| People spend billions of dollars a year on | | | | as much as it needs to function properly, but |
| supplements and while some of them are | | | | anything more than that results in diminishing |
| definitely worth the money, many others do not | | | | returns. |
| come close to living up to what they promise. | | | | I should point out that the amounts of vitamins |
| Therefore I decided to write this series of articles | | | | and minerals your body needs is not always |
| to take a closer look at which supplements are | | | | adequately reflected by the RDA (Recommended |
| beneficial and worth the money and which ones | | | | Dietary Allowance). In some cases, such as with |
| simply do not live up to their hype or are | | | | Vitamin C and other antioxidants, the amount you |
| overpriced for the benefits they provide. | | | | need to gain some of the benefits can be many |
| The supplements I am covering in this article are | | | | times higher than the RDA. Determining how |
| vitamins and minerals. Naturally, every vitamin and | | | | much you need is a complicated issue and |
| mineral has a somewhat different function in your | | | | certainly too big to be covered in this article, but I |
| body, but when it comes to how beneficial they | | | | may discuss that issue in a future article. |
| are, there are some similarities across the board. | | | | Another important note about vitamins and |
| Supplementing with any vitamin or mineral can | | | | minerals is that most of the time the benefits are |
| have significant positive effects for your body, | | | | subtle and occur over a long period of time. This |
| but only under certain circumstances. | | | | is because it takes a while to increase the level of |
| By far the greatest improvement from taking | | | | a nutrient in your body. If you have a significant |
| vitamin or mineral supplements is seen when you | | | | deficiency, just taking a supplement for a week |
| take a supplement that contains substances that | | | | will not be enough to get your level back to |
| you have a deficiency in. Vitamin or mineral | | | | normal. In most cases it takes weeks or even |
| deficiencies cause numerous problems related to | | | | months to alter your nutrient levels and the |
| how your body functions, such as decreased | | | | benefits occur gradually over this time, so you |
| energy, increased aches or pains, weakened | | | | may not actually notice the change. |
| immune system, poor bone density, etc. When | | | | To sum up vitamins and minerals, if you have any |
| you take a supplement that corrects a deficiency, | | | | significant deficiencies, which most people do, |
| the negative symptom(s) can be greatly | | | | supplementing with those nutrients is definitely |
| improved. | | | | beneficial and the results are worth the money. |
| On the other hand, if you already get enough of a | | | | On the other hand, if you already get enough of a |
| vitamin or mineral, taking more of it generally | | | | specific vitamin or mineral, taking more of it rarely |
| provides minimal, if any, further improvements. | | | | provides additional benefits. However, as with any |
| People often have the attitude that if one serving | | | | supplement, different people will experience |
| is good, then two or three servings must be | | | | different results, so there is always an element of |
| better, but this is not the case. Your goal when | | | | trial and error. |
| taking vitamins and minerals is to give your body | | | | |