Vitamin information seems to be everywhere these days with the recent emphasis on doing all you can to stay healthy. All living things need vitamins for health and growth. Vitamins are separated into two categories: water-soluble (the B vitamins and vitamin C) and fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K). People need both of these kinds of vitamins. The water-soluble vitamins are absorbed by the intestine and carried by the circulatory system to specific tissues. If you take more water-soluble vitamins than needed, the excess is excreted in urine, so a daily supply of these vitamins is necessary. The body does not produce enough vitamins, and some vitamins are not produced at all, so it’s up to you to get enough of each vitamin through a healthy diet.
Because vitamins are essential, it is important to know about them. But with so much information out there in so many places, it’s difficult to know what is correct, and how to find out what you need to know. Here are some places that you can find reliable information on vitamins.
- Books
- Internet
- Health experts
- Find the research
There are a lot of books out there that contain information about specific vitamins. The good thing about the content found in books is that it is generally reliable and usually has been reviewed by many people before being published. The downside of going to books is that they may not have the most current or up to date information out there. You’ll want to check the publication date to see how recent the data is.
The Internet is a vast resource for all kinds of facts and figures; therefore, it is not surprising that it has a lot to be found on vitamins. The Internet is helpful because you can look up a lot of information easily and see opposing views on certain studies, all in one spot. However looking up vitamins on the Internet can also be risky. You should look at who is in charge of the site you find the data on, since many vitamin companies will put information on their Website to try to get you to buy their vitamins, which may or may not be entirely accurate. The Internet is certainly a helpful resource, but you have to be careful when using it for information, and double check for accuracy.
One of the best ways to obtain information about vitamins is to contact a health expert. These professionals study the latest research and know how to apply that research to specific circumstances. They know practical information and can give you a good idea of what you need to do to stay healthy.
Another idea to find reliable vitamin information is to go right to the source – find the research yourself. By finding the actual research statistics, you can draw your own conclusions about how helpful particular vitamins would be for you and which and how many vitamins you should take. The main problem with this approach is that the research may be difficult to understand. Talk to a health professional if you are confused about how to apply the research to your life.
By Janelle Walker