Every day more than half of the adults in American pop some kind of vitamin pill and maybe you’re one of them. But have you ever stopped to consider and think what that vitamin is actually doing for you? The truth is that we need vitamins to be healthy, our bodies can’t function without them. But that doesn’t mean they’re harmless. There are times when vitamin pills can be dangerous or even unhelpful.
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6 Common Myths About Vitamins
1. Vitamin C helps you avoid catching a cold
A daily intake of vitamin C can alleviate the symptoms and speed up recovery. However, it will not improve your resistance to catching a cold. You will be as vulnerable to the disease as those who do not take this vitamin.
Vitamin C is packed with strong antioxidant which helps to strengthen your body’s natural defenses. When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which provokes many chronic diseases. Research shows that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defenses fight inflammation.
Sufficient intake of vitamin C provides healthy teeth and gums. People with vitamin C deficiency often experience gum inflammation and brittleness of teeth. Top-rated dental implant specialist recommends eating foods that contain vitamin C in order to prevent gum disease and tooth loss.
2. The bigger, the better
The obligatory course of vitamins in the fall and spring “just in case” is not such a harmless habit. There are enough vitamins in the diet of a modern person despite the fact that advertising and programs about health say otherwise. Real avitaminosis today is not a common occurrence.
An overdose of vitamins happens – it concerns fat-soluble vitamins A, E, K and D. They can accumulate in the body and lead to health problems. For pregnant vitamins are also not always needed. Consuming multivitamins “in reserve” can lead to the rapid development of the fetus. It is better to decide with your doctor if you should take vitamins or not.
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3. Vitamin D is beneficial for bones and the nervous system
The benefits of vitamin D are greatly exaggerated, according to new research. Scientists from South Australia have found that this element does not help protect the brain from dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Another study, conducted by the best dentists in NY on more than 500 thousand people of different ages, found no connection between vitamin D intake and strengthening of bones and teeth.
According to scientists, theories about the particular benefits of vitamin D appeared in the 80s of the last century because of research that was probably wrong. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, therefore it is dangerous for the body in large doses, especially if there are already calcium-rich foods in the diet.
4. If the hair is split and the nails are broken – this is a lack of vitamins
Not necessarily. Maybe even the opposite – an excess of vitamins E, A and selenium leads to hair loss. Hair can fall out due to a lack of fatty acids, zinc, protein, and iron in the diet. In addition, it is a common symptom of endocrine and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, before grabbing vitamins, it is better to find out the cause of brittle nails and hair.
5. Food vitamins are healthier than vitamins from a bottle
If everything is in order with the ration and there are no special indications for supplementation of vitamins – they should be obtained from food. But if you compare the formula of natural and synthesized vitamins – they are equally useful for the body. You can be wrong with any way of vitamin intake.
The benefits of natural vitamins are easy to eliminate with improper cooking. Some vegetables and fruits are best eaten fresh, others are recommended to be thermally processed because only when heated the necessary vitamins are formed.
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6. After winter, all people suffer for avitaminosis
This is perhaps the most popular myth about vitamins. It has a real basis – earlier the amount of food in the human diet in winter was significantly less than in summer. A modern person has the opportunity to eat vegetables and fruits all year round. There is no need to drink vitamins in the fall to prepare for winter and in the spring to recover from the cold season.
Many vitamins are not synthesized and do not accumulate in the body, they must be regularly ingested, and they cannot be stored up. Avitaminosis exists, but it can be earned only with serious nutritional disorders. Such a diagnosis is still common in backward countries, refugee camps, or among people who torture themselves with hard diets. Diagnose a lack of vitamins in the body can only a doctor after looking at your tests.