Daily Essentials

After a certain age, we all ponder over questions like- ‘how to increase metabolism?’, ‘how to improve digestion?’, ‘what daily supplements should I take?’, and the like. Adulting is hard and the choices you make every day go a long way toward promoting your health. In order to lead healthy lives and survive, our body needs certain micronutrients from time to time. These micronutrients are essential vitamins and minerals that are recommended daily for adults to help the body grow and work the way it ought to. While most of these nutrients are received from the food we eat daily, people turn towards nutrition supplements to meet the recommended daily nutrition values if their diet falls short of providing them. So do nutrition supplements really help and does having them daily help one stay healthy? Let’s read along to find out.

Are vitamins/minerals required for our body on a daily basis?

Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that are essential to one’s overall health and wellbeing. Lack of sufficient vitamins and minerals can lead to deficiencies, which if left ignored for a prolonged period can severely impact the immune system leading to infections and auto-immune diseases as well. That’s why choosing foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals everyday is the best way for your body to get what it needs to be healthy, especially as you age. However, if you’re taking vitamin supplements or mineral supplements everyday, it would be advisable to approach your doctor before starting with the course as vitamin and mineral toxicity is real and can lead to further health complications if the nutrients are consumed in excess for a prolonged period of time. Taking daily supplements as per a recommended dosage that too within a stipulated time is the best way to go about your daily routine.

What is the difference between vitamins and minerals?

Vitamins and minerals are different types of micronutrients but are essentially different. Vitamins are organic substances that are classified as either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins are easily dissolvable in fat (like A,D, E, and K) and stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins are dissolvable in water before getting absorbed by the body- meaning they cannot be stored and get flushed out(vitamin B complex and C). On the other hand, minerals are inorganic elements that are present in soil and water that are absorbed by plants or consumed by animals. Common minerals are iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, sodium etc). Being organic, vitamins can be broken down by air, heat, or acid, while minerals can hold on to their chemical structure.

Can consuming vitamins make me healthy?

One takes vitamins as part of their daily nutrition supplements to ensure that they don’t suffer from any deficiencies as prolonged deficiencies can hinder normal life and one’s overall health and wellbeing. Ideally, it is preferred to get the vitamins that our bodies require from consuming a variety of healthy, unprocessed foods rather than going in for supplements. Having said that, consuming vitamin supplements is a must for those who don’t get adequate amounts of nutrients from their diet. Consuming these supplements after consultation with a doctor and as per the daily recommended dosage is a must. Excess consumption of any of the vitamins over a prolonged period can result in vitamin toxicity and unnecessary health complications. So to simply answer this question, vitamins can help plug in deficiencies that have the potential to lead to a weakened immune system and other infections and diseases.

Are daily essential vitamins harmful for the body?

By and large, daily essential vitamins are not harmful. They help to plug in deficiencies if any, speed up metabolism, improve digestion, enhance energy levels, better skin health, regulate blood sugar levels, among other things that help to improve one’s overall health and wellbeing. If the nutrition supplements in question are organic, plant-based, and USDA-certified, it is even better. In short, daily essential vitamins are the best nutrition you can give your body from time to time. However, care must be taken to ensure that the ones containing fat soluble vitamins are taken in moderation as per the dosage recommended by the doctor to avoid any potential toxicity, allergies and health complications.

Should I visit a doctor first before taking any vitamins or daily essentials?

An excess build up of fat soluble vitamins and minerals can potentially be quite harmful, leading to conditions like headaches, liver damage, kidney stones, weaker bones, and even birth defects in certain cases. That’s why it is advisable to visit your doctor and seek his approval before starting with any daily nutrition supplement. Even if the nutrition supplements you consume are organic and plant-based, it is still highly advisable you consume them as per the recommended dosage.

When should I stop or rather not take any vitamins?

Most people don’t require vitamin supplements as they can get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet. A wholesome diet filled with nutrients is ideally the best nutrition you can give your body. These people shouldn’t take any nutrition supplements. Also, it is important that one keeps a close watch on their body’s nutrient levels by doing timely blood tests. If there are any deficiencies, you can make daily essential vitamins or any other daily supplement a part of your daily routine as per the prescribed dosage suggested by your doctor. Once you are done with the course, get your levels checked once again. Should they be within a normal range, it is advisable to stop them or take a break at least till you need to resume them once again.

How can I improve my metabolism rate?

“How to increase metabolism?”, is a question one asks after a certain age as a slow metabolism is often a sign of ageing. There are several natural ways, backed by science, that can help one improve their metabolism rate. High metabolism is a person’s ability to burn more calories at rest and during activity. It also means that one needs to take in more calories to maintain a healthy body weight. This is perhaps one of the reasons why some people can eat more than others without putting on too much weight. However, if one has a slow metabolism rate, they may need to try out different things such as consuming more proteins, reducing carbohydrates, drinking more cold water, doing high intensity exercises, getting a good night’s sleep, managing stress and the like are just some of the natural ways of giving your metabolism a boost. However, sometimes if these natural remedies don’t help, you may want to rely on organic nutrition metabolism drinks or some daily supplements to help give it an additional boost.

I get tired very easily. Which vitamins or medications should I be taking?

There are a lot of different ways that you can boost your energy. First and foremost, you need to get a good night's sleep as the better sleep you get, the more active, fresh and productive you will feel the following day. Energy tablets and energy supplements can also help boost your energy quickly. However, if you are looking for vitamins that can help replenish your energy levels and drive stress and fatigue away, they are vitamin B12, B5 and B6.

Vitamin B12 helps convert the food you consume into energy that even your cells can use. That along with vitamin B5 and B6 work to help your body maintain its energy levels, especially your cognitive function and alertness, thereby bolstering your productivity and mood. So if you’re looking for boosting your energy levels that won’t empty your bank account or encumber your body with unnecessary chemicals, give vitamins for energy like vitamin B12, B5 and B6.

Moreover, how to improve your energy levels is also closely linked to finding how to improve digestion. Sometimes, if your digestion is not working to its optimum level, you will see nutrient absorption not happening the way it should, which would eventually lead to low energy levels and a lacklustre performance. So including probiotics and prebiotics as part of your daily nutrition supplements, will not only help in improving your digestion, but also also give your energy levels the much-needed boost.

Can vitamins help give you glowing skin and boost weight loss as well?

Yes, taking supplements rich in vitamin D, along with vitamins C, E, and K along with zinc and selenium have shown to benefit the skin by slowing down the ageing process and making it more radiant, glowing, and youthful. Additionally, there’s evidence, which suggests that daily supplements that benefit gut health, also benefit the skin. Moreover, organic nutrition and whole foods that are rich sources of antioxidants also have tremendous potential to benefit skin health.

When it comes to weight loss, there are many people who use detox products or detox supplements to not only fight free radical activity in the body and reduce inflammation but also shed those extra kilos. Also, there’s no magic solution to fast and easy weight loss, but you will find plenty of products in the market that will help you get rid of excess body fat. Supplements usually don’t burn any excess calories but they utilise other organic and plant-based extracts to keep you satiated for long, suppress your appetite, and curb your sugar cravings

Once you ponder over how to improve digestion, you’ll also know that the supplements that help in improving your gut health, will help improve your metabolism and eventually aid you in losing weight. However, finding a product that works for you, entirely depends on you and the type of weight loss goal you want to achieve. Do you want to shed a few pounds or achieve long-term health benefits by combatting weight gain and obesity slowly but steadily. The best solution would be taking vitamin supplements and mineral supplements with regular exercise and a healthy diet. All of these will work in unison to give you better results in your attempts to lose weight and lead a healthier and happier life.