Common Myths Surrounding Vitamin Supplements
When people are told to take better care of their bodies, one of the first pieces of advice that health experts will give them is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables are incredibly healthy because they are packed full of nutrients. In particular, they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which happen to be essential for optimal health. Vitamins in particular, are renowned for their healing properties because there are so many different ones to choose from, with each one providing its own unique benefits. We have water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins, there is vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamins C,D,E and K. Ideally, for optimal health and well-being, you should be consuming a combination of all of the above. Vitamin A is beneficial for a number of reasons, though primarily it helps improve eye health and vision. B vitamins play key roles in digestive health and metabolism, whereas vitamin C helps strengthen and boost the immune system. It isn’t just fruits and vegetables that contain certain vitamins however, which is why it’s important to vary your diet. To make getting your daily requirements of vitamins that little bit easier, you can purchase vitamin supplements. Before you rush out and purchase said supplements however, take a look at the following common myths surrounding vitamin supplements.
If your urine is bright yellow you are excreting the goodness
When a lot of people increase their vitamin consumption and begin using various vitamin supplements, not long after doing so, they may be alarmed when they urinate. Usually first thing in the morning, when they urinate they often find that the colour is, well, pretty dramatic. A lot of people will say that the reason your urine is so bright is because you are urinating out all of the vitamins and nutrients, making the supplements useless. This is NOT true however, and it is perfectly normal. If anything, it proves that the supplements are really working. Most commonly this happens when users consume multivitamins, or B vitamins. This is because of Riboflavin, otherwise known as vitamin B2. Flavin actually means ‘yellow’ so there’s a clue in the name. Basically, your body uses all the B2 it needs, and gets rid of what it doesn’t need – hence the bright urine.
One multivitamin per day is enough
Commonly, most people will choose to simply consume one multivitamin per day, rather than a selection of individual vitamins instead. Of course taking a multivitamin is very beneficial, but it won’t provide you with the correct amounts of every single vitamin that you need every day. If you have a choice between a multivitamin or no vitamins at all, then of course a multi is best. If however, you can use a multi, and some other individual vitamins as well, alongside a healthy diet, ideally you should do that instead.
Vitamins do not turn bad
If you check the medicine cabinet/supplement cupboard of most households, chances are you will find at least one bottle of vitamin supplements. Now, if you delve a little deeper and examine said vitamins, you will likely find that they expired a long time ago. Despite this, people will still continue to take them because they believe that vitamins cannot turn bad. Now, obviously they won’t oxidize and turn rancid like whole foods, but vitamins can still expire and go beyond their best. Now, in the best case scenario, taking expired vitamins will simply mean that you aren’t getting anywhere near enough nutrients. In some cases however, the vitamins are so old and have turned so bad that they can lead to upset stomachs and all kinds of discomfort. As mentioned, most likely is the fact that the vitamins simply lose their nutrients, and if that is the case, why would you continue to take them if they aren’t as effective as they should be. If your vitamins have expired, throw them out and replace them with new ones.
All vitamin supplements are the same
This is a very common misconception surrounding vitamins, and it is not true. You can purchase vitamins from virtually anywhere nowadays, even gas stations, for very affordable prices. Other vitamins however, are a great deal more expensive, so which should you purchase? Well, that all comes down to personal preference and budget. Obviously the more expensive vitamins are likely to be better for you and to contain more nutrients, but the cheap gas station versions will still be very beneficial. However, when some people claim that all vitamin supplements are the same, just in fancier bottles, that is not true. More expensive brands are often purer and provide more nutrients per serving, so if you can afford a little more, it is always a good idea to spend a little more.
Vitamin supplements can replace whole foods
Anybody who tells you that vitamin supplements can replace whole foods is very misinformed unfortunately. There is no substitution for whole foods, so if it comes down to a choice between a plate of vegetables, or a vitamin tablet, you should always choose the veggies. Whilst they cannot replace whole foods, what you can and should do, is use them to supplement your diet so that you get the best of both worlds. The veggies will contain much of the good stuff, and your other nutrients of course, and the vitamin tablets will simply help make up anything which may be missing.
All-natural is the same as organic
On most vitamin supplements nowadays, you will see terms such as ‘all-natural’ which can make people think they’re extra beneficial. However, all-natural is not the same as organic, so don’t be drawn in by clever labelling. If you want the best quality, organic is the way to go, so it’s important you know the difference.
