Many people make New Year resolutions that concern their health and various life improvements. Some of them wish to lose weight, others want to stop smoking, while others want to refrain from drinking that much alcohol. All these are excellent health goals to set for a new year. Very few people, though, make the resolution to keep their essential vitamins intake to a level that would ensure a good physical health and mental sharpness. Read this guide from Ideal Health Consultants on what nutrients are important.
What Are The Most Important Nutrients?
Vitamin B and vitamin D are among the most important vital nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. These vitamins are good for your bones, hair, blood, brain, as well as for your whole immune system. As they enhance the body’s capacity to store energy, it’s very important that you ensure they are present in your body in healthy amounts. Unfortunately, many older people suffer from vitamin D and vitamin B deficiency. This makes them prone to developing osteoporosis and other age-related medical conditions.
Vitamin D is responsible for keeping your bones healthy, as well as for fighting depression and boosting your immune system to protect you against germs. A vitamin D deficiency may increase your risk to suffer from dementia. It’s worth mentioning here that half of adults in the UK suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
As we age, our bodies consume nutrients at a more rapid pace and have a harder time at retaining these nutrients. This is why it is mandatory that we choose more vitamin rich foods and we take supplements to ensure adequate vitamin levels.
You may ask where you can get these vitamins from. Let’s see.
Vitamin D
Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D you can possibly find. When you can’t get enough sunlight or in case of elderly adults, vitamin D can be taken from: trout, salmon or other fatty fish, cod liver oil, canned tuna, and egg yolk. You can also consider eating fortified cereals and fortified orange juice, and also taking supplements.
If you can, go to a tanning salon or use your own ultraviolet lamp. If you don’t exceed safe doses, you’ll reap some good health benefits.
B Vitamins
There are several types of vitamin B, all of them very important for your bodily functions and for your overall health. Vitamin B is the nutrient that helps us to release energy from food.
Even though all B vitamins are extremely important, B12 (cobalamin) is crucial, as it helps the normal functioning of your nervous system and brain. It also plays a major role in the formation of blood. People suffering from a deficiency in vitamin B12 may show dementia-like symptoms. If your body can’t absorb this vitamin from food any longer, you may need to have injections. B12 will help you maintain your mental health and improve your memory. It can also help dementia sufferers improve their cognitive skills.
B12 deficiency is more common at older age and in vegetarians (as this vitamin is usually found in animal protein, vegetarian and vegans need to take supplements to maintain the right levels). You can find vitamin B12 in shellfish, mackerel and beef liver.
Vitamin B1 (thiamin) – maintains the health of your muscles and nerves and it can be found in eggs, liver, peas, fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – maintains the health of your skin, eyes and nervous system and it can be found in rice and dairy products.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – maintains the nervous and digestive systems on good order and it can be found in dairy, fish, meat and wheat flour.
Panthothenic acid – helps releasing energy from our food intake. You can find it in most meats and vegetables.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – helps with energy storage in the body and with the formation of hemoglobin. You can find this vitamin in a wide range of foods such as milk, pork, fish, eggs, potatoes, peanuts.
Folic acid – together with B12, it plays an essential role in forming healthy red blood cells. It also prevents central nervous system defects. You can find it in broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, brown rice, and liver.
