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Most healthy eaters are familiar with the three macronutrients
that garner the most media attention within the diet world:
proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Indeed, some highly regarded
eating programs, such as the Isometric Diet®, are designed
to deliver an optimal balance of these three macronutrients.
Yet what is often overlooked in a nutrition vocabulary dominated
by talk of proteins,  carbohydrates,
and fats, is the plain fact that vitamin supplements play
a critical role in an overall healthy eating program. It is
a neglect that, ironically, derives from scientific misunderstanding.
Until recently, the scientific community firmly maintained
that vitamin supplements were unnecessary and potentially
even dangerous. This claim was based on a position that the
body’s vitamin needs could be met through diet, and that vitamin
supplements are largely created from synthetic, low quality
ingredients.
However, evidence to the contrary has emerged; or to put things
more accurately, the scientific community is finally accepting
a new view. Clinical studies clearly show that high quality
vitamin supplements can be produced from all natural sources,
and that taking them can prevent serious health ailments such
as heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer [i].
It has also been accepted that vitamin supplements help the
body effectively regulate how energy is utilized. In this
sense, they ensure that the energy delivered by macronutrients
– in the form of calories – is directed properly to promote
growth and development [ii].
However, despite the scientifically proven importance of vitamin
supplements, some key concerns have been raised. Specifically,
the nutrition community has raised questions with respect
to the potential toxicity of supplements that contain “fat-soluble”
vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins are not easily and swiftly
eliminated by the body. Instead, they are stored in organs
and tissues. Over time, there can be a build-up of fat-soluble
vitamins [iii], which can lead to adverse health effects such
as nausea, diarrhea, unhealthy weight loss, bone density loss,
and digestive tract disorders [iv].
Fortunately, to avoid this potential damage, there are vitamin
and nutritional supplement products on the market that offer
water-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins travel smoothly
through the body and the excess is excreted through the kidneys.
As such, there is little to no risk of toxic build up [v].
At the same time, these water-soluble vitamin and nutritional
supplements can be derived from all-natural sources. This
is important to note, because, synthetic vitamins can only
replicate a fraction of the beneficial nutrients found in
natural sources. As such, the holistic positive impact that
can only come from several nutrients working together cannot
be reproduced synthetically [vi].
These scientific acknowledgements of the value of vitamin
supplements -- and the accessibility of water-soluble, all-natural
products -- bode well for the average consumer, and especially
well for dieters.
Some diets irresponsibly advise dieters to take diuretic pills
that create weight loss through water loss. As a consequence
to this short-term strategy, dieters often become dangerously
deficient in water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C, B1,
B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Biotin, and Folic Acid.
However, some well-designed nutritional supplements provide
anywhere from 50% to 100% of these essential vitamins. As
such, dieters who are currently subscribing to an unhealthy
water-loss diet can responsibly transition to these products,
and replenish their depleted water-soluble vitamin stock.
Similarly, dieters who are fortunate enough to have avoided
these potentially dangerous diet pill/diuretic diets can wisely
integrate these nutritional supplements into their current
eating regimen.
 Indeed,
the scientific community, for all of the contributions it
has made to diet and nutrition, has been unusually slow in
accepting the fact that vitamin supplements are an essential
part of healthy eating. Yet the consensus of this fact is
now fairly widespread, as is the understanding that water-soluble
and all-natural products simply outclass fat-soluble and synthetic
products in terms of safety and efficacy.
It may have taken a decade or so too long to reach this “vitamin
awareness”, but now that it is here, it is reason for both
dieters and non-dieters to celebrate a future of healthier
and smarter eating.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm
with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect,
a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage
containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on
Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
REFERENCES
[i] Source: “Dietary Insurance: A Daily Multivitamin”. Harvard
School of Public Health.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins.html
[ii] Source: “Vitamins and Minerals”. McKinley Health Center.
http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/vitaminmineral.html
[iii] Source: “Toxicity of Vitamins”. Medicinal Foods News.
http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol04/issue3/toxicity.htm
[iv] Source: “Fat-Soluble Vitamins”. Colorado State University.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09315.html
[v] Source: “Vitamins”. WebMD.
http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/stv5441.asp
[vi] Source: “Natural Vitamins or Synthetic?”. Olga Timbol.
http://www.chiff.com/a/natural-vitamin.htm
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