Do I Need to Take Vitamins?
Updated: Sep 19, 2023
I have yet to meet a personal trainer that does not receive commission for selling supplements. I can increase my revenue by at least $1000 to $2000 dollars a month by recommending or pushing supplements on my clients. For example, protein, vitamins, workout aids and so on. The reason why I did not join the trend is because I care about our members’ health. Money is not the key but the value that I provide to them is.
Vitamins are not the answer...
Vitamins have become part of some people’s lives, while many other people don’t use them and are still meeting their daily requirements. Sometimes people ask me whether it’s advisable to take vitamins. Some doctors, nurses and nutritionists recommend vitamins or supplements. While is true that many people don’t meet their daily vitamin requirement, supplements are not always the answer. I am not a doctor and I am not pretending to be, but what I can share with you is what I have discovered through my own experiences.
As an example, people who drink more than the recommended levels and people who use drugs (recreational or prescribe) may have a vitamin deficiency. The solution in most cases is the change of lifestyle and eating habits.
Do I need to take vitamins...
However, proper and balanced levels of essential nutrients are important for a range of complex processes in our body. When vitamins are taken as supplements, they are introduced into the body at levels that could never be achieved by eating the healthiest diet. This statement does not mean that the more the person takes vitamin, the healthier the person will be.
If the person opts for taking vitamins, it may run into a second problem such as, diarrhea, kidney stones, dangerously levels of iron, calcification, liver intoxication, hair loss, nerve damage and improper absorption of minerals.
And though some people worry that they won’t meet their daily vitamin recommendations via diet, the truth is that all the vitamins we need--including folic acid and omega 3--are in food, mostly in common vegetables. For instance, folic acid or vitamin B9 are in asparagus, broccoli, and citrus fruits. One plate of romaine lettuce, turnip greens, or kale a day provides an individual with the daily recommended intake of folic acid. Flaxseeds, walnuts, beef, Brussel sprouts and cauliflower are foods that contain omega 3.
Nevertheless, these are not the only foods that are rich in folic acid and omega 3. Other foods are also reach in folic acid and omega 3 are lentils, beans, avocado, almonds, celery, carrots, squash, papaya, strawberries, raspberries and corn. With all these possibilities, I doubt that people will lack folic acid or omega 3 if they eat properly.
Keep in mind that vitamins are not drugs or miracle cures pills...
and taking large doses of vitamins can be harmful. Eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains will provide the body with all the vitamins it needs, at the right level and in the right balance. Vitamin pills or supplements can’t replace a healthy diet.
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