Article reviewed by S.C. Ville Last updated on: Jun 21, 2011

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