Friday, June 13, 2014

7 Scientifically Backed Reasons You Should Take a Multivitamin

Consider these seven reasons to start taking a multivitamin today.

1. Slow Aging

That’s right, you can actually live longer by regularly taking multivitamins, according to studies. Because multivitamins reduce the shortening of DNA when cells replicate people can expect to live longer, healthier lives. Multivitamins may also help to prevent chronic diseases, too, by preventing oxidative damage to cells and curbing inflammation.

2. Ward Off Cancer

In addition to boosting your body’s energy levels and immunity, multivitamins may be particularly useful in the quest to ward off the “Big C.” According to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, taking a daily multivitamin may be a powerful method to reduce your cancer risk. One study even concluded that a diet enhanced with multivitamin supplementation stands to reduce the risk of colon cancer by up to 84 percent. Although, it should be noted that the form of a vitamin plays an important role. For example, studies on synthetic vitamin E would leave one to believe that this critical vitamin confers few health benefits, while a study on vitamin E in its natural form found the nutrient may help prevent cancer development.

3. Keep Bones Strong

Nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and magnesium all work in concert to support bone health, and it’s best when they’re taken together.

4. Reduce Heart Attack Risk

You may remember the reports last year indicating that mulitvitamins didn’t improve heart health, but looking deeper into the study that provided the sensational headlines exposed a poorly designed study that used low-quality synthetic vitamins.

While supplements such as omega-3 fish oil and CoQ10 will always rank higher on the heart-healthy spectrum, nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin E, B-vitamins, chromium and magnesium have proved to be critical to heart health, while antioxidants have been shown to shield your heart from inflammation.

5. Lift Mood and Reduce Anxiety

It’s been well established that vitamin D plays a role in healthy and happy mood, but did you know that other nutrients play a critical role as well? Stress, anxiety, and other mental disorders may be reduced with regular multivitamin use, according to a study that found B-vitamins help alleviate stress induced by unpleasant situations. Another study found that general multivitamin use lifted symptoms of depression such as lack of sleep, fatigue and feelings of worthlessness.

Reducing these conditions can have a twofold effect, as not only do people benefit from a better, healthier mental disposition, but they may also experience both short- and long-term physical health benefits. Thus, this benefit of multivitamins not only leads to a longer life, but a happier, richer life.

6. Improve Skin, Hair and Nails

Not only do multivitamins have the ability to improve and strengthen your body’s biological processes in a variety of ways, the nutrients obtained through multivitamins provide your body with the building blocks it needs to keep you healthy from the inside out. In particular, B-vitamins such as biotin promote healthier hair, while nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E work wonders for your skin.

7. Boost Your Immune System

The extra nutrients in multivitamins may be just what your body needs to fight off an illness. In particular, vitamins A, C and D have all been linked with stronger immunity, while the mineral zinc has been shown to help fight against infections. Multivitamins may be just the extra boost your immune system needs to ward off disease and keep you healthy.

While everyone should strive to make healthy, natural dietary choices, and multivitamins are not a substitute for doing so, they remain a good way to at least ensure that you are getting some much-needed nutrients.

    No comments:

    Post a Comment