Alternative Medicine - Vitamins and how they can keep you healthy.

Normally we get out vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. However, in today's fast pace world, we don't always get the time to eat properly and are under more stress than normal, this can lead to lower than normal levels of vitamins in the body and cause a variety of problems. For an in-depth look at vitamins or minerals, you can read more at Wikipedia.org.

What I will cover here are the basics on why our body needs vitamins to keep us going on a daily basis. Our body is like a machine, and as you know it needs a fairly constant source of energy, that energy comes from the foods we eat, but more than that, it comes from the vitamins and minerals stored in those foods. As our body breaks down the food we eat it stores the vitamins and minerals and uses them as needed. In some cases our body can not store certain vitamins and they pass through the system if not used right away, this is why they need to be replenished on a daily basis.

So, which vitamins are the most important and why? Well, most of us heard of the stories of the sailors way back when who got scurvy all the time because of a lack of vitamin C right? Well, this was because they were deficient in the critical vitamin that helps the body produce collagen properly and as a result, many died. Of course at the time, they did not realize what was going on and thought it the disease was caused by poor hygiene or other outside influences, little did they know it was just a lack of vitamin C. Even after Scottish surgeon James Lind found that lemons and limes could prevent the disease most did not believe him and ships continued to have outbreaks of scurvy on their voyages.

So today, of course, we do not have outbreaks of scurvy, but many people still have other vitamin deficiencies and related health problems and don't know they could be cured by just getting more vitamins in their diet. In many cases, because humans are creatures of habit, we eat the same foods all the time, going to the same place for lunch, eating the same thing all the time, this can lead to a lack of certain vitamins and minerals if your diet is not well rounded, this is where vitamin supplements can help "supplement" your diet.

While no one can really diagnose you over the internet, below are some basic information on what vitamin deficiencies lead to what ailments and as always, if you feel you have a serious medical issue, please consult with your doctor.

A mild Vitamin B1 deficiency can lead to loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, and in more serious deficiencies can cause muscle weakness and even an enlarged heart. So, if your feeling down, take some B1 or eat more pork, beef, ham, beans, most breads, oranges, and cereals which all contain B1 naturally.

A Vitamin B2 deficiency can lead to sleeplessness, poor digestion, hair loss, dizziness, and sores or cracks to the corners of the mouth and tongue. Vitamin B2 is in many foods though including fish, broccoli, cereals, spinach, yogurt, and most all milk and cheese products.

A mild Vitamin B3 deficiency can lead to dizziness, canker sores, decreased appetite, sleeplessness, indigestion, fatigue, and diarrhea. Vitamin B3 though can also be harmful in large doses, so make you do not take too much at any one time. Vitamin B3 is contained in many foods, including eggs, tuna, chicken breast, potatoes, beef liver, carrots, fish, pork, tomatoes as well as most all milk and cheese products. Making sure you eat enough of these foods can help balance your vitamin B3 as well as many other vitamins.

A Vitamin B5 deficiency can lead to headaches, fatigue, tingling in the hands and stomach cramps and pain. To get more B5 in your diet, consider these foods: fish, whole rye, most fresh vegetables, liver, pork, as well as whole grains and whole wheat flour products. To much B5 can lead to diarrhea, so keep your supplements within the normal range of between 10 to 800 mg.

A Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to cracks on the mouth, headaches, and dry skin. Some foods that have B6 are eggs, brown rice, oats, bananas, chicken, beef, carrots, and sunflower seeds, so if you add those to your diet, you can get your daily B6 needs met.

Vitamin B9 is better known as Folic Acid and a Folic Acid deficiency can lead to irritability, weakness, and sleeplessness. Many foods, including brown rice, spinach, lamb, liver, beef, bran, pork, tuna, pinto beans, fortified cereals, dates, chicken, green leafy vegetables, milk, oranges, wholes grains, mushrooms, and cheese contain Folic Acid and can help your daily intake of B9.

A Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to headaches, lack of energy, chronic fatigue, dizziness, mood swings, digestive problems, and even depression. Several foods, including tuna, ham, king crab, lean beef, liver, and blue cheese all contain B12.

Biotin is a B vitamin and a Biotin deficiency can lead to dry or scaly skin, depression, vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite. Getting more Biotin in your diet is easy, foods that contain Biotin include eggs, tuna, spinach, chicken breast, liver, and cheese.

By now your probably saying to yourself, WOW, there is a lot of B vitamins! Lucky for us there is also a B-Complex vitamin which comprises all the above B vitamins and can help keep your daily levels within a healthy range without eating spinach or liver. You can buy a great B-Complex from Solgar and another one from Natrol they both have a great balance of all the above B-Vitamins.

Moving on to other vitamins, like Vitamin A, C, D, E and K and why you need them in your daily diet.

Vitamin A, is made in our body from beta-carotene, which is found in carrots, eggs, tuna, cantaloupe, mangos and spinach (again with the spinach, no wonder Popeye ate so much!). Vitamin A is mainly responsible for good vision, as most of us know, but did you know it also helps your hearing, taste, and sense of smell as well? Vitamin A also can benefit the skin, so don't forget this important vitamin in your diet. be aware though, too much Vitamin A can cause vomiting, nausea, dry skin, joint pain, headaches, insomnia, and even constipation, so keep your daily does within the normal range of between 10,000 and 50,000 IU if you are taking a Vitamin A Supplement.

A Vitamin C deficiency, while rare these days can still lead to nose bleeds, slow wound healing, bleeding gums, being bruised easily, some joint pain, and an overall lack of energy. Getting more Vitamin C in your diet is easy, just add some oranges, pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, avocados, lemons, mangos, onions, or pineapple to your diet and your set!

Vitamin D is one of those vitamins our body can make with even limited exposure to the sun. This is a good thing, but sometimes we still need a little more vitamin D in our diet. The reason vitamin D is important is because vitamin D is a critical component in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus that make up our bones and teeth. Some foods that contain Vitamin D, include eggs, Vitamin D Milk, liver, and tuna.

Vitamin E is required for cellular respiration, and protects red blood cells with it's antioxidants effect by protecting the cells against the effects of free radicals which can damage them.  Some foods that contain vitamin E are sunflower seeds, vegetable oil, nut oils, whole grains, soybeans, wheat germ, almonds, as well as peanut butter.

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and other blood functions. Vitamin K is found in several foods, mostly green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli, lettuce, liver, and even bacon and cheese.

Now, with all that said, you might be asking yourself, how can I be sure to get all the vitamins I need without eating so much food!? Well, lucky for us there are some very good multi-vitamins on the market today that can help keep your body balanced with the right amount of vitamins on a daily basis.

Here are a few examples of some multi-vitamins I recommend:

Living Multi Optimal Formula by Garden of Life
My Favorite Multiple with Ester-C by Natrol
Animal Pak from Universal
Alive! Multi-Vitamin With Iron by Nature's Way

For Kids: Dolphin Pals Liquid MultiVitamin by Country Life

For any other alternative medicine products visit NetNutri.com and save up to 60% off retail on many products! This is a great website I found and they have great prices and ship FAST!